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Healthy Alaskans 2020, a joint effort between the state of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, has released its “25 Leading Health Indicators” — a list of critical health priorities for Alaska. The indicators provide a science-based framework for identifying public health priorities and are designed to guide efforts in Alaska over the next decade to improve health and ensure health equity for all Alaskans. The selection process was a collaborative effort among a wide spectrum of partn...
All older adults are encouraged to get flu vaccine For the first time there will be a vaccine which protects against four strains of the flu virus. Until now, flu vaccines only have protected against three forms of the virus. Scientists each year choose what they believe will be the three most common forms of the flu to spread during the winter months and they incorporate them into the annual vaccine. This year’s new vaccine containing four varieties has those three flu forms and an additional v...
A special all-day “Savvy Caregiver Workshop” will be offered by the Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska this month for caregivers in Soldotna and Homer. The dates and locations are: Oct. 17, Soldotna Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 22, Homer Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more about the workshops or to register, call 1-800-478-1080. Training and support meetings The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following meetings and trainings in October: Oct. 1, Caregiver training at Sterling Senior Center, 1 to 2...
We can judge a society by how it treats the weakest of its members. As the number of seniors with dementia rises rapidly, each of us should reflect on how we treat people disabled by Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. After all, they are our friends, family members and neighbors. Even when they cannot function as they used to do, every one of them deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect for their dignity as human persons, whether or not they are able to return the favor. This t...
Do you know someone who’s hungry? Or if not hungry every day, someone who skips meals at the end of a pay period or who sometimes has to choose between buying food and medicine? Often people assume that it’s mostly street people who are hungry. The reality of hunger in Alaska is that 40 percent of families seeking help at food pantries and other distribution agencies have at least one employed member. Almost 60 percent of people needing food help are facing unpaid medical bills. Given the num...
It’s time again for the fair! Health fair, that is. Alaska Health Fairs, Inc. is ramping up events around the state, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. The test results give you and your health care provider important information about your physical condition and vital organ functions. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is a...
I just thought you might want to know that on Wednesday, August 14, Social Security celebrated 78 years of providing retirement security to older Americans. In this time of financial uncertainty, when other sources of retirement income such as pensions and savings are increasingly out of reach for many Americans, Social Security is more important than ever, especially for those who do not have any other retirement income. July 30 marked the 48th anniversary of the establishment of Medicare and...
How will the health insurance Marketplace that starts in 2014 affect my Medicare coverage? The Health Insurance Marketplace is designed to help people who don’t have any health insurance. You have health insurance through Medicare. The Marketplace won’t have any effect on your Medicare coverage. Your Medicare benefits aren’t changing. No matter how you get Medicare, whether through Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan, you’ll still have the same benefits and security you have now, and you won’t have to make any changes. The Marketpla...
You may remember Judie Wolfe, who donated a kidney to her friend when she was 69 years old. Judie and Terri are the “poster children” for the Alaska Kidney Patients Association’s 2013 Inaugural Dash for Organ and Tissue Donation. They both feel strongly and are very vocal about elders being living donors, especially for their peers. In the fall of 2012, there was a chance meeting between former co-workers Judie Wolfe and Terri Teas (both grandmothers). During the conversation Terri confided in Judie that her kidneys were failing. Though Terri h...
Dear Pharmacist: I take a reflux medication daily as well as a chewable antacid. In the last two months, I’ve dealt with severe “Charlie horses,” toe tingling and occasional heartbeat skips or runs. My doctor prescribed leg cramp medication and referred me to a cardiologist. I know you’re a columnist, but I intuitively feel you can help me. I’ve been fine for eight months. ‑‑G.W., Peoria, Illinois Answer: My 23 years as a pharmacist (plus six years of schooling) comes in handy sometimes! Let me first say, do everything your doctor sugges...
Older adults are remaining healthier later in life Life expectancy has increased significantly over the past two decades in the United States and more Americans than ever before are living well into their eighth and ninth decades of life. Now, a new study is showing that Americans are increasingly healthier later in life. “With the exception of the year or two just before death, people are healthier than they used to be,” said study investigator David Cutler, who is with Harvard University, Bos...
Suicide among senior citizens is a major health problem, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many seniors have depression symptoms that are not properly diagnosed which leaves them vulnerable to suicide attempts. Every year, more than 36,000 Americans take their lives, says the CDC. From all these deaths, the age group with the highest rate of suicide is among those over age 65. Another 465,000 had to have medical treatment because of their failed attempts at killing themselves. Seniors who tend to try suicide...
There is a disconnect in the way we manage long term care for frail seniors. Nationally, we are moving toward taking seniors out of nursing homes and keeping them in the community, giving them more assistance in their homes or placing them in assisted living facilities. Since people generally don’t want to live in nursing homes, that’s a good thing. But we had better ask ourselves the question: are frail seniors getting the level of care they need in the community? Here’s the problem, from an om...
In late spring, I moved into a condominium, regretting that I wasn’t going to be able to do much gardening, with the condo’s practically nonexistent yard. My new kitchen window provided a close view of my neighbor’s neatly kept lawn, sidewalk area and beautiful flowering baskets. The neighbors seemed to be making the most of it and were frequently out tending the yard and even offered to water my flowers (very nice neighbors). As summer has progressed, the low green foliage next to their house...
“I only see clearly what I remember,” as French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau put it. Some of us can’t even remember what we have seen clearly. Many older adults find it hard to recall past events. A Harvard University study examined how well seniors could create imaginary scenarios. The research found that the lack of this ability is linked to the seniors’ ability to recall detailed memories too. According to the study, episodic memory, which is our personal memories of past experiences, “allows individuals to project themselves both back...
Bionic eye helping patients with retinitis pigmentosa After more than two decades of field work, the first bionic eye for the blind is finally available. It is call the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System (“Argus II”) and is used to treat patients with late stage retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The system involves implanting a small electronic device in and around the eye. It also uses a tiny video camera attached to a pair of glasses and a video processing unit that is worn or carried by the per...
Are you dealing with sundowning? One of the most common problems I hear from family caregivers regards their loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia becoming restless or agitated in the evening. While no one really understands why sleep disturbances occur with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, it’s believed that the changes somehow result from the impact of the disease on the brain. According to “Sleep Issues and Sundowning,” from www.alz.org, factors that may contribute to sundowning and sleep disturbances include:...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following meetings and trainings in August: Aug. 6, Caregiver training at Sterling Senior Center, 1 to 2 p.m., “How to Stay Safe and Independent in Your Home: Fall Prevention for Seniors.” Aug. 13, Caregiver peer support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 19, Caregiver training at Kenai Senior Center, 1 to 3 p.m., “Understanding Stroke.” Aug. 27, Peer support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 to 2 p.m. There is no charge for these services and everyon...
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Thomas Jefferson may have written that sentence in the Declaration of Independence, but these truths are not self-evident to everyone. Frail older people get bullied and their rights get trampled, at times by family members, at other times by staff in long term care facilities. The tra...
Gets rid of wrinkles, provides rapid weight loss, gives your digestive system a rest, detoxifies your body and even cures cancer – these are some of the benefit claims that proponents of “juicing” make. This popular part of the 60’s and 70’s health food movement seems to be back, with fresh juices standard fare in chic, health-focused eateries. With all the dietary emphasis on eating more fresh vegetables and fruits and the many tantalizing health claims, you may think that juicing could be...
The sibling relationship is considered the longest-lasting of the human experience, providing the greatest opportunity for reciprocal support and care. Today in the United States, there are millions of people who assume a larger role as caregivers in the lives of their brother or sister with disabilities more so than in previous generations. When given the opportunity to meet other siblings of individuals with disabilities, they often note their sense of comfort and relief to know they are not alone. There is a new group called the Tanana...
Phone technology may play dramatic new role in health care In the next 12 months, doctors will be able to make house calls where they diagnose and treat the patients on the spot using their phones. Researchers and physicians in the field are about to start running on-the-spot tests for environmental toxins, medical diagnostics, food safety and more with their smartphones. University of Illinois researchers have developed a cradle and app for the iPhone that uses the phone’s built-in camera and p...
The Alaska State Library Talking Book Center held their 3rd Annual Open House Celebration on June 19. Attendees celebrated the arrival of summer with ice cream sundaes and an “old-time” melodrama performed by Lynn Cragholm. The center is a federal-state partnership bringing audio book and magazines free of charge to people whose visual or physical disabilities prevent them from reading standard print. The National Library Service supplies the book and magazines plus the playback equipment. State libraries across the country provide staff and...
(Taken from Action for Happiness) Gratitude is known to be good for us and those around us. Yet it isn’t always our automatic response and we often take the good things in our lives for granted. So we have to consciously learn to get into the habit of being grateful. Science is showing us that gratitude increases how much positive emotion we feel and decreases negative emotion. It raises our overall satisfaction with life and helps us have a positive outlook. It has also been shown to reduce health complaints and help us cope with d...
“Yee Gu.aa Yáx X’wán,” goes a traditional Tlingit farewell: “Be of brave heart.” Of course, that can be easier said than done when facing terminal illness or the physical and mental deterioration that accompany aging—for individuals as well as their families. “These are intense situations, involving people at very challenging points in their lives,” says Willow Moore, executive director of Brave Heart Volunteers, a non-profit organization that provides free services including education, inform...
