Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 887
"Ah, look at all the lonely people." -The Beatles You hear him talk or you read his words and you think, "Now, this guy's a real mensch." It's all the more amazing considering that Dr. Vivek Murthy has served as the 19th and 21st surgeon general of the United States under Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden. That's right, a high-level bureaucrat and a good soul. Dr. Murthy just released a ground-breaking study entitled, "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation." Just plug that title into your...
First, I'm going to tell you a true story. Then we'll talk about how your public transit driver can pick you up and take you where you want to go for free, or sometimes for just a buck or two. In the late 1990s Christy (my wife) and I lived for nearly a year in Huntsville, Alabama, while I did research for a book I was writing. On weekdays she took our car to her job, and I took a city bus to the law office where I was doing the research. After a few months I got to know the bus drivers pretty...
The LGBTQ+ organization, SAGE Alaska, is now Alaska Rainbow Elders, or ARE for short. This change was made at the request of the national organization, SAGE USA, hoping it would encourage all its partners to concentrate on issues unique to their area. Under the new structure, ARE continues to partner with SAGE USA but will no longer use its name or logo. It will retain access to SAGE USA’s many resources. Alaska Rainbow Elders was created after using community input to guide the rebranding. ARE joined the national SAGE USA in 2016, having opera...
In 2018, Medicare updated the Medicare card from containing a person's Social Security number to a random identifier that includes numbers and letters. That was the last time the card was updated and there is no plan to update it again. What does the card look like? The card from Medicare is a paper card that has a blue banner on the top, a white middle, and a red banner on the bottom. However, you can print your own in black and white. Examples of Medicare card scams Someone calls you...
The Social Security Administration partners with locations throughout Alaska to offer a secure video service option. Video service is a convenient and no-cost way for people to talk directly to a Social Security employee through a secure computer link that includes two-way video and sound. The video service locations are available at: In Nome, Norton Sound Health Corporation, located at 1000 Greg Kruschek Ave. Video service is available for walk-ins on a first come, first served basis, on the second and fourth Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai...
Are you 55 or older and seeking work? Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training (MASST) is a community service and work-based job training program. In Alaska, there are MASST programs covering the state by region: Anchorage, Northern and Interior, Gulf, Southeast and Mat-Su. Learn while you earn Through MASST, subsidized community service assignments are provided in public and non-profit agencies, allowing these agencies to enhance and provide needed services to the community while older workers gain job skills. Program participants work an...
There is a vast array of benefits for retired veterans and their families, but “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Not to worry, we will point you in the right direction. I recently interviewed three Alaskan experts on the topic and here’s a sample of what they had to say. First up, Verdie Bowen, Director of the Alaskan Office of Veterans Affairs: “I’m probably the only director in the nation that actually will take and file a claim. I’m Alaskan and I’m from the bush. When you go into a community, you’re the only expert there. “We are here...
An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a self-contained, compact residence with all the basic necessities for day to day living that is on the same property as a single-family home. ADUs come in many forms: backyard cottages, above-garage suites or apartments attached to the main house. Essentially, they are modest but complete living spaces paired with a primary house on the same lot. ADUs typically have a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and a separate entrance. ADUs can be a way for older residents to age in place and maintain the social connections...
In February, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care. Despite his remarkable longevity and vitality until the end, President Carter still faced the inevitability of aging and the need for end-of-life care. After hearing this news, many people in the U.S. began wondering: what is hospice care? Hospice provides compassionate care to people nearing the end of their lives. It is a form of specialized healthcare that...
The Social Security Administration partners with locations throughout Alaska to offer a secure video service option. Video service is a convenient and no-cost way for people to talk directly to a Social Security employee through a secure computer link that includes two-way video and sound. The video service locations are available at: In Nome, Norton Sound Health Corporation, located at 1000 Greg Kruschek Ave. Video service is available for walk-ins on a first come, first served basis, on the second and fourth Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai...
On behalf of the Alaska Commission on Aging, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for your outstanding participation in the recent Senior Survey. Your response rate was double that of the Commission’s previous survey, demonstrating that your voices are being heard and that your opinions matter. By sharing your opinions, you have helped us to identify key areas where we can improve the lives of Alaska seniors. The results of the Senior Survey indicate that maintaining physical health, access to healthcare, and financial security are t...
When Palmer Senior Center, a facility under the Mat-Su Senior Services, announced on Feb. 17 that its on-site lunch program would end Feb. 21, seniors expressed anger, sorrow and understanding on its Facebook page. The center’s page disabled comments, so they weren’t visible, but people sharing the announcement posted plenty of their own reactions: “For most Alaska-bound seniors like myself, it’s about the only socially significant thing to do to get out of the house in winter,” wrote one. “I don’t qualify for Medicaid but that doesn’t mean...
Assistive technology can increase an individual’s independence, enhance their quality of life, and give them control over their well-being. While that may seem like a big promise, it is easily achievable. Almost everyone uses assistive technology, but often it’s seen as a gadget, tool, device or piece of software that makes things easier for the user. However, for someone that experiences a barrier because of an impairment or disability, it can be life-changing. Examples of assistive technology include: personal listening devices for amp...
AGEnet stands for Alaska Geriatric Exchange Network, primarily made up of private non-profit organizations founded in Alaska. AGEnet’s goal is to help older Alaskans age in place, supporting them to live safely in their own homes and communities for as long as possible and avoid costly institutional care, such as hospitals and nursing homes. Community grants help Alaska’s seniors to age in place. Not only do older Alaskans prefer to stay in their own homes, it is also the least costly type of care. Last year, 19,000 older Alaskans ben...
We want it to be spring, but Alaska will continue experiencing icy sidewalks and slick roads for weeks. However, you can still get excellent exercise by walking safely and making yourself more visible to drivers. Wearing items that make you more visible, such as reflective tape, helps drivers see you in the dark. Center for Safe Alaskans is giving out free reflective tape by mail. To request reflective tape, call 907-929-3939 or visit the center's website at https://safealaskans.org/reflectivetape/. A grant from the Alaska Highway Safety Office...
We feature here selections from two interviews. The first is with Deborah Bear, Anchorage senior activist, who presents her experiences and views regarding access to primary health care as a senior with Medicare. The second is with Tamara Brown, chief executive for Providence Clinical Network, who explains how Providence is responding to the need. These interviews have been edited for length and clarity. Weiss: Deborah Bear, how did you get started as an activist about the issue of access to pri...
Prior to the close of 2022, AARP Alaska received great news when Juneau, Alaska, became the 734th city to be enrolled in the AARP Network of Age Friendly States and Communities. Juneau joins Anchorage (the 678th city enrolled) to promote neighborhood unity and maximize opportunities for residents to be active and engaged with their neighbors, family and friends to develop a community that invites and supports the participation of older people. Age-friendly communities improve the health and well-being of everyone, from newborns to...
If you're a senior, family member of a senior or social worker, you know the frustration of trying to find availability in long term care. With long waitlists for senior housing across the state, Timber Creek Senior Living is welcome news not just for Fairbanks, but for the state as a whole. As the aging population continues to grow across the state, seniors and families sometimes feel left behind as senior services and care communities are not keeping up with the growing demand. Timber Creek...
Many Alaskans age 65 and older who are eligible to receive Senior Benefits from the state, do not. In part, it is because they have never heard of this benefit and, in part, some are under the impression that this benefit has long been eliminated. There is also another group of seniors who know about the benefit, have been receiving it for years, but since the reapplication process, have not received it. This article is to address seniors in all of these categories. What is Senior Benefits and how to apply The State of Alaska Senior Benefits...
Alaska is getting older every day. We expect by 2030 that 30% of us will be 55 and older and still in the workforce, so Alaska has a different issue. We are trying to bring retirees back into the workforce. – Rita Gray, MASST I had a most interesting conversation in mid-January with Rita Gray, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training (MASST). I wanted to discuss ageism against seniors in the Alaskan workplace. Her response was not what I expected. Selections from the interview follow and have been edited f...
Tax scams are among the most stubborn cons out there. They reappear often, each time with a slightly different spin. Better Business Bureau advises taxpayers to watch out for these four tax scams: IRS impersonation scam According to the 2022 BBB Online Scams Report, impersonating an authority figure or organization accounted for 54% of online purchase scams. IRS impersonation scams most often start with a phone call from a fake IRS agent. The “agent” says you owe back taxes and pressures you into paying by prepaid debit card or wire tra...
Dear Savvy Senior: Can you recommend some good reacher-grabber tools for seniors with back or hip problems who need help picking things up off the ground? I bought a cheap one a few months ago that doesn’t work very well but would like to find one that does. – Bad Back Betty Dear Betty: A good “reacher-grabber” is a very practical and popular tool for anyone who struggles with injuries, arthritis or loss of mobility. It works like an extension of your arm allowing you to reach down and pick things up off the ground without bending or stooping o...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk,” the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Anchorage Senior Activity Center and Older Persons Action Group, Inc., returns Jan. 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This free event will be in-person at the senior center, with appetizers and refreshments provided. This month’s program features Anchorage audiologist and author Dr. Thomas McCarty, who will talk about how treating hearing loss and tinnitus can contribute to a healthy brain, promote independence as we age and may reduce the risk of dementia. Doors open with a li...
Puppy scams remain consistently profitable for scammers because their multi-tiered setup allows them to convincingly go back to a consumer several times to ask for money, according to a Better Business Bureau study update. So far this year, while pet scams in North America appear to be on the decline, consumer losses are expected to exceed $2 million. That total is down by a third since the peak of more than $3 million during the pandemic in 2020-2021, according to BBB Scam Tracker. Average monetary losses in puppy scams are climbing, however,...
AARP Foundation Tax Aide Program in Alaska is happy to announce we will be open to prepare taxes this season beginning February 1 through April 18, 2023. We have many sites in Anchorage and other Alaska communities, with the most current information on the site locator at www.aarp.org/taxaide or by calling Alaska 2-1-1 information and referral line by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-800-478-2221. This season Tax-Aide will have multiple service delivery models. It will be important for tax clients to review the service delivery models for each site before...
