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We are now in active health fair season, so check out our March fairs, listed at the bottom of this article. Make it to one of these events and you’ll find a variety of resources to help meet your family’s health needs and enjoy some great community gatherings. Alaska Health Fair events offer free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable blood tests and other services that cost about 20 to 25 percent of what you would pay at a clinic or doctor’s office. These tests can help you learn about your overall health and d...
Well, here we are, in the middle of the annual General Enrollment Period (GEP) for Medicare. Unlike the annual Part D Open Enrollment Period, for prescription drug coverage, which runs each year from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, the GEP runs from Jan. 1 to March 31 of each year. This enrollment period is your opportunity to enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B if you have missed your initial enrollment period (IEP) that spans the seven-month window surrounding your birth month the year you turn 65. You...
Save the Date for Hospice of Anchorage’s 16th Annual Heroes of Healthcare Awards Black Tie Event and Auction at the Anchorage Marriott Hotel on Saturday, April 14. Heroes of Healthcare is a way to recognize significant contributions and service to the community. This event is also an annual fundraiser for Hospice of Anchorage. Individuals have the opportunity to sponsor a table and bring eight guests to attend the event as well as participate in the silent and live auction. There are different levels of sponsorship starting at partner level of...
There are over 11,000 Alaskans living with a traumatic or acquired brain injury (Alaska Scorecard 2016, DHSS). This number only reflects injuries that are reported at a hospital; many individuals do not seek medical care following a brain injury, making it difficult to truly grasp the number of Alaskans living with this hidden disability. A brain injury happens in a nano-second and can happen to anyone. It does not discriminate based on age, gender, race or socioeconomic status. A traumatic brain injury is an insult to the brain from an...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in March. This month’s meeting topic is “The Power of Music in Caring for People with Dementia.” Come learn more about the therapeutic effects of music such as connection, remembering happier times, comfort and sense of belonging, lifting of spirits, and relieving boredom. March 6, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 13, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 20, Caregiver support meeti...
An old cliché says, “as easy as breathing.” For millions of seniors, breathing doesn’t come easily without the assistance of oxygen therapy. Our body needs about 22 percent oxygen, so our cells work correctly, says the American Thoracic Society. People with compromised lungs may not get enough oxygen into their blood and need help. According to Grand View Research, advances in technology and rising prevalence of the respiratory disease will result in increased growth in the oxygen therapy business. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)...
The National Resource Center for Alaska Native Elders, in partnership with the National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative, will be hosting a workshop to provide training, education, and national/state/tribal resources for the identification and prevention of Elder Abuse among Alaska Natives. This free two-day training event targets those working directly with Native elders either in urban and/or rural areas, with attendees including Community Health Aides, VPSOs, Ombudsman, Adult Protective Services officers, caregivers, family members and...
New blood test for detecting early-stage colorectal cancer A new study has found that a simple blood test can identify circulating tumor cells (CTCs) present in the bloodstream and detect colorectal cancer at an early stage. A preliminary study has found the new blood test has accuracy ranging from 84 to 88 percent. Most prior studies using CTCs have been able to detect late-stage colorectal cancer. However, this is one of the first clinical studies to show that CTCs can be useful for detecting...
This spring the Kenai Senior Center will be offering a Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls Prevention Instructor Training Workshop, facilitated by Master Trainer Linda Ebeling on Mar. 24 and 25. The class will also be offered in Fairbanks in April. Designed by Dr. Paul Lam in conjunction with a team of medical experts and tai chi masters, Tai Chi for Arthritis (TCA) uses the Sun style of tai chi, making the program easy to learn, safe and effective. The State of Alaska, Department of Health and...
While waiting for a prescription, a friend of mine decided to check his blood pressure. He was dealing with a bout of walking pneumonia and his blood pressure (BP) spiked to 140/100! Has this ever happened to you where you checked your BP at the pharmacy and it was suddenly high? You can blame stress, the modern diet, lack of exercise or a bad infection like my buddy had. You can blame other lifestyle factors like smoking, too. Or it could simply be your genes, as high blood pressure, termed hypertension, tends to run in families. If left...
We are kicking off Alaska Health Fair’s Spring 2018 health fair season, so check out our earliest fairs, listed below. Make it to one of the spring events in your local community before the end of the season and you’ll find a variety of resources to help meet your family’s health needs and take time to enjoy some great community gatherings. These events offer great rewards for your highly prized and limited free time, with free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable blood tests and other services. These tests can h...
With the new year, many Medicare beneficiaries have enrolled in a Part D, prescription drug plan, possibly for the first time. There are several ways to make the most of your Part D benefit and we will examine them. What you should expect from your Part D plan Once you have enrolled in a plan you should receive, within two weeks, a letter letting you know your enrollment information has been received. Within five weeks you should receive a welcome packet that will include several items. You...
A few years ago, my husband couldn’t roll out of bed without feeling dizzy. Our family doctor referred him to an otolaryngologist who sent him home with a motion sickness prescription. Worse than dizziness, the meds made him groggy. Still looking for relief from revolving-room syndrome and nausea, he consulted another doctor, who put him in a special chair and tipped it at an uncomfortable angle. Called the Epley maneuver, the doctor timed abrupt changes of Paul’s position from side to side. “I’m cured,” Paul said, returning home after the...
It was a tsunami of trinkets, baubles and tchotchkes. Dozens of vendor tables were cheek by jowl along three walls of the cavernous Discovery Ballroom in Anchorage's Hotel Captain Cook. Freebies included water bottles, lip balm, pens, coffee mugs, pamphlets, refrigerator magnets and round flexible things about the size of a large pancake used to open difficult jars. A friend of mine calls them "rubber husbands." This was the annual meeting of the Alaska Public Health Association (ALPHA), Jan....
E-cigarettes may help some smokers A new study is suggesting that smokers who are willing to use e-cigarettes tend to smoke less and have increased quit attempts. As e-cigarettes become more popular, fewer people are taking up smoking traditional cigarettes. However, there is debate whether this electronic nicotine delivery system can help people quit smoking altogether. “Combustible cigarettes are the most harmful form of nicotine delivery. Alternative delivery of nicotine through e...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in February. This month’s meeting topic is “Coping Skills,” using the training DVD from The Educated Caregiver to cover strategies on getting support, developing realistic expectations, and especially – especially important – taking care of yourself and your loved one.. Feb. 6, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 13, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 20, Caregiver support meeting a...
The American Lung Association Mat-Su Office is recruiting participants for a pilot project aimed at improving lung health through simple changes. The Healthy Homes Mat-Su Program focuses on seniors with chronic lung disease like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). Our trained staff will conduct an in-person assessment of the air quality inside your home to identify health hazards such as mold and mildew, dust mites and ventilation issues. Based on our findings, we recommend simple, low-cost solutions to improving the air...
Dear Savvy Senior: If the prescription label says “take with meals,” does it matter what you eat? I currently take eight different medications for various health problems and would like to know if there are any foods I need to avoid. -- Over Medicated Dear Over: It depends on the medication. Many meds should be taken with food – any food – to increase their absorption and reduce the risk of side effects. But some foods and medications can interact, reducing the medications’ effectiveness or increasing the risk of harmful side effects....
Some of the costs for Medicare will hold steady in 2018 and others will see some increase. Medicare Part A Also known as Hospital Insurance, Part A covers in-patient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, skilled home health care and hospice care. Premiums. Most people pay no monthly premium for Part A because they have 40 credits on file with Social Security by paying FICA taxes through their employment. However, some people will pay for Part A. If you have between 30 and 40 credits, you...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in January. This month’s meeting topic: “Financial Fraud and Today’s Senior.” Jan. 2, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 9, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 16, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 17, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, hosted by Paula Koch, 3 p.m. Jan. 23, open house at Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program...
3-D printed implants may help with hearing loss The New Year is ushering in some significant new medical advances. Researchers using CT scans and 3-D printing have created accurate, custom-designed prosthetic replacements for damaged parts of the middle ear, according to a new study. The technique has the potential to improve a surgical procedure that often fails because of incorrectly sized prosthetic implants. Hearing works partly through the transmission of vibrations from the ear drum to...
After the death of a family member, the holiday season can be particularly tough. Here are some pointers to keep in mind. Family get-togethers will be different ·Be honest with each other about your feelings. Share your concerns, feelings, apprehensions, etc. with a relative or friend as the holiday approaches. Tell them that this is a difficult time for you. Accept their help. You will appreciate their love and support at this time. · Sit down with your family and decide what you want to do for the holiday season. Set realistic expectations fo...
Wheelchair marathoners fly to the finish at 20 mph before this runner is half done with the race. I don’t call them athletes – I call them daredevils, who jet down hills at head-cracking speeds, sometimes dump, vault back into their chairs, and surge on with arms of steel and guts few others possess. What about typical people, confined to a chair? A friend, with severely limited use of limbs, operates a joystick, smiling radiantly while spinning to music. She breathes enthusiastically as the music guides her moves. Another friend, with cer...
I consider myself an expert in the areas of retirement and personal finance, but I admit that I’ve put review of my Medicare coverage on autopilot. I am the author of the Washington Post bestseller, “AARP Roadmap for the Rest of Your Life,” and have written many other books and articles on the subject. Yet health insurance can be challenging to understand for me too. There is a new survey that was recently released called The “Cost of Complacency,” that was conducted by Kelton Global on behalf of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. The survey fo...
Diabetes is one of the most common and costly chronic diseases in the U.S. Over 30 million adults (12 percent) have diabetes, and total medical costs and lost work and wages for people with diabetes totaled $245 billion in 2012. Another 84 million adults (34 percent) have prediabetes, putting them at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is a serious health condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. Diabetes progresses over time and can lead to serious health...
