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The Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc. (RurAL CAP), through a grant provided by the Municipality of Anchorage, is pleased to announce our expanded 2021 Weatherization, Accessibility, Repair and Modifications (WARM) Home Program. The WARM Home program consists of three categories that emphasize health, safety and indoor air quality: Weatherization, mobile home repair and accessibility upgrades. Each service is available to eligible homes in Anchorage, Girdwood, Chugiak and Eagle River. WARM Home Program staff assess each eligible home...
AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center continues its series of “Age Smart – Let’s Talk” forums on March 9, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. The March topic is chess. Learn how the game of chess can build community by teaching social and life-skills across diverse populations, with presenters from Alaska Chess -- President Colleen Evanco, VP Andrew Haas and Secretary Jonathon Singler. Alaska Chess’ goal is to create an all-encompassing, friendly,...
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...
The other day I had a most interesting interview via Zoom with several sterling denizens of Alaska civil service, discussing several employment programs that have tons of money, no waiting lists and just might make a huge difference in your life. In attendance were Duane Mayes, division director for the Alaska Department of Labor; Lisa Morley, executive director of the Alaska Commission on Aging; and Jim Swanson, southeast regional manager with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. They have...
AARP Alaska invites community organizations and local governments across the state to apply for the 2021 Community Challenge grant program, now through April 14. Grants fund quick-action projects that can range from several hundred dollars for small, short-term activities to several thousand or tens of thousands for larger projects. Now in its fifth year, the grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for p...
Dear Savvy Senior: Can you recommend any good devices that help seniors with tracking down misplaced items? My wife misplaces everything including her car keys, eyeglasses, cell phone, purse and more. - Always Searching Dear Always: There's actually a wide variety of tracking devices that can help you and your wife find items that are commonly misplaced. Here are some top options to consider depending on how tech savvy you are. Bluetooth trackers If you or your wife use a smartphone or tablet,...
Annuities are popular among insurance salespeople but earn mixed reviews from consumers. They have a long-standing reputation for being costly and complex. In the past few years, financial watchdogs have proposed tighter fiduciary standards for annuities; some changes have emerged. Are these changes just window dressing or are annuities becoming a better value? Anyone planning their retirement should have a basic understanding of annuities. Like Social Security, you pay in money now for a guaranteed flow of funds later. In the case of Social...
In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month. Social Security has served a vital role in the lives of women for more than 80 years. Women have longer life expectancies than men, which means they live more years in retirement and have a greater chance of exhausting other sources of income. It’s important for women to plan early and wisely for retirement. Our benefits portal at www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement provides detailed information about how life events can affect your Social Security retirement benefits. These events may include mar...
AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center continues its series of “Age Smart – Let’s Talk” forums on Feb. 9, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. The February topic is “How Does Intimacy Change with Age?” Intimacy isn’t something we talk much about, yet it is something that we need throughout our lives. This session will examine the ways the need and the capacity for intimacy changes as we age. Is it sex? Is it a very close friend or soul mate? Is it p...
Gov. Dunleavy's FY2022 budget includes the same fiscal agenda he has long promised: budget cuts. Released on Dec. 11, 2020, the FY2022 proposal calls for the closure of six Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) locations around the state - Haines, Valdez, Tok, Delta Junction, Homer and Eagle River. Budget proposals are always debated and altered by the state legislature, meaning the proposed DMV closures - mostly located in rural communities - could be nixed in the final FY2022 budget. Nevertheless,...
AARP Foundation Tax Aide volunteer tax preparers will provide free tax preparation assistance for seniors and low-to-moderate income households this tax season. Service delivery is being adjusted due to COVID to make tax prep safe for volunteers and the public. The traditional model of taxpayers sitting down face-to-face with a tax preparer will not be available. Many of the previously-used free tax prep sites, including the Anchorage Senior Center, AARP State Office, Northeast Community Center, and Spenard Recreation Center are closed in...
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 is being continued virtually online via Zoom. The February meeting is Feb. 10, hosted by Ancora Home Health & Hospice. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons...
Romance Scams are big business for criminals as millions of people are using online dating sites. In 2019 alone, the Federal Trade Commission estimates $201 million was lost to romance scams, up almost 40% from 2018. In fact, over the past two years, the total reported losses for this type of fraud was higher than any other scam. And really, that's probably the tip of the iceberg as many people who fall victim to this scam are too embarrassed to tell anyone and may be unaware where to report...
Sexual intimacy among “horny old broads and dirty old men” is a subject people don’t talk about much. Especially around the grandkids. There’s a widespread misconception that seniors lose interest. Oo-la-la, au contraire. Unclench please, we’re all adults. Don’t get uptight and mentally censor or deem sinful the urges that come naturally. A University of Michigan/AARP survey finds 40 percent of people ages 65 to 80 are sexually active. Nearly 72 percent of individuals in that age range have a romantic partner and of those, 54 percent are...
Do you plan to pay a cleaning person, cook, gardener, babysitter or other household worker at least $2,300 in 2021? This amount includes any cash you pay for your household employee’s transportation, meals and housing. If you will pay at least $2,300 to one person, you have some additional financial responsibilities and you must: Deduct Social Security and Medicare taxes from those wages; pay these taxes to the Internal Revenue Servicep report the wages to Social Security. For every $2,300 in wages, most household employees earn credits t...
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...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk,” the series of monthly forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Jan. 12, 2021, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s presentation focuses on fitness and exercise: Finding and keeping a good exercise routine can be challenging in the best of times and made more confusing now when much of our activity is virtual. Join Anchorage Senior Activity Center fitness instructors Patrick Curtis an...
Identity theft occurs when someone obtains someone else’s personal information, such as a Social Security number, home address, date of birth or bank account data, and uses it for fraud or other illicit purposes. It’s widespread: Digital-finance consulting firm Javelin Strategy & Research estimates that identity fraud has victimized more than a quarter of Americans and caused nearly $17 billion in losses in 2019. And it comes in many forms: Credit-reporting agency Experian lists 16 distinct types. (Some, such as tax ID theft and Social Security...
My name is Katie Dougherty, and I am excited to introduce myself as the new Associate State Director for Communications at our AARP state office. I am a lifetime Alaskan with years of experience in local and federal policy. I look forward to working with Alaskans 50 and older to improve quality of life for elders across the state. While 2020 was a crazy ride, we at AARP are gearing up with another great year of events and resources – and we’re prepared to bring you the same great programming virtually until it’s safe to gather once more. This...
Sixty-six percent of retirees report spending more than $375 a month on healthcare costs, according to a recent survey by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). “That figure is almost one quarter of the average $1,523 per month Social Security benefit in 2020 and more than the Medicare Trustees estimate for 2020,” says Mary Johnson, a Social Security and Medicare policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. Even worse, of that group, 31 percent of survey participants said they spend more than $1,000 a month on total healthcare costs — rough...
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 is being continued virtually online via Zoom. The January meeting is Jan. 13, hosted by YMCA of Alaska. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group,...
Dear Savvy Senior: I understand that a portion of my Social Security benefits may be taxable when I retire. Can you tell me how to calculate this ? – Ready to Retire Dear Ready: Whether or not you’ll be required to pay federal income tax on your Social Security benefits will depend on your income and filing status. About 35 percent of Social Security recipients have total incomes high enough to trigger federal income tax on their benefits. To figure out if your benefits will be taxable, you’ll need to add up all of your “provisional income,...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of monthly forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Dec. 8, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s presentation is “Avoiding Holiday Scams,” by Michelle Tabler, AARP Alaska volunteer. The holiday season shopping season is here, and so are the scammers, ready to entice unsuspecting shoppers online by email and by phone to part with their money. Michelle is the former head o...
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 is being continued virtually online via Zoom. The December meeting is Dec. 9, hosted by Bfit and Well fitness. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action...
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is now recruiting for volunteers for the 2021 season. Free tax preparation is an important boost for individuals and families in Alaska working to improve their financial stability. Sometimes a higher refund means keeping the heat on or helping with rent for our most vulnerable residents. Becoming a volunteer tax preparer is easier than you think. No prior tax experience is necessary, and all the training materials are provided. Volunteers should enjoy talking to people and feel comfortable asking questions, have basic...
