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Dear Savvy Senior: A good friend of mine got a bad case of shingles last year and has been urging me to get vaccinated. Should I? -- Suspicious Susan Dear Susan: Yes! If you’re 50 or older, there’s a new shingles vaccine on the market that’s far superior to the older vaccine, so now is a great time to get inoculated. Here’s what you should know. Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a burning, blistering, often excruciating skin rash that affects around 1 million Americans each year. The same virus that causes chickenpox causes shingle...
Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) are a great tool for beneficiaries and I highly recommend learning how to read them. They may appear a bit intimidating at the outset, but once you learn how to review them, they can be very helpful in understanding how your medical claims have been processed and how much you may owe after your insurance has paid their part. Additionally, these documents are invaluable in helping beneficiaries catch any errors, abuse or fraud. Let’s walk through the MSN t...
We are in our final month of a very active spring 2018 health fair season; so if you haven’t made it to an event yet, head on over to one of the last spring events available. Make it to one of these final 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. Alaska Health Fair events offer free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable blood tests (starting at $20) along wit...
I do not waste food and am chagrined watching my daughter’s family throw out expensive organic fruit and vegetables forgotten in the back of their refrigerator. Today, I tossed $4 worth of my favorite low fat organic yogurt because I noticed clumps of green mold floating on the surface. In spite of the mold, I would have eaten the yogurt, having carefully spooned out visible green fuzz, rinsed it the down the sink, then poured the remainder through a strainer, discarding many smaller green colonies. At the point of returning the yogurt to t...
In partnership with the State of Alaska, Dept. of Health and Social Services, the Seward, Kenai and Fairbanks senior centers sponsored educational workshops to "train the trainer" in Tai Chi For Arthritis and Falls Prevention, during a two day intensive workshop, certifying 15 new instructors in the state of Alaska. These instructors are committed to teaching in their local area communities, between Fairbanks and Juneau, and all the way to the western shore of Homer. Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fa...
Hidden brain benefits found in older adults A new study for the first time is suggesting that healthy older men and women can generate just as many new brain cells as younger people. There has been controversy over whether adult humans grow new neurons, and some research has previously suggested that the adult brain was hardwired and that adults did not grow new neurons. However, that does not seem to be the case. A study just published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, suggests that many older adu...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in May. This month’s focus is part two of a presentation on basic spiritual needs throughout life, what may or may not change when someone is living with dementia, and how to best meet those needs. Resource materials include a DVD presentation by dementia expert Teepa Snow and the Rev. Linn Possell. May 1, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 8, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 15, C...
Donated Dental Services (DDS), a Dental Lifeline program, provides free dental services for qualifying seniors and those with disabilities in the Fairbanks and North Pole area. In order to be eligible, the patient must have exhausted all other insurance resources and be able to provide documentation for lack of adequate funds, said Sue Lear, DDS Coordinator. “Dental insurance through Medicaid must be used first,” said Lear. “Although this is a last resort program, as the dentists are all working on a volunteer basis, our goal is to help as ma...
Your new Medicare ID card will be arriving the old-fashioned way, via the US Postal Service. If you barely glance at your mail before you throw it in the garbage because of a deluge of junk mail, be on the lookout for this one. Starting in April and continuing for a year, Medicare will be sending out new ID cards to its 55 million beneficiaries. This will be the first replacement of the cards since Medicare started in 1965. The cards have only one purpose – to help prevent identity fraud. The old cards will be valid for another year, but h...
Did you know that if you have Medicare Part B you are eligible to receive a large number of preventive services that will cost you nothing? Medicare’s goal in offering these preventive screenings is to find health problems early when treatment works best. Under Medicare Part B, preventive services are part of your benefits and you will pay no co-payment if you get the services from a provider (doctor, other provider, or supplier) who takes assignment. Taking assignment means that this provider h...
We are now in our busiest month during spring health fair season, so check out our April fairs. 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. Alaska Health Fair events offer free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable blood tests (starting at $20) and other services. We are able to offer these high-quality tests at such low prices bec...
Dear Savvy Senior: My brother and his wife, who are ages 60 and 56, were recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and prediabetes, and neither one had a clue. Could I have it too? - Concerned Sibling Dear Concerned: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nearly 115 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes today, but most of them don’t even know they have it. Here’s how to know if you’re at risk. The problem with diabetes is that most people don’t start thinking about it until they’re diagnosed, and that’s too late. Di...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in April. This month’s focus is on the basic spiritual needs throughout life, what may or may not change when someone is living with dementia, and how to best meet those needs. Resource materials include a DVD presentation by dementia expert Teepa Snow and the Rev. Linn Possell. April 3, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 10, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 17, Caregiver support meet...
Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska will offer free webinars in April and May. Participation is by either toll-free telephone call-in or online via GoToMeeting web conferencing. “Being the Decision Maker,” which discusses legal tools and processes to help with making decisions for loved ones, will be offered April 12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. “When Does Memory Loss Become a Disease,” exploring what is normal aging and what is not, will be offered May 10, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Registration for both webinars is required. Handouts can be provided beforehan...
A pill to prevent hearing loss It may soon be possible to take a pill to prevent hearing loss. Researchers have discovered that inhibiting an enzyme called cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) may help protect against noise-induced or drug-induced hearing loss. In animal studies, investigators have found that CDK2 inhibitors prevent the death of inner ear cells. According to the World Health Organization, 360 million people worldwide suffer from hearing loss caused by congenital defects or other...
Yes, it’s true. In the late 1960s I illegally smoked (and inhaled!) marijuana at “pot parties.” Sometimes my drug-induced paranoia escalated wildly and I knew I was going to spend my squandered youth in prison. Happily, toward the end of that period of my life I ended up with a college degree rather than a prison sentence. Now marijuana is legal in Alaska and many other states, although the legal situation remains a bit muddy at the federal level. However, the new ease of access to marijuana has special significance for older persons in Alask...
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...
