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Dear Savvy Senior: I have arthritis in my hands that affects my grip strength and dexterity and makes brushing my teeth difficult. I’ve read that electric powered toothbrushes help make the job easier. Can you make any recommendations on what to get? -- Still Smiling Dear Still: For seniors who suffer from arthritis or have other hand weaknesses, an electric toothbrush is a great solution to keep your teeth clean. At the push of a button, an electric toothbrush will do everything but shake, rattle and roll to do the cleaning for you, and m...
A new tool against the flu A single dose of a new influenza drug may significantly shorten the duration of the illness in adults, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers conducted two multicenter, double-blind, randomized clinical trials. Both trials found that the drug, baloxavir marboxil, shortened the duration of flu symptoms by about one day and more quickly cleared the influenza virus compared with placebo in otherwise healthy adults. A larger,...
A growing number of grandparents are taking care of grandchildren due to the opioid abuse crisis that has swept the nation, as well as other circumstances. Of the 65 million grandparents in the United States in 2012, 7 million, or 10 percent, lived with at least one grandchild, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And the numbers are growing. Assisting families Other factors— illness, death, loss of employment — also threatens the fabric of a family. “We actually supported a grandfather whose wife had to go to the hospital and who had a brother...
The Alaska Training Cooperative presents “Traditional Health Based Practices: Behavioral Health Continuing Education,” a foundational course on traditional lifestyles and health practices of people living in Alaska prior to western contact. Eight-hour class sessions are offered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 28, Nov. 9, Dec. 7, Feb. 8 and Mar. 8 in Fairbanks and other sites throughout the state via live, interactive, web-based delivery using Zoom. Trainees will be introduced to beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge of health promotion and mai...
Perhaps you have heard advertising that you can purchase back braces, knee braces, and other items with little or no cost to you and that Medicare will pay for them. Let’s get to the truth of these advertisements. First of all – what is Durable Medical Equipment (DME)? DME is defined as equipment that is durable, reusable and is needed to treat an illness or an injury, or to improve the functioning of a malformed body part. These are items that are designed to withstand repeated use. Med...
Daily fruit and vegetable intake matters Eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day may make a bigger difference than previously recognized. A new study has found that women who eat a high amount of fruits and vegetables each day may have a lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who eat fewer fruits and vegetables. Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, and yellow and orange vegetables, had a...
September is jam-packed with lots of great health fair choices in your local community. Alaska Health Fair events offer free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable, comprehensive and private blood tests (starting at $20). These 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. Alaska Health Fairs will be held at the following locations and times during September. For more information, call 907-278-0234...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in August. This month’s focus is part two of “Designing a Supportive Dementia Care Environment,” with showings from a training DVD by dementia expert Teepa Snow. Sept. 4, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Sept. 11, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Sept. 18, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Sept. 25, open house and workshop at Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Suppo...
Although Medicare Part A and Part B cover a wide variety of services and products when you are in the hospital or being seen as an outpatient, there are still cost sharing “gaps”. These include deductibles, coinsurance costs, and copayments. These additional costs can wreak havoc with your finances. Medicare Supplemental Insurance Policies, also known as Medigap policies, are designed to follow behind Medicare Parts A and B to “fill in these gaps” that are left after Part A and Part B have pa...
Dear Savvy Senior: What can you tell me about clinical trials and how to go about finding one?—Old and Ill Dear Old: Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans participate in clinical trials in hopes of gaining access to the latest, and possibly greatest, but not-yet-on-the-market treatments for all types of illnesses. But, you need to be aware that clinical trials can vary greatly in what they’re designed to do, so be careful to choose one that can actually benefit you. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips for locating one....
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in August. This month’s focus is “Designing a Supportive Dementia Care Environment,” with showings from a training DVD by dementia expert Teepa Snow. Aug. 7, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Aug. 14, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Aug. 15, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, hosted by Paula Koch, 3 p.m. Aug. 21, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m....
As the former Chair of Alaska Common Ground, I held a series of events on Alaska’s health care costs, which are some of the highest in the nation. Alaskans need smart strategies that will allow them to hold down medical costs while still receiving the care they need. This list of tips and tricks was compiled after hours of conversations with doctors and other health care professionals who provide medical services in Alaska. Choosing Medical care Select a primary care provider, imaging facility or specialist from your insurance preferred p...
Aspirin use may protect against Alzheimer’s disease An aspirin a day may help keep Alzheimer’s away. A regimen of low-dose aspirin potentially may reduce plaques in the brain, which will reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk and protect memory, according to researchers at Rush University Medical Center. They have just published a study in the Journal of Neuroscience suggesting that regular aspirin use may have significant brain benefits. “The results of our study identifies a possible new role fo...
In bygone days, if you were being treated for cancer your doctor generally told you to get plenty of rest and reduce your daily activities. But research has now shown that regular exercise can be an important part of cancer treatment by helping you feel better and improving your quality of life. It may also lessen nausea, weight gain, sleep disturbance and fatigue. It could even mean fewer medications during your treatment and lower your risk of complications. Exercise guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) are the same...
“Basic Concepts of Care Coordination” a five-hour class for new care coordinators, will be offered several times in July and August in either online or face-to-face formats. Sponsored by the Alaska Training Cooperative, the course is designed to be interactive and provide attendees the opportunity to participate in discussions. Topics to be covered include ethics, how to serve someone with a disability, advocacy, person-centered planning, and skills of interaction. will be available via virtual classroom this January. The class is for new car...
Each month I enjoy sharing with readers the many facets of Medicare. The enrollment periods, coverage under the different parts of Medicare, types of providers available, how to avoid penalties related to late enrollment, and how to pay for Medicare. However, there are certain services and products that Medicare does not cover under Original Medicare; Part A & Part B, which is what is available to most beneficiaries in Alaska. As you budget your health care dollars, it is important to know what...
Aloe vera made a couple of headlines recently. The first was when the actress Drew Barrymore dabbed some on a facial sore and it instantly took out the redness. The second was when Prop 65 regulations in California called out a known carcinogen in aloe vera called “aloin.” Don’t worry, aloe will never get banned. Not to be morbid from the get-go, but extracted compounds from this spiky succulent were used in the middle east during ancient times to clean dead bodies and prepare them for burial. Plants of aloe vera give us two different subst...
Surgery for treating high blood pressure An operation that targets the nerves connected to the kidney may be able to significantly reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension, according to a clinical trial led in the UK by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust. If the findings are confirmed in more extensive clinical trials, the surgery could offer hope to patients with high blood pressure who do not respond to drugs, and are at increased risk of cardiovascular...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in July. This month’s focus is “Take care to give care,” with discussions on how caregivers can better care for themselves while they are caring for their loved one. July 3, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. July 10, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. July 17, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. July 24, open house and picnic at Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Progr...
Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska offers free confidential memory screenings by appointment at any of its office locations. Memory screenings play a significant role in determining if you have a memory problem. They can serve as a baseline for people to use as a comparison later in life, or a first step in validating someone’s concern with memory loss or Alzheimer’s disease. Memory screenings do not provide a diagnosis. They test memory, language skills, learning and other cognitive abilities by asking a series of questions and having the parti...
As a Girl Scout, I learned the motto, "Be Prepared". This mostly meant building first aid kits, knowing how to start a fire, setting aside water and food or other preparations for emergencies. In my current career (no longer a Girl Scout), the advice to be prepared takes on a bit of a different meaning, although no less practical or important. Being prepared can mean saving time and money on food and food preparation as well as helping meet nutrition goals like eating more fruits and...
Men age 50 and older and living in Alaska should discuss blood testing for prostate cancer with their physicians. The guidelines are now changing because of concerns that some men who could benefit from screening are not getting screened. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends that men 55 to 69 who are interested in screening talk to their doctors about potential benefits and harms of screening for prostate cancer before deciding whether to undergo periodic...
Many of you may have heard that there is a new vaccine available for the shingles virus that is proving to be more effective than the previous vaccine, Zostavax. The new vaccine is recommended for people age 50 and older. Called Shingrix, the vaccination does require two doses, the second to be administered between two to six months after the first. Medicare requires all Part D (prescription drug coverage) plans to cover both shingles vaccines. Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, appears as a...
June is the month the state begins distributing coupon booklets for the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. Each book includes six coupons, worth $5 each, which can be used through Oct. 31. Coupons are issued to low-income seniors and can be exchanged for fresh Alaska-grown fruits, vegetables, fresh-cut herbs and honey at farmers’ markets and authorized farms and roadside stands. The program distributes the coupons to senior centers and other agencies, which pass them on to seniors age 60 or older who meet the program’s income guide...
Many individuals, at some point in their lives, will find themselves in the unique position of caring for a relative, friend or neighbor. This role of informal caregiver can present serious demands, especially if the care recipient is experiencing physical or cognitive declines due to illness or disease. Caregivers in Southeast Alaska face the additional obstacle of not always having access to training and education. The Senior and Caregiver Resource Center, designed to assist families throughout the Southeast region, works to combat this...
