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What are the chances that you will need services like these at some point in your life? - nursing home - assisted living - home health care - homemaker and chore services It turns out that the chances are quite good. The WA Cares Fund – a new program in the State of Washington, discussed below -- estimates that 7 in 10 Washingtonians over the age of 65 will need long-term services and supports within their lifetimes. That seems to parallel comparable national estimates. More to the point, these services can be extremely expensive. For e...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Sept. 14, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s topic focuses on Alaska’s Medicare Information Office: What it is and how they can help with all things Medicare-related. The timing is good, with the annual Open Enrollment for Part D drug plans starting in October. The “Age Smart – Let’s Talk” series is a monthly forum that focuses...
September is Emergency Preparedness Month, and Alaska's unique geography can leave us vulnerable to a multitude of emergency situations like wildfires, earthquakes and tsunamis--to name a few. The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness encourages all Alaskans to have two weeks worth of emergency supplies on hand, as well as a plan mapped out in advance. Logan Stolpe, Emergency Management Specialist at Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management,...
In the decades since George Jetson previewed his push-button lifestyle, some of us have dreamed of a smart home of our very own. Yet this branch of technology has resisted the kind of progress that has put supercomputers in our pockets. Most home automation products are hard to set up, they do not work and play well with others, and even the best devices are occasionally unresponsive. Like a desert mirage, visions of a push-button future always feel just out of reach. Automation has crept into a few spaces in our house, with limited success....
Dear Savvy Senior: How does Medicare cover in-home health care? My husband has a chronic health condition that makes it very difficult for him to leave the house, so I’m wondering if he could qualify for Medicare home health care. — Seeking Help Dear Seeking: Medicare covers a wide variety of part-time or intermittent in-home health care services to beneficiaries in need, if they meet Medicare’s criteria. Here’s how it works. In order for your husband to secure coverage for home health care, Medicare first requires that he be homebou...
My book club has been reading and nattering together for over 30 years, since most of us had kids in the same neighborhood grade school. A generation later, almost all of us still live in the same general area, but many of have downsized. Our needs have changed through responding to various life circumstances. A few of us are eying the leap to retirement communities. What considerations enter the decision to move from a long-term house? Your unique situation may offer compelling financial reasons to stay, to downsize, or to move into senior liv...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc., earned honors for its monthly, statewide publication Senior Voice in the 30th annual National Mature Media Awards Program. The program, presented by the Mature Market Resource Center, a national clearinghouse for the senior market, recognizes the nation's finest marketing, communications, educational materials and programs designed and produced for older adults. OPAG and Senior Voice won two awards: Gold Award in the Photograph category for photographer Michael...
A few weeks ago I asked my wife if she would like to go on a "date." I told her that it has two parts, and the second part is a picnic here in Anchorage featuring Arctic Roadrunner hamburgers. With some apprehension, I circled around to the first part of the date. "But first, let's go take a look at the free electric car charging station in the parking lot of Chugach Electric." During the previous few months I had been - perhaps obsessively - perusing the internet about electric vehicles, watchi...
Five ways to apply for Social Security benefits online Social Security continues to make it easier for you to access our programs and benefits. Our website offers a convenient way to apply for benefits online. You can apply online for: Retirement or Spouse’s Benefits. You must be at least 61 years and 9 months in age and want your benefits to start in no more than four months. Apply at www.ssa.gov/retireonline. Disability Benefits. You can use our online application, available at www.ssa.gov/disabilityonline, to apply for disability benefits i...
There are many examples of the long-established right for public institutions such as schools, employers, governments and businesses to protect the health of others by requiring individuals to provide proof of vaccination or of a past infection, or seek a medical or religious exception. So why has COVID-19 vaccination become a lightning rod for controversy over “vaccine passports” and claims of violations of medical privacy or individual rights? Medical historian Dr. Howard Markel has written two popular books on the history of infectious dis...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast (formerly known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, the monthly event currently meets virtually online via Zoom. The June meeting is June 9, hosted by the Thomas Center for Senior Leadership. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older...
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health and AARP state offices in Alaska, Hawaii, Montana and Wyoming invite family caregivers across the west region to a free public webinar series called, “House Calls,” which will demonstrate infection protection and other ways to keep loved ones out of the hospital. The webinar series is free, but participants are asked to register by visiting https://aarp.cvent.com/Housecalls_2021 or https://aarp.cvent.com/Housecalls_MP. The webinar series comes from the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Project Firstline, which...
Are you a senior chafing under the debt burden of a student loan? It may be perversely comforting to know that you are not alone. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), in 2015, nearly 870,000 borrowers age 65 and older were burdened by federal student loans. Certainly the numbers are even higher now. Moreover, the amounts of money involved are staggering. According to AARP, in 2004, adults age 50 and older owed $47 billion in student loan debt. By 2018, that figure had exploded to $289.5 billion, making it one of the big...
Dear Savvy Senior: Do you know of any golfing equipment that can help older golfers? My dad, who's 76, loves to play golf, but arthritis in his hands has made griping the club challenging, and his fragile lower back makes stooping over to tee-up or retrieve the ball a problem too. Is there anything out there that can help? – Golfing Buddy Dear Buddy: There are actually a wide variety of adaptive golf equipment that can help older golfers who struggle with injuries, arthritis or loss of m...
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is on June 15. On this day, and throughout the month, communities, seniors, caregivers, governments, organizations and the private sector unite to prevent the mistreatment of and violence against older people. Social Security imposter scams are widespread across the United States. Scammers use sophisticated tactics to deceive you into providing sensitive information or money. They target everyone – even the elderly – and their tactics continue to evolve. Most recently, Social Security’s Office of the Inspe...
In tough times, communities find strength in people—and people find strength in their communities. In the past year, we’ve seen this time and again in communities throughout Alaska as friends, neighbors, and businesses have found new ways to support each other. In our state, older adults are a key source of this strength. Through their experiences, successes, and difficulties, they have built resilience that helps them to face new challenges. When communities tap into this, they become stronger too. Each May, the Administration for Com...
Celebrate Older Americans Month with the Fairbanks North Star Borough Parks and Recreation. This year's theme is "Communities of Strength". Due to lingering COVID safety concerns, the Senior Recognition Day event has been scaled back. Participants can visit the parking lot of the Big Dipper Arena during scheduled times and receive a goody-bag filled with a senior services resource guide, swag and treats. Pick-up will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following days: - Last Name A-L:...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will hold its spring meeting at the Soldotna Senior Center, May 4 through May 6. The agenda and site visit schedule will be distributed through the Alaska Commission on Aging Listserv once it is confirmed. Day one of the meeting will be held at the Soldotna Senior Center from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with an opportunity for public testimony from 4 to 4:30 p.m. On day two, commissioners will divide into groups and partner with local senior centers, tribal health centers and other groups to hold senior listening...
Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Hosted by local agencies statewide, and available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates across Alaska to share information about issues and specific bills of concern, including Medicaid, state budget and funding, senior assistance, retirement, Pioneer Homes and more. Zoom conferences are scheduled 9:30 to 11 a.m. every other Thursday and weekly...
In the fall of 2019, representative payees in Alaska were involved in a controversy with the Social Security Administration over the legality of charging a certain fee for representative payee services. A representative payee is a person or organization appointed by the Social Security Administration to receive the Social Security or Social Security Income (SSI) benefits for beneficiaries who can’t manage or direct the management of their benefits. Millions of Americans who receive monthly Social Security or SSI benefits need help managing t...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast (formerly known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, the monthly event currently meets virtually online via Zoom. The May meeting is May 12, hosted by the Anchorage Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by...
Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Hosted by local agencies statewide, and available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates across Alaska to share information about issues and specific bills of concern, including Medicaid, state budget and funding, senior assistance, retirement, Pioneer Homes and more. Zoom conferences are scheduled 9:30 to 11 a.m. every other Thursday and weekly...
AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center continues its series of “Age Smart – Let’s Talk” forums on April 13, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. The April topic is “Let’s Talk Theater: Bringing Positive Impacts,” with guest panelists David Block, Midnight Sun Theatre owner; Teresa Pond, Cyrano’s Theatre Company Producing Artistic Director, and Schatzie Schaefers, Cyrano’s General Manager. The “Age Smart – Let’s Talk” series is a monthly forum that focu...
The Alaska State Legislature is still working on the next steps for the Department of Administration’s (DOA) proposed closing of six rural DMV locations around the state of Alaska, including Delta Junction, Eagle River, Haines, Valdez, Tok and Homer for the FY2022 budget. On Mar. 18, Rep. Sara Vance, R-Homer, proposed HB 140 with the support of several constituents, including Rep. Mike Cronk, R-Tok, a representative from one of the impacted DMV locations. HB 140 repeals the requirement for Alaskans – specifically for seniors age 69 and old...
No point being a member of the “Nice Club.” We seniors are important, and there are a lot of us. There are 139,000 seniors (age 60+) in the state. We represent 19% of the total Alaska population. According to the June 2019 issue of Alaska Economic Trends, Alaska seniors are growing faster than in any other state. We are one heck of a voting bloc, and we contribute billions of dollars to the state’s economy every year. Nevertheless, I resist beating my chest yelling, “We are invincible!” Because we are not. The pandemic hit us pretty hard and...
