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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...
Your Medicare costs and coverage can change every year; this year is no exception. Here is an overview of changes and opportunities to consider. Medicare Part A Part A inpatient hospital services, skilled nursing facility services, home health care and hospice are covered by Medicare Part A. Most people do not owe a premium for Part A. If you have less than 10 years of Social Security work credits, you may owe a monthly premium, depending on the number of years worked. If you are admitted to...
Each household in the U.S. can now have four free COVID-19 at-home tests shipped directly to their home at no cost. All you need to do is visit COVIDtests.gov and enter your contact information and mailing address. The tests are rapid antigen “at-home” or “self” tests — not PCR tests, which require a lab drop-off. The “at-home” or “self” tests can be taken anywhere and give results within 30 minutes. Guard against scammers trying to steal your personal information. When ordering tests, use the official, secure government website: https://...
The last few years have been extra difficult for so many people in Alaska. These years have been hard for human beings all over the world due to the Pandemic. The reality of experiencing, or dread of experiencing, COVID-19 or one of its ensuing strains has been increasing the normal stresses of day-to-day life. Many of our friends and loved ones may also have a serious life-limiting illness. As you read this, you may be dealing with one yourself. Saint Valentine is known as the patron saint of beekeeping and epilepsy. This saint has had people...
Alaska Health Fair’s Spring 2022 schedule is now online, with most events already posted on our website at www.alaskahealthfair.org. Check back frequently, as the new season is fluid. We continue to add new dates as they come available and rarely postpone one. The blood draw dates are at our office settings, plus a few February community events, as our busy schedule ramps up for spring. Our February schedule, which includes mask wearing requirements while attending, currently includes: Anchorage, Feb. 5 First Christian Church, 3031 Latouche S...
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 February 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 a “Fun with Meal Planning” presentation with certified food systems manager Cindi Irwin. Feb. 3, Sterling Senior Cente...
Are you a family caregiver? You may not think of yourself that way, but if you spend time tending to the needs or concerns of a person with an ongoing illness, injury or disability, you are considered a caregiver. Approximately 85% of people with dementia and chronic illness are cared for exclusively in their own homes. On average, their loved ones provide 12 hours of assistance a day. That can be difficult to juggle with work and other responsibilities, and often takes an economic and physical toll. As a result, caregivers often report signifi...
A diagnosis of dementia is one of the most difficult hardships a patient and their loved ones can face. The months and years after diagnosis are often filled with trying to learn more about the disease, wondering what the future holds, becoming a caregiver with no formal training, and experiencing loss. These challenges can be overwhelming for anyone to overcome. A support system is crucial to managing the new territory a dementia diagnosis brings, and one important member of that team is an occupational therapist. Occupational therapy is the...
Most Americans over age 60 are fearful of age-related health decline and disease. According to one survey, the fears of dementia and Alzheimer's disease top the list. These fears are not without cause - the most recent statistics estimate that 6.2 million older Americans are living with Alzheimer's dementia which accounts for 60 to 70% of dementia cases. Dementia is a general term for cognitive problems that interfere with daily living. It can result from or with other conditions such as...
I am 25 pounds lighter than I was just a few months ago, and my blood pressure is far lower. A better diet and generous amounts of exercise were key ingredients, but the tool that helped me most was fitness related technology. Fitness is a multi-billion dollar industry, and I do not have the space to cover even a fraction of its landscape. Nevertheless, in my quest for a healthy lifestyle I explored many different products. Accurate measurements are vital. They create a feedback loop over time...
You could say swimming pools in Alaska in the time of COVID are doing swimmingly. Keeping healthy with a safe workout through water aerobics or lap swimming does more than build muscles, it keeps many older adults connected during the dark winter months. This year there will be many swimming options all across the state. "Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise that an older adult can participate in," said Larry Parker, chief executive officer at YMCA of Alaska. "Aquatic activity works...
Hello! I have been a primary care provider in Juneau Alaska for nearly 30 years, as well as a health writer, yoga enthusiast and instructor, musician, and lover of the great outdoors. My professional focus is on wellness. I particularly enjoy helping patients achieve good health, with minimal or no medication if possible. “Anything that can be healed by judicious diet and lifestyle should not be treated any other way” is a wise maxim attributed to Hippocrates (460-370 BC, Greek). This new column will serve as an introduction to the principles o...
We wouldn’t have achieved this milestone without the support of many Alaskans who use our affordable blood draw services, those who come to us to access free health screenings or to generously donate their time or money. We can’t thank you enough for your loyalty and support, especially through these recent, difficult years. We hope that your new year is all that you are wishing for with health, happiness and personal goals part of your overall achievements. We are continuing with our modified version of health fairs in Spring 2022. Our new...
New handheld technology is ushering a new approach to treating kidney stones Physicians may be able to maneuver small kidney stones to the ureter so they can be expelled naturally. Patients dealing with small kidney stones that persist after surgery may soon have options to “push” the stones from their body, rather than face another invasive procedure. A clinical trial at the Kidney Stone Center at the UW Medical Center in Seattle is testing the ability of ultrasound waves to dislodge and mov...
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.comkpfcsp@soldotnaseniors.com. The program will hold caregiver support group meetings in January 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 a presentation of “The Misunderstood Epidemic: Depression,” a PBS DVD exploring the diffi...
