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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...
Sonic waves for clearing coronary arteries Some heart centers around the country now are using novel lithotripsy technology to treat coronary blockages. This new technology is known as intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) and it’s based on the lithotripsy technology used to break up kidney stones. Shockwave technology delivers sonic waves to break-up problematic calcium, allowing the blocked artery to safely expand while restoring blood flow through a stent implant. As coronary artery disease p...
We Alaskans are a hardy bunch. Many of us tackle tough situations on our own. Some of us navigate challenges with family or friends by our side. And sometimes a common condition arises that brings us all together as a community and a state. The impact of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) is, now more than ever, one of those unifying conditions. Alaska Native and leading dementia researcher Dr. Jordan Lewis (Unangax, Native Village of Naknek) offers a unique cross-cultural...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program has moved into a new office 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. Caregiver support group meetings will be held at the following locations in November. This month’s activity will be playing bingo, with caregiver appreciation gifts provided. Bingo is from 1 to 2 p.m., with support group meetings following, 2 to 3 p.m. Nov. 3 Sterling Senior Center, Nov.12 Soldotna S...
When my mother lost her sight at the age of 85, it seemed sudden but in fact it was a gradual loss with providers ignoring her complaints of floaters, flashes and jaw pain. A rare autoimmune disease, temporal arteritis, had her seeing only shadows and disrupted her circadian rhythm, the physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle, so she never had a full night's sleep again. Having retired to Texas, the town she was in offered little in the way of services related to her...
The end of another summer is fast approaching and one thing that means is Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period (OEP) will be happening soon. Each year from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, you can make changes to your Medicare insurance here in Alaska, primarily if you have Prescription Drug (also known as Part D) coverage, in order to meet your needs for calendar year 2022. As long as you make your decision and request any coverage changes by Dec. 7, the insurance coverage will be effective on January 1...
October is one of our busiest months for health fairs. We continue to provide pre-scheduled, appointment-based services to communities and worksites, and at our Fairbanks office. October community events include Anchorage, Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Houston, North Pole and Valdez and many worksite events. COVID seems to have a mind of its own, and so we continue to work around these ever changing circumstances in our communities, state and nation in a safe and effective manner. We provide important services to all event attendees using solid...
Dear Savvy Senior: Can you tell me about stomach aneurysms? My father died from one about 10 years ago and I’m wondering if that can increase my risk of developing one myself. - Almost 60 Dear Almost: While you don’t hear much about them, stomach aneurysms, also known as abdominal aortic aneurysms, are very dangerous and the 10th leading cause of death in men over 55. They also tend to run in families, so having had a parent with this condition makes you much more vulnerable yourself. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (or AAA) is a weak area in the...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program has moved into a new office 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. Caregiver support group meetings will be held at the following locations and times in September. Please join to share your experiences as a caregiver or to support someone who is a caregiver. Oct. 14 Sterling Senior Center, 1 to 3 p.m. Caregiver training, “Alive Inside,” from 1 to 2 p.m. with a car...
Symptoms for early COVID-19 infection differ among age groups and between men and women, according to new research. These differences are most notable between younger age groups (16 to 59 years) compared to older age groups (60 to 80 years and older). Researchers also found that men have different symptoms compared to women in the early stages of COVID-19 infection. Investigators at King’s College London analyzed data from the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app between April 20 and Oct. 15, 2020. App contributors are invited to get tested as soon a...
You can make changes to your Medicare coverage each year during Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period, which runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Beginning in September, you may receive notices with information about possible changes to your coverage for the coming year. Please read these notices, as these can help you decide if you should make changes to your coverage during Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period. Medicare and You If you are currently enrolled in Medicare, watch for the 2021 Medicare & You handbook...
Alaska Health Fair is in the middle of a very active fall season. We continue providing appointment-based services to communities around state, and many worksites. Our September community events include Anchorage, Fairbanks, Chugiak, Girdwood, Palmer, Soldotna and Wasilla. As we continue to work through COVID, we provide these much needed services to all Alaskans using reliable health and safety protocols. Check out our full schedule at www.alaskahealthfair.org and look for the city of your choice. Here is a brief list of the coming month’s e...
Wearable devices helping visually impaired Updated computer technology now is revolutionizing care for those who are visually impaired. A new study is showing that wearing a vibrating collision device can reduce collisions in adults who are blind or have low level vision. Researchers found that a wearable computer vision device can reduce collisions for both people who are blind and those who are visually impaired and using a long cane and/or guide dog by 37%, compared to using other mobility...
