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My husband, Elliott, and I were on an excursion. On a sunny, warm afternoon in early April, we were bumping along a curvy, gravel road, up and down hills, heading to the home of Joanna and Ken Walch in Big Lake. Joanna – Jo – calls it "our little paradise." Their home is perched on a hill, overlooking Mud Lake, covered with thinning grey-blue ice in our unusually warm spring. We were about to meet a cast of characters. In the yard, greeting our approach with a few curious howls, was Jo's sle...
Recent data show that, across the board, fewer American retirees say they are “very satisfied” with their retirements, while a growing number of retirees report that they are “not at all satisfied” with their retirements. Based on a 15-year period of research from 1998 to 2012 using data from the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the most comprehensive national survey of older Americans, results show that a shift is occurring from “very satisfied” retirees to “moderately satisfied” and “not at all satisfied” retirees...
The Alaska legislature is no longer pushing to remove the mandate for the Senior and Disabled Property Tax Exemption, which exempts Alaskan seniors and disabled veterans from having to pay property taxes on the first $150,000 of the assessed value of their home. Although many municipalities protest the program as an expensive, unfunded mandate and have lobbied for its removal, the proposal floated during this session to make it optional, rather than mandatory as it is now, received too much pushback and has been abandoned for now, according to...
This letter, abbreviated here, was sent by the Alaska Commission on Aging to the Alaska Senate and House chairs on April 6, 2016, in regard to SB 139 and HB 256, which impose a $100 annual fee to be placed on the Pioneer Homes wait list. The letter is available in its entirety on the commission’s website at www.alaskaaging.org. Dear Sen. Pete Micciche and Representative Dan Sadler: The Alaska Commission on Aging is a Governor-appointed body within the Dept. of Health and Social Services that serves to ensure the dignity and independence of a...
Editor’s Note: This press statement was received on April 21, 2016. The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — is congratulating both President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress for reauthorizing the Older Americans Act (OAA), a vital piece of legislation that supports programs and services for approximately 11 million individuals and their families. GSA is also calling for Congress to fund, at a minimum, OAA programs at their authorized levels for Fiscal...
Most Americans and leading presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle support the idea that the federal government should lower drug prices. But it's not likely to happen any time soon even though the Obama administration and Congress are considering some proposals and ideas moving in that direction. This is a key issue for the 55 million seniors on Medicare. A recent Stanford Center on Longevity study found that almost half (47 percent) of Americans age 75 and older took five or more prescription drugs in 2011, nearly double the 24...
This is the second article in a multi-part series about diabetes self-management programs offered in Alaska. Type 2 Diabetes, a disease characterized by abnormally high blood sugar, is among the most common chronic diseases. People of all ages suffer from type 2 diabetes, but older adults are more likely to be diagnosed with this disease and experience diabetes-related complications. Luckily, there are many ways to reduce your risk of developing this disease, and it’s also easy to get screened. For more information about prevention and s...
We take for granted the comfort we feel in our hands and feet, but some people have lost that comfort, and they suffer all day long with strange nerve-related concerns. There is new research about aspirin which could help you, but first let’s talk about nerve pain, termed “neuropathy.” It feels like you are touching or stepping on pins and needles! It can affect you all over, not just your hands and feet. Depending on various factors (race, age, weight, alcohol consumption, insulin and A1c), your experience of neuropathy may also include pain,...
Alaska Health Fairs’ spring series of health fairs wrap up this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. The tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. The test results give you and your health care provider important information about your physical condition and vital organ functions. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45 and panels 27 different tests f...
Be cheerful in the merry month of May, a harbinger of Summer’s advent, and good times will soon be here. That is, if you all vote ... the right way. JOKE! Seriously, here are five reasons to vote: 1. To speak your mind, to tell elected officials how you feel about health care, Social Security, the environment, education (especially if you have children or grand children). 2. To control our future, elected officials make decisions that affect our daily lives. 3. To stop complaining and make t...
Similar to ‘First Aid’ and ‘CPR,’ ‘Mental Health First Aid’ is designed to arm the public with skills to help individuals who are developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Presented by the Alaska Training Cooperative, Mental Health First Aid is a non-clinical, public education experience offered as an interactive 8-hour certification course that presents an overview of mental illness and substance use issues in the U.S. The course addresses the fear and stigma associated with mental illness and introduces...
If you have just received your VA disability notice, you should take advantage of the VA’s disability insurance plan. Veterans who are granted a service-connected disability but are otherwise in good health may apply to VA for up to $10,000 life insurance coverage. The following is a summary of Service Disabled Veterans Insurance. Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance The Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance (S-DVI) program was established in 1951 to meet the insurance needs of certain veterans wit...
The Alaska Kidney Patient Association is offering free kidney health screenings May 14 at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, 9 a.m. to noon. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure or an immediate family member with kidney disease, this screening is for you. By appointment only, register online by May 11 at www.alaskakidney.org. The association will also present a Living Donor Workshop May 19 at the Providence Medical Center East Auditorium, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This event is designed to educate people in need of a kidney transplant. A panel...
Some Alaska Boroughs could improve health Juneau Borough ranks healthiest in Alaska and Wade Hampton Census Area is the least healthy place in the state, according to the seventh annual County Health Rankings. These rankings are done by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). They are meant to be an easy-to-use snapshot comparing the health of nearly every county in the nation. The local-level data allows each state to see...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in May. This month’s focus: Home safety for people with dementia. May 3, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 10, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 17, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 17, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, 3 p.m. May 31, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your expe...
Online trainings on geriatric health care topics continue this month, sponsored by the Area Health Education Center (AHEC), the Alaska Training Cooperative and Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. The series is a partnership with the Northwest Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Center, and will offer trainings each Tuesday through May 31, via virtual classroom on the Internet. The series is designed to give community-based providers working in the field of aging access to valuable information without traveling. Classes feature nationally and...
There was a generation of women who grew up without heroines, without much hope for fulfilling their wildest dreams, but then there were those women who changed all that by sheer will and determination. They thumbed their noses at "girls don't do that" and went on to do precisely what they said they would. Dr. Nancy Elliot Syndam is one. And she was honored for that grit at the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Anchorage Museum on March 3. She grew up on a 60-acre farm in...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will conduct its quarterly meeting May 5 in Palmer at Mat-Su Senior Services, 1132 S. Chugach Street. The commission advocates for state policy, public and private partnerships, state/federal projects and citizen involvement on senior issues. Commissioners will hear presentations from and about senior service programs and agencies, including the Alaska Senior Hunger Awareness Campaign; Mat-Su Council on Aging; Division of Senior and Disabilities Services; Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority; Long Term Care...
As the days get longer and winter begins to wane, it's safe to assume that the boys of summer are preparing for another awesome season of baseball – a mainstay in Alaska for generations. Before Anchorage had plotted out its main street on Fourth Avenue in 1915, baseball teams faced off near the mud flats to put bats to balls that Fourth of July. Following statehood in 1959, Alaska attracted a multitude of collegiate players who played for teams like the Anchorage Bucs, Alaska Glacier Pilots, Pen...
Recognized for hundreds of television roles dating back to the 1950s, Peter Mark Richman broke into film alongside Gary Cooper in the 1956 civil war western, "Friendly Persuasion." "But I'm not only an actor, I'm also a playwright," noted Richman, who turned 89 in April, from his home in Los Angeles. "'A Medal for Murray' just finished a two year run in Israel and it toured Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa." Richman was doing a scene from his play in Los Angeles several years ago with Sean Penn's...
Citing low public interest and little need, Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre vetoed a resolution to create a senior task force on Feb. 23. The resolution, brought forward by senior advocate Peter Zuyus and Kenai Peninsula Borough assembly member Kelly Cooper, was intended to form the task force to serve as a resource for seniors in the Kenai Peninsula. “We wanted a pathway for seniors to ask questions and offer commentary on the borough level,” said Zuyus. “Other boroughs have similar setups, and there are no representatives from...
“Avoid probate? I don’t have to worry about that; I have a will,” says the elder gent sitting across from me. “A will doesn’t avoid probate,” I tell him. A confused look comes over his face. “I still have to go through probate, even if I have a will?” “Yep,” I say. “In fact a will does absolutely nothing to avoid probate.” He ponders that a moment. “Then what, exactly, is the point of having a will? What does a will do?” There is a very common misconception that having a will is a way to g...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (May 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (May 4 and 18), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (May 5, 12, 19, 26), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s Southeast communities can call the Juneau Soc...
Q. I have not flown in quite some time. When I flew last month, missing was the usual preflight announcement asking everyone to turn off all electronic devices. Now that we can use smartphones and tablets on airplanes from gate to gate, why do they still have an airplane mode? A. It took a very long time for most airlines to accept the inevitability of a cabin full of passengers happily tapping away on personal electronic devices. There was an especially humorous few months as the cabin prohibition continued while at the same time pilots...
Go south-way south, to Alaska's little visited Dutch Harbor on the Aleutian Chain. The Aleutian Chain, including Unalaska and Amaknak Islands, began about 40 million years ago when the volcanic action and movement of tectonic plates thrust up the jagged mountains to form part of the "Ring of Fire" of volcanic activity that spans the Pacific. As recently as this March, Pavlof Volcano, 166 miles north of Dutch Harbor, erupted and sent ash 20,000 feet into the air. Dutch Harbor refers to the...
