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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...
Dear Savvy Senior: When is it safe, or not safe, to split pills? I have a cousin who cuts almost all her pills in half in order to save money, but I’m wondering if she’s going overboard. What can you tell me about this? – Curious Cousin Dear Curious: Pill splitting – literally cutting them in half – has long been a popular way to save on medication costs, but your cousin, if she hasn’t already done so, needs to talk to her doctor or pharmacist because not all pills should be split. The reason pill splitting is such a money saver is because of...
Vaccination is more than 90% effective at preventing deaths from the Delta variant of COVID-19, according to the first country-level data on mortality. Researchers found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 90% effective and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine 91% effective in preventing deaths in individuals who have been double vaccinated, but who have tested positive for coronavirus. The study, using data from the Scotland-wide EAVE II COVID-19 surveillance platform, is the first to show across an entire country how effective vaccines are at...
The Alaska Health Fair office in Fairbanks will hold blood test draws by appointment on Dec. 4, 7 and 8. Register early, as they are filling up fast. All our offices are closed from the third week of December until the start of 2022. We will reopen the first week of January and start preparing for an active Spring 2022 health fair season. We are extremely grateful and amazed at the dedication our volunteers have exhibited, as they have helped us to bring much needed services to their communities throughout the past two difficult years. Note to...
Preventive healthcare is care you receive to prevent illness, detect medical conditions, and keep you healthy. Medicare covers many preventive healthcare services, including vaccines. Today I will discuss how the different parts of Medicare cover vaccines, along with some important notes about a few common vaccines. Part D coverage If your provider recommends that you get a vaccine, in most cases this service will be covered by your Part D prescription drug plan. Part D plans must include most c...
A breast cancer vaccine is becoming a step closer to reality. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic are studying a vaccine for preventing triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive and lethal form of the disease. Currently, the researchers are conducting a phase I trial to determine the maximum tolerated dose of the vaccine in women with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved an investigational new drug application for the...
“Time and tide wait for no man,” is an ancient proverb that appears especially relevant to the aging process. However, time by itself it cannot affect living functions, behaviors or organic changes. This distinction is important. If time were the causal factor in aging there would be no need to examine the underlying genetic, biological, cognitive, cultural and environmental interactions that contribute to the aging process. If the passage of time is accepted as the causal factor in the aging process, our attitudes toward aging and the age...
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 at the following locations in December. This month’s activity will feature a presentation from 1 to 2 p.m., with support group meetings following, 2 to 3 p.m. Dec. 1 Sterling Senior Center, “Mysteries of Sleep,” a PBS documentary on the powerful role that sleep – or...
During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, many caregivers can become overwhelmed physically and emotionally. Jane Felczak, RN, a family caregiving expert, offers these practical tips to help caregivers make it through the holidays without losing their twinkle: Keep it realistic. Pare down your expectations. Make a list of what you think you can accomplish and then cut it in half. Take shortcuts. Go to the bakery for cookies and breads. Give gift cards. Order pizzas. And say no. Just because you always did something in the past, doesn’t m...
This year’s early snowfall was a reminder that winter is on its way. Alaskans are moving fast to put on snow tires and dig out ice scrapers. Time to winterize and immunize. Now is a great time to get your annual flu shot – and your COVID-19 vaccine – if you haven’t done so already. The goal is to protect Alaskans as quickly as possible, to help drive down our COVID-19 cases and prevent the flu before it begins circulating widely in our communities. Last year, Alaskans did a great job of getting their flu shots before the end of October as reco...
Fall is a wonderful time of year for celebrating family traditions and holidays, which definitely incorporate food. However, it is becoming more and more common to have a family member or friend with life-threatening food allergies, which need be avoided. What is a food allergy? A food allergy is a medical condition in which an exposure to a food can trigger a harmful immune response. These responses can range from mild (itchy mouth, a few hives) to severe (throat tightening, difficulty...
Alaska Health Fair is almost at the end of our fall event schedule – please consider attending one of our final events: Nov. 6 Upper Susitna Wellness Fair at Talkeetna Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 13 St. Johns Community Fair in Anchorage, 8 a.m. to noon. This will be the last fall event in Anchorage. We’re finished with fall community and worksite health fairs in Fairbanks, but will continue with office draw services on a few November and December dates – please see our website event schedule for more information. Our offices will...
