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Alaskans may be good at maintaining distance from each other, but if you’re a caregiver (and even if you’re not), eventually you’ll have to leave the house to get groceries, replenish medications, or gather other supplies. If you usually stock up on incontinence supplies, toilet paper, or other products for personal care via Amazon or some other bulk supplier, be aware that shipping to Alaska may be backlogged. It may be better to shop locally to be sure of supplies on hand. Here are four tips for your personal safety, and the safety of other...
The Denali Center, a 75-bed rehabilitation and senior center in Fairbanks, recently began testing its residents and staff after one confirmed case of COVID-19 was established on Saturday, March 28. The facility, run by Foundation Health Partners, currently has 135 staff members working a variety of shifts at the 19th Avenue location. It was determined the affected individual, a resident female, 80, was only “mildly symptomatic” and is quarantined in her apartment. All other residents are also confined to their rooms and wear masks to pre...
Current COVID-19 cases continue to increase across Alaska At the nightly press briefing on Tuesday, March 31, Dr. Anne Zink, of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) today announced 14 new cases of COVID-19 in five Alaska communities – Anchorage (2), Eagle River (2), Fairbanks (5), Juneau (4) and Kenai (1). This brings the total case count in Alaska to 133. Two of the new cases are older adults (60+); 10 are adults aged 30-59; and two are younger adults aged 19-29. Five are female and nine are male. Five of the cases are c...
You have probably heard, read or seen on the news that there is an opioid abuse epidemic running rampant in the United States. According to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Opioids killed more than 47,000 people in 2017. That is 130 people per day. Sadly, 36% of all opioid overdose deaths involved a prescription opioid. It is estimated that three out of four people who used heroin misused prescription opioids first, and over two million people currently have an opioid use...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in February. This month’s discussion topic will focus on the Teepa Snow training DVD, “Progression of Dementia: Seeing Gems, Not Just Loss”. Snow explains the appropriate levels of care needed during different stages, which types of behaviors to expect, appropriate activity and much more. Feb. 4, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 11, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 18, Careg...
Alaska Health Fair depends on volunteers from all walks of life (both medical and non-medical); and we consider these giving and supportive individuals to be the “blood that flows” through and gives our agency its life. Come help save a life and help people connect with important services, perform health screenings, educate at a health station, or provide much needed supportive services. As a 40-year old non-profit and member of three United Way agencies statewide, Alaska Health Fair, Inc. works with a limited budget. We depend on people who...
Do you know of anyone who needs some extra support this winter? Hospice of Anchorage is a volunteer hospice that provides help and support all over Anchorage free of charge. As a volunteer hospice, our only criteria is that an individual have some kind of life-limiting illness, rather than requiring individuals to stop curative treatment or have a prognosis of less than six months to live. We come alongside the client’s current medical team to provide additional help, without taking away any of the providers already involved. Our services i...
Alzheimer’s disease vaccine under investigation Some good news to report about Alzheimer’s disease and a potential vaccine. Researchers in California have teamed up with scientists in Australia and developed a new vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease that could be tested in humans within the next two years. After successful animal studies, investigators are hoping to produce a new vaccine to remove “brain plaque” and tau protein aggregates linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The successful...
Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska will offer a free six-week online webinar for family caregivers, beginning in late February. The webinar classes meet via the online Zoom digital conferencing system for two hours each Saturday, Feb. 22 through March 28. The classes will focus on dementia care: Improving the practice of caregiving Tools for decision making Emotions caregivers may face How to deal effectively with family issues Classes are free, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, contact Gay Wellman, 907-822-5620 o...
It’s silent. It’s sneaky. Suddenly, clutter is there. Clutter is all around us in our modern lives and is a growing problem. According to the National Self-Storage Association, one out of every 11 people in the United States rent storage space during a given year, including off-site units and storage pods stored in a homeowner’s yard, meaning not only can clutter invade your home, but can even outgrow it. Whether you’re looking to regain momentum on a New Year’s resolution, optimize and organize your living space, or bravely part ways with...
Editor's note: This story appears in the Senior Voice Health and Fitness section, Jan. 2020, however the text is incomplete, due to a layout error. We apologize for the error and here it is in its entirety. Tylenol with codeine makes my occasional migraines bearable. I use them sparingly, always cognizant of the dangers of opioids. More than that, I am beyond grateful that I don’t have to endure the chronic pain that can be a real problem for our age group. Which is worse, the pain or the cure? Opioids weren’t always reviled. The powerful cla...
I have worked with Alaska Health Fair’s dedicated team of employees for seven years and instead of the “Seven Year Itch” to move on, I’m even more in love with our agency and more dedicated to providing health services to Alaska residents. We have been a statewide non-profit for 40 years, as of 2020, with offices in both Anchorage and Fairbanks. We started from a small National Institutes of Health grant, that all 50 states received, each state being asked to go forth and develop a health education program. I found out that in the years b...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in January. This month’s discussion topic will be “Beginning a New Year: How We Can Be Better at Taking Care to Give Care.” Jan. 7, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 14, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 21, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 28, Open house at Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program in Blazy Mall, Soldotna, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check...
Avoiding sleep medications with simple exercises If you are having trouble sleeping at night, you might want to try a yoga class. Yoga and physical therapy (PT) are effective approaches to treating co-occurring sleep disturbance and back pain while reducing the need for medication, according to a new study by researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Writing in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, they report significant improvements in sleep quality lasting 52 weeks after 12 weeks of yog...
Editor’s note: This press statement was received on Dec. 13, 2019. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is reinstating Alaska’s adult preventive dental program (also known as the Adult Enhanced Dental Program) for Medicaid recipients effective Dec. 31, 2019. Program services will also be retroactively covered to Oct. 1, 2019, when the program was discontinued as part of an overall effort to address the state’s budget deficit. The decision to reinstate the program was made by DHSS Commissioner Adam Crum in coord...
Dear Savvy Senior: I've read that people with heart problems need to be extra careful during the winter months because heart attacks are much more common. Why is this? -- Cautious Senior Dear Cautious: Everyone knows winter is cold and flu season, but many don't know that it's also the prime season for heart attacks, too, especially if you already have heart disease or have suffered a previous heart attack. Here's what you should know, along with some tips to help you protect yourself. In the...
Have you seen all of the advertising for Medicare Plans? It seems like the TV waves are inundated with commercials about Medicare this time of year. And there is lots of talk about new benefits, free benefits and low or no-cost plans. How do you sort out all of this information and determine what plan is best for you in 2020? Medicare Advantage: Additional benefits, but not offered in Alaska No doubt about it, we are in the middle of the Open Enrollment Season for Part D (Prescription Drug...
As the holidays approach each year, a lot of people start off the season with Halloween trick-or-treating events. I used to do that too, even decorating the house a little bit. But today I’m not really fond of skeletons and morbid spiders and whatnot. Speaking of whatnot, you already know how much I despise the pushing of unnecessary, toxic chemicals on us, right? But there’s something even more revolting. It’s the government handbook called, “The Food Defect Action Levels.” This guidebook spells out exactly how much mold, rat hair, maggots,...
Most people have heard of First Aid and CPR to address physical distress, but what happens when someone is exhibiting signs of emotional or mental distress? The Alaska Training Cooperative (AKTC) is providing a groundbreaking public education program, Mental Health First Aid, that helps the public identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. Mental Health First Aid is an interactive eight-hour course funded by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority that teaches participants about the risk factors an...
Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska will present the monthly “Memory Café” event Dec. 17, at the Wasilla Senior Center, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Held the every third Tuesday in Wasilla, the Memory Café offers an opportunity for people living with dementia and their care partners to engage in much needed socialization and enjoy the company of others who are on the same journey. At the Memory Café, time will be split between socializing and enjoying the talents of local creative artists. Come and join for live music, coffee, cookies, and the chance to recharge...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will not hold any regularly scheduled meetings in December. They will host a Christmas party at the Soldotna Senior Center on Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. The event is a potluck, so bring your favorite holiday dish. Also bring something you’d like to get rid of, as there will be a “recycle gift exchange.” Be sure your recycle gift is wrapped. For more information, call Sharon or Judy at (907) 262-1280. Homer Family Caregiver meetings take place on the second and fourth Thursdays of ea...
There are plenty of physical and mental stressors involved in holiday travel for people of any age. For seniors, long drives, train rides, or flights can pose specific challenges. No matter the mode of transport, sitting for extended periods of time can result in stiffness and discomfort in the lower back and often in the knees, hips and feet as well. Restricted leg room can also lead to overall stiffness and exacerbate pain in body parts that are injured or diseased. Unnatural sleep positions, especially for the neck, mean you can awake with...
Smartphone data may help surgery patients New uses for smartphone data are continually emerging, and the area of surgical care is no exception. In a new study presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019, surgeons report that they can describe the impact of certain postoperative events in their patients by capturing data from a patient’s smartphone. This data allows surgeons to understand a patient’s level of postoperative physical activity, and how it may be impacted if...
I recently wrote about some impressive tests that you can self-order, thus taking the headache out of getting lab tests. But what about the important instructions that come with some lab tests, and what are the best instructions to follow if you have a surgery scheduled. The most common inquiry is this: Do I really need to stop all my medications before this test? This question isn't easy to answer because some medications are needed for comfort and well-being. For example, what if you are relia...
November closes out the fall health fair season, with events offering free health screenings and health and safety education for all ages. Alaska Health Fair events offer affordable, comprehensive, private blood tests for those 18 years and older (sorry, we can’t do children). Blood tests can help you learn about your overall health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. Our most popular test is the Chemistry/Hematology Profile (please fast 10 to 12 hours for this one test), whic...
