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Established in 1968, OPAG is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to improving services, developing programs, educating, promoting and implementing changes to help Alaska seniors live healthy, productive lives. Current programs: - publish the monthly Senior Voice newspaper - publish and distribute the Directory for Older Alaskans senior resource directory - provide information and referral services for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Health Care Act and other senior issues - organize monthly Providers' Breakfast...
Born in the heart of Anchorage and raised amidst the breathtaking landscapes of Willow, I developed a connection with the great outdoors from a young age. Fishing, hiking, four-wheeling, and snowmobiling became not just hobbies, but cherished parts of my identity. Professionally, I wear multiple hats. A graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I hold a certificate degree as a holistic health coach and am board-certified through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. My...
I think the snowy winters in Michigan, where I was raised, prepared me for Alaska. After 40 years in Alaska, I considered myself an Alaskan and Anchorage is home. I came to Alaska in the late 1970s to work for what was then the Division of Family and Youth Services (DFYS). After living in large cities as a young adult, (Washington, DC, Chicago, and San Francisco) my family members were surprised when I headed to Alaska. I worked in the Dept. of Health and Social Services, Dept. of Regional...
I am one of the Older Persons Action Group's newer board members, and would like to provide a brief introduction. I am a lifelong Alaskan, who completed both my Bachelor's and Master's degree at UAA in social work. I worked at the Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska, where I was able to pursue my passion to support individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, and older Alaskans in need of community services. I worked as a care coordinator, outreach specialist,...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc. (OPAG) held its annual membership meeting on Nov. 18 and the following board officers were elected: Dylan Webb, president; Gail Opalinski, vice president; Joan Haig, treasurer; Yvonne Chase, secretary. Other board members include Leonard T. Kelley, Sharon White-Wheeler (Emeritus), Robert Bracco, Pam Yeargan, Beth Goldstein, Hollis Mickey, Eileen Lally. Provider Breakfast, Dec. 8 Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc. (OPAG) held its annual membership meeting on Nov. 19 and the following board officers were elected: Yvonne M. Chase, president; Jan Carolyn Hardy, vice president; Dylan Webb, treasurer; Eileen Lally, secretary. Other board members include Leonard T. Kelley, Sharon White-Wheeler, Robert Bracco, Pam Yeargan, John (Jack) Pauli, Beth Goldstein, Gail Opalinski. and Hollis Mickey....
Older Persons Action Group, Inc. (OPAG) welcomes two new board members, Dylan Webb and S. Hollis Mickey. Dylan Webb is a certified holistic health counselor and owner of Ideal Health, LLC, in Anchorage, providing coaching for weight management and lifestyle change. He is board-certified with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, and in addition to health care his background includes coaching youth basketball and volunteer political work. “My experience in healthcare has led me to recognize the need to support our older A...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc., held its annual membership meeting Nov. 15 in Anchorage. At the meeting, board members nominated and voted-in the following officers: Yvonne M. Chase, president; Pam Yeargan, vice president; Leonard T. Kelley, treasurer; Jan Carolyn Hardy, secretary. Other OPAG board members include Sharon White-Wheeler, Robert Bracco, Christian Montana, Anne Gonzalez and Susan LaBelle. Directory release Also in November, OPAG released the 2018-2020 edition of its Directory for...
At its November 2017 board meeting, Older Persons Action Group’s board of directors voted unanimously to accept two new members. Anne Gonzalez, of Willow, and Susan LaBelle of Anchorage. Welcome! Other board members include Yvonne Chase (president), Pam Yeargan (vice president), Mike Dryden (treasurer), Jan Carolyn Hardy (secretary), Ken Farrow, Leonard T. Kelley, Sharon White-Wheeler, Robert Bracco and Christian Montana....
I hope you’ve all had a great Thanksgiving and will have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year. I have been under the weather, but I have met a wonderful group of friends, who are “dog people”. I had been wondering what I could do for my adorable, sweet Portia. She is an Italian Greyhound, all of 15 pounds and the sweetest, smartest dog (without having had any training) I have ever been around. She loves people, cats and dogs and not necessarily in that order. My newly found frien...
September Morn, please stay for a while longer, for when you are gone it will be time for an introduction to snowflakes and a lonesome, cold winter. But for readers lucky enough to have a working fireplace, it will be nice to cozy up to it again. Please remember to get registered to vote, and I can’t stress enough the importance of voting this year. The next president will be selecting one or maybe two Supreme Court justices. Social Security Disability benefits Social Security pays disability b...
What is more wonderful than a gloriously 70 degree temperature on an innocent day in June, especially when I am writing this on May 15 in Anchorage, Alaska? For those of you who do not believe in climate change, I feel sorry for you. I have been living in Alaska for 48 years and I have never seen a springtime like the one we are now having here. It is not so good for the fishermen and the rest of the people who live on the northwest coasts of our largest state, because they are losing land to...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc. conducted its annual membership meeting Nov. 19 in Anchorage. At the meeting, board members nominated and voted for officers. The newly-elected officers are as follows: Yvonne M. Chase, president; Pam Yeargan, vice president; Mike Dryden, treasurer; Rita Hatch, secretary. Thank you to Access Alaska, for use of their conference room for the event. Thanks also to OPAG administrative assistant Maggie Zabinko for organizing the event and arranging for the delicious food. Thanks, too, to other board members who...
September, what a terrible month with the loss of the David Letterman and Jon Stewart shows. Well, now I can get to bed an hour earlier. We could be paying much less Why do Americans pay a lot more for prescription drugs than people in other advanced countries or even those with certain private insurance plans? In case you don’t know, Medicare is not allowed to negotiate with drug companies to get lower prices, according to the Part D prescription drug program. This is one of the reasons I w...
Under the guise of compassion a Physician Assisted Suicide Bill (HB99) has been offered by certain members of the legislature. The so called “Right to Die” bill is nothing less than “State Sponsored Homicide”. In 1959 Alaska instituted the state constitution. Section 7 provides that no person will be deprived of life without Due Process of Law, and Section 22 protects a person’s Right to Privacy. The Supreme Court in Sampson vs. Alaska held that physician assisted suicide is illegal. Notwithstanding, authors of HB99 state that the bill is a...
Older Persons Action Group held its annual meeting on Nov. 15, conducting general business and board member elections. Existing board members were re-elected, and a new member was added. Welcome Edgar Blatchford, associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Public Communications at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He also has taught journalism at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, owned and published the Seward Phoenix Log newspaper and served as mayor of Seward from 1999 to...
We seniors are natural scam targets and very susceptible to fraud. As we get older we are less likely to consider the downside of the financial risks – we are more apt to look at the upside. We are less critical in our decision making, which makes us vulnerable. The scammers are perceived as trustworthy helpers. They may be a family member, financial advisor or another senior. The National Council on Aging, AARP and OPAG suggest you watch out for the following scams: Prescription drug scams. Seniors often take a myriad of prescription medicatio...
Seniors are living longer and do not meet the stereotype of sedentary old people to be warehoused until they die. Today’s seniors watch what they eat and stay mentally and physically active. This positive approach to senior lifestyle is embraced by Older Persons Action Group and its publication, Senior Voice. You can connect with OPAG through the hard copy of the Senior Voice or through the website. OPAG also has a Senior Voice account on Facebook and a Twitter account (@seniorvoiceak). OPAG Media Manager David Washburn is diligently working t...
We entered 2012 with a deficit, but with hard work and diligence we now operate in the black. In fact, this November, your board of directors passed the 2013 budget with a small surplus. We were able to achieve a surplus budget by reorganizing “Senior Voice” operating procedures (cutting expenses), increasing advertising income and receipt of a state NTS grant. Paid membership is down, so please take the time to pay your $20 membership fee. Many of our members have been donating fine art and cash to OPAG. These generous gifts help us del...
