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This June, we acknowledge 25 years of progress helping each other in preventing Medicare fraud. We appreciate your efforts, both for yourself, your fellow Alaskans, and all who benefit from Medicare. As your local Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), we are ready to provide you with the information to protect yourself from Medicare fraud, errors and abuse. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the State of Alaska’s Medicare Information Office (MIO) to speak with any of our certified c...
The loyalty of many long time clients and the curiosity of many new ones has helped us at Alaska Health Fair to ride the crazy, wild waves of 2020-2022 and we didn’t go under water during the process. Our staff and volunteers will now take a short summer break, and dream of or take advantage of long weeks of camping or fishing as many of you might dream of. We use summer for personal leave, to rest and recover, write grants, do inventories, restock supplies, catch up on reports, book events and carefully prepare for the whirlwind of what we c...
During the month of June, staff at the Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will be traveling from Seward to Nikiski to introduce the program to more people and to gather feedback from family caregivers, as well as potential family caregivers. We strive to provide quality training topics each month but cannot do so if we don’t have an understanding of what people would be interested in learning. With that in mind, please look for our schedule in Senior Voice as well as on our Facebook page (@KPFCSP) and join us. Beginning this month...
How much sleep do I need? Everyone is different when it comes to sleep. Some people need much more than others. Well, it now turns out that seven hours may be the ideal amount of sleep for people in their middle age and upwards, with too little or too much sleep associated with poorer cognitive performance and mental health, according to a new British study from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University. Sleep plays an important role in enabling cognitive function and maintaining good...
Dear Savvy Senior: I recently saw a news segment on TV about a government funeral assistance program available to families who lost loved ones during the pandemic. What can you tell me about this? I lost my 78-year-old mother to COVID in 2021 and want to find out if I’m still eligible for any funeral funds, and if so, what I need to do to get them. - Still Sad Dear Sad: I’m very sorry about the loss of your mother. The government program you are asking about is the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program administered by the Federal Emergency Man...
Why is it that the words “respite” and “guilt” seem to go hand in hand? Why do caregivers feel we are somehow failing our loved one by admitting that we need help, need time to recharge our batteries, or just time to play a little? Perhaps because so many of us still hold on to the myth that says the caregiver must be all things to all people. We are human and will all the same needs and feelings as every other person in our lives. We will never be able to achieve caregiver perfection. Ask any caregiver who has been at it for any length...
Dear Savvy Senior: What can you tell me about atrial fibrillation? Every so often, I’ve noticed my heart starts beating rapidly for no particular reason. Is this something I should be worried about? - Anxious Annie Dear Annie: Heart palpitations can be harmless if they are brief and infrequent. But if you’re experiencing an erratic heart rhythm, you need to get checked out by a doctor for atrial fibrillation, or AFib. AFib – which is marked by rapid, fluttering beats – can lead to serious complications such as stroke and heart failure, when the...
Things don’t always go according to plan. When unforeseen challenges or mistakes occur, you may wish to know to whom you may voice your concerns and who can help resolve your concerns. For an appeal regarding a denied claim, be sure to review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) to submit the appeal in writing. You are also encouraged to call the Medicare Information Office to speak with any of our certified counselors if you need assistance with the appeals process. Quality concerns If you h...
A few weeks ago I was asked to participate in a telehealth session with a physician assistant to discuss an upcoming visit to a local Anchorage clinic. I couldn't help but notice that it looked like she was sitting in her home, maybe at the kitchen table. Being a curious kind of guy, I was compelled to ask her about where she was. Yes indeed, she was sitting at her kitchen table...in Oklahoma. Turned out that she used to live in Alaska and worked at that clinic, then moved out of state a few yea...
Most Alaska residents really look forward to the time of year we call “break-up.” This is always in April and May. We can count on overnight temperatures being above freezing. We see colors moving through shades of gray and brown to lovely emersion of greens as the daylight extends and it’s warmer. We navigate through patches of ice and compact snow as we drive and walk places. We step through puddles that are seemingly everywhere. Alaskans in our area understand that break-up is a stage in time that will usher in the lushness of our summe...
Spring blood test dates end statewide in late May. Health fair services will be offered again in early August. We continue using our appointment-based model, which works extremely well. Remaining event details can be found at www.alaskahealthfair.org. May health fair event dates: May 5 Ninilchik, 3 to 6 p.m. May 6 Ninilchik, 8 a.m. to noon May 14 Central, 8 to 11 a.m. May 21 Anchorage, 8 a.m. to noon In-office draw dates – Anchorage May 3 and Fairbanks May 3, 10, 17 Use our website at www.alaskahealthfair.org to schedule a blood test a...
Masks facts and Fiction The issue of wearing a mask is different for older adults who have several medical conditions they are managing. It is not a matter of choice but of necessity. Now, scientists have a better idea of what masks can and cannot do during the current wave of the pandemic. An international research team developed a new theoretical model to better assess the risks of spreading viruses such as COVID-19, with and without a face mask. The results show how the standard ‘safe’ distance of 6 feet does not always apply but varies gre...
April is a busy month for all Alaskans. Many of you are getting excited to be able to gather in outside groups for lots of fresh air and sunshine, hiking, biking, walking (with no ice cleats), camping, recreation, sports and other healthy activities. Alaska Health Fair and the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services are teaming up for your health. We are pleased to offer free A1C screenings for those who qualify, while supplies last, and free resources on diabetes and prediabetes and a free membership in the Omada Health...
Preventive care is the care you receive to prevent illness, detect medical conditions and keep healthy. A service is considered preventive if you have no prior symptoms of the disease. In contrast, diagnostic services address symptoms or conditions that you already have. Today we will discuss how Medicare covers preventive care. Medicare Part B covers many preventive services, such as screenings, vaccines, and counseling. A list of these services is available at: https://www....
It was Benjamin Franklin who wrote, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” And this April is no different. As Tax Day nears, Americans are preparing their IRS filings, just as they do every year. But what about that other certainty, death? April is Advance Care Planning Month and the 16th is National Healthcare Decisions Day. This year, Hospice of Anchorage wants to encourage all Alaskans to consider not only their taxes, but also their death. Death and disability sometimes arrive suddenly, but often the...
Editor's note: This story has been updated, with corrections. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and there are ways you can help find a cure. We are at the age when we know of someone who is suffering or has died from colon cancer, and wished there was a better means of detection. Now Alaska seniors can take part in research. What are clinical trials? Let's look at what clinical research is and how you can participate. For the questions you should ask before signing up please...
Hello, my name is Lee Coray-Ludden, I am a Medicare counselor based at the Soldotna Senior Center. I serve Southeast Alaska, and anywhere else in Alaska that my skills can be of use. I almost feel like I am traveling Alaska having worked with people in Nome, Soldotna, Kodiak and of course the many communities of Southeast Alaska. I travel by phone, not by plane or boat. I am trained through SHIP (Alaska State Health Insurance Program) and coordinate with them. I have lived in Alaska since 1969, and on the Kenai Peninsula since 1974. Give me a...
Medicare-related decisions can be quite challenging, especially when you or your spouse areabout to turn age 65, during your Initial Enrollment Period. The decisions can be even more complicated when you have other health insurance coverage. Deciding if and when to enroll in the various parts of Medicare, when you are first eligible, is an important choice, including how to avoid potential penalties or gaps in coverage. Most people enroll into Medicare Part A (hospitalization insurance) as this...
Finding your best food plan and sticking to it will prolong your life and greatly increase your wellbeing. It's hard to be cheerful with a distressed gut. Gut and brain tissue originates from the same embryonic cells in utero. Healthy gut function includes a good appetite with an accurate sense of satiety to prevent over-eating. Healthy digestion features lack of pain or bloating after meals. Eat calmly and chew your food thoroughly. Generally, it takes 18 to 24 hours for food to be fully...
It’s a new era when it comes to robotics. Researchers are reporting that a robot has performed laparoscopic surgery without the guiding hand of a human. Designed by a team of Johns Hopkins University researchers, the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) can provide a host of potential benefits. “Our findings show that we can automate one of the most intricate and delicate tasks in surgery, the reconnection of two ends of an intestine. The STAR performed the procedure in four animals and it pro...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program office is located at 35477 Kenai Spur Highway, Suite 205 (located in the 4D Professional Building). You can call them at 907-262-1280 or email kpfcsp@soldotnaseniors.com. The program will hold caregiver support group meetings in March at the locations below. Training is from 1 to 2 p.m., with support group meetings following, 2 to 3 p.m. This month’s training features presentation and discussion of a DVD, “the Family Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease.” March 3, Sterling Senior Center March 1...
March is a busy month for all Alaskans and spring is just around the corner, so many of us are experiencing “spring fever”. Mother Nature gives us little hints that we don’t have long to wait, such as increasing daylight, warmer temperatures, more outdoor gatherings. Then, she mixes the wonderful prospect of seeing more friends and family as we get out and about with spring thaw, greener pastures and wildlife returning. Alaska Health Fair asks that you make or take time to see to your own and other family members’ health needs before you get bu...
Dear Savvy Senior: How effective is the shingles vaccine and what is the CDC recommendation for getting it? My older brother and sister, both in their fifties, got COVID a few months back followed by shingles. Do you know if there is a connection between these viruses, and would the shingles vaccine have protected them? - Scared of Shingles Dear Scared: Great question. Many healthcare professionals across the country have been urging their older patients to get the shingles vaccine (in addition to the COVID-19 vaccinations) during the pandemic...
Bianca Rauch has been a hospice chaplain in Anchorage for many years. In this interview she talks about Valentine's Day, the loss of loved ones, grief and remembering. Valentine's Day is coming up. This is an especially difficult day, I assume, for those grieving for a loved one. What do you tell them? Chaplain Rauch: Valentine's Day is just one event, one day that may be difficult among many. There are many firsts, especially in the first year after you lose someone. There's an anniversary if...
COVID-somnia is taking its toll A new survey commissioned by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has found that more than half of Americans (56%) say they have experienced “COVID-somnia,” an increase in sleep disturbances, since the beginning of the pandemic. Of the reported sleep disturbances, most common was trouble falling or staying asleep (57%). Additional disturbances included sleeping less (46%), experiencing worse quality sleep (45%) and having more disturbing dreams (36%). “COVID-somnia can be brought on by multiple stres...
