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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...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in June. This month’s focus is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month. It is not a celebratory occasion, but rather a day to talk about preventing, identifying and responding to elder abuse and financial exploitation. June 5, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. June 12, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. June 19, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. June 26, open house and workshop a...
High egg diet may be beneficial A diet that includes a lot of eggs may be packed with nutrients and not elevate your risk for heart disease. At least that is the latest findings from researchers at the University of Sydney. They have just published a study showing that eating up to 12 eggs per week for a year did not increase cardiovascular risk factors in people with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the research extends on a previous...
About eyes. Contrary to popular belief, some people can keep their eyes open when they sneeze. Also, green is the rarest eye color to have. About that trick knee. Some of you have a trick knee (or shoulder) that can predict weather. Basically, you can tell when bad weather or a storm is coming with one of your bum joints. As the barometric or atmospheric pressure drops (before a storm), tissues in joints expand a little bit, and your knee or shoulder may feel it and alert you by experiencing pain. About spinach. Some nutritionists still...
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...
