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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...
I bet you feel like you used to be smarter and quicker at making decisions. I hear you, and at 52, I feel like my brain is still fairly sharp but not like it was at 30. Let me ask you some personal questions: • Do you forget things easily? • Do you get derailed from a task easily or distracted by sounds and noises? • What about your IQ? When my now 24-year-old son was just 9, a doctor thought he had ADHD, and I came this close to putting him on a stimulant. Even though I declined the medicine, I used natural fish oils high in DHA. He turned o...
Exercise as a Christmas present Taking up a new exercise program or joining a health club may be one of the best Christmas presents for older adults in 2017. That’s because the United States is now in the midst of an “inactivity epidemic.” This inactivity reportedly is the fourth leading cause of death nationwide and is responsible for 3.2 million deaths each year. No matter one’s age, when combined with a commitment to healthy eating, regular physical activity can provide a wealth of health ben...
CarFit is an educational program created by the American Society on Aging and developed in collaboration with AAA (American Automobile Association), AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association. The program is designed to help older drivers find out how well they currently fit their personal vehicle, to highlight actions they can take to improve their fit, and to promote conversations about driver safety and community mobility. A proper fit in one’s personal vehicle can greatly increase not only the driver’s safety but also the saf...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in December. This month’s meeting topic: “The Rock Movement.” Painting rocks has become a movement, including locally in Kenai and Soldotna. Attendees will paint and hide rocks in the community as an act of random kindness. Dec. 5, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 12, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 19, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 20, Caregiver suppo...
Dear Savvy Senior: For the last six months or so, I’ve been having problems with my hips and legs cramping when I walk, although they feel better once I stop. I thought it was just because I’m getting old, but my friend was telling me about a leg vein disease called PAD and thinks I may have it. What can you tell me about this condition? Limping at 60 Dear Limping: The health condition your friend is telling you about is known as “peripheral arterial disease” (or PAD), which is an under the radar disease that affects up to 12 million America...
There was a new study published last August (2017) in Journal of Clinical Oncology regarding B vitamins and it’s produced some uneasiness. B complex is thought to boost energy reserve, support metabolism and adrenal function and protect your nerves from fraying. The study suggests that two B vitamins from the whole “B complex” family are potentially harmful; it infers that taking B vitamins can increase the risk of lung cancer. But let’s take a closer look before we hang B6 and B12: 1. The study was conducted in men who smoke. These scary f...
Have you reviewed your prescription drug coverage for 2018? The Open Enrollment Period for Part D and Medicare Advantage Plans is in full swing. Beginning Oct. 15 and continuing until Dec. 7, Medicare beneficiaries have to opportunity to review their coverage, determine the most appropriate plan for 2018 and enroll. There are no public Medicare Advantage plans being offered in Alaska however, there will be 19 Medicare prescription drug plans offered. Medicare beneficiaries are encouraged to reme...
We are nearing the end of Alaska Health Fair’s fall 2017 health fair season, so check out one of the November 2017 events. They offer free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable blood tests and other services. 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. For a complete roster of our affordable, comprehensive and private tests check out www.alaskahealthfair.org. For more information, call 907-278-0234 (...
Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska is pleased to announce the expansion of our Care Coordination Program to include individuals of any age with a disability. Moving forward, our program Care Coordination Resource of Alaska (CCRA) will continue to be the intermediary and a safety net for seniors across the state. We will continue to assist individuals with dementia and frail elders 60 and over to access services and get the right kind of assistance when they need it. As we age, it can be difficult knowing what services are available and how to a...
