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AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center will launch a series of monthly forums in October. “Age Smart – Let’s Talk,” will be held on the second Tuesday of each month, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. The Age Smart – Let’s Talk series is a monthly forum that focuses on a topic of interest and importance to Alaskans who want to be thoughtful about how to make good choices as they grow older. The series is developed to provide working age adults with information necessary t...
It could be worse. In fact, it was worse. In the 1800s, if you were both poor and elderly, the chances are that your family was too poor to care for you. Moreover, contemporary researchers note that, “The elderly poor were regarded as ‘a burden on the local taxes’ and were ‘despised and often treated as outcasts.’” In some places you could attend an auction selling the labor of old persons, who were then forced to work in agriculture. Gives me the heebie-jeebies. If you were poor and elderly you were likely to spend your final years in th...
With the cost of solar panels having dropped from about seven dollars to a single dollar for an (uninstalled) watt, for many, solar has become a cost effective consideration —even in Alaska. The resulting cost savings of installing solar as your primary energy source varies widely on conditions and location throughout the state. And the telltale sign as to whether it is worth the investment, or will, in other words yield a quick ‘pay back’ time, is dependent largely on how much you now pay for a kilowatt of electricity, which you would be su...
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 (formally known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The October meeting is Oct. 10, hosted by Walter Wrightson, New York Life financial advisor. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for...
AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center will launch a series of monthly forums in October. “Age Smart – Let’s Talk,” will be held on the second Tuesday of each month, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. The Age Smart – Let’s Talk series is a monthly forum that focuses on a topic of interest and importance to Alaskans who want to be thoughtful about how to make good choices as they grow older. The series is developed to provide working age adults with information necessary t...
Reports of identity theft, breaches and scams have all been in the news lately. Although many of these scams are taking place online or by phone (impostor calls), identity theft can still occur by physical means. Dumpster divers go through your trash at home, work and at landfills. Unsecured mailboxes are targeted by mail thieves. One of the ways consumers can combat identity theft is by shredding all documents that contain personal information. Don’t just toss your old credit card, bank, cell phone and insurance statements. Either purchase a...
The Salvation Army’s Safe Seniors Disaster Preparedness Program began serving seniors in the Anchorage community in November of 2017. Since its kick-off, the program has served over 300 elders and worked with more than a dozen local senior service providers. This program, run by AmeriCorps members, helps seniors work through the three steps to preparedness: be informed, create a plan and develop a kit. AmeriCorps is a nationwide organization that partners passionate citizens with non-profits and other community organizations to help meet c...
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 (formally known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The September meeting is Sept. 12, hosted by Chugiak-Eagle River Senior Center. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information...
The Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) will conduct a Rural Outreach Meeting in Nome, September 12-15, 2018, for purposes of learning about elder-senior needs in Norton Sound. This meeting will include a visit to Shishmaref to meet with elders/seniors and agencies serving seniors as well as in Nome. In addition to ACoA’s board meeting and agency visits, the focus will be to gather input from seniors and their families, providers, and other public members about what is working well in Nome for older adults and what needs improvement with r...
With the threat of volcano eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis, Hawaii residents can never be too prepared. That’s why it is so important to make sure residents and business owners are prepared for a natural disaster, both in Hawaii and everywhere else. While strangers will reach out to help others during a natural disaster, scammers make situations worse by trying to take advantage of victims. BBB reminds those affected by natural disasters to beware of out-of-town contractors soliciting businesses with ill intentions. While they may not a...
Here is a chance to bring the world to your doorstep: Serve as a host for an exchange student and help change the world. Since 1990, Program of Academic Exchange (PAX), a non-profit organization, has placed over 22,000 students from 70 countries in homes all across the U.S., including homes of retirees. You, too, can participate. Or share this opportunity with other family members or friends. PAX students enjoy learning about everyday life in this country, including Anchorage, Alaska. That is...
Dear Editor, If you’re old enough to remember when JFK’s administration started the VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) program, you’ll be happy to know it continues today. Now called Americorps, it is the organization behind my favorite volunteer activity in Anchorage. The Senior Corp’s Elder Mentor Program operating in our Anchorage schools, and throughout the state, is helping children from pre-school through high school. This is the same program that is sometimes called “Foster Grandparents”, and this fall will be my fourth year...
Dear Editor, Your article in the May 2018 issue on Ruby (Aunt Phil’s Trunk, page 18) mentions the Princess Sophia sinking in 1918 near Sitka. Actually, she sank on Vanderbilt Reef, about half way between Skagway and Juneau, not Sitka. This is the centennial commemorative year for the sinking. In Juneau, we are planning a variety of events to honor the disaster, beginning with a major exhibit at the Alaska State Museum on display now through October. The months leading up to the Oct. 25 date will include a variety of talks, a dedication of a p...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times in August: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Aug. 14 and 28), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Aug. 1 and 15), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s Southeast communities can cal...
A new report by Better Business Bureau (BBB) says sweepstakes, lottery and prize schemes are devastating victims financially and emotionally with ever-evolving methods. These frauds concentrate on seniors, targeting them by direct mail, cold-calling, social media, even text messages and smartphone pop-ups. BBB warns consumers to be on guard against these serious and pervasive frauds and their perpetrators. The report, “Sweepstakes, Lottery and Prize Scams: A Better Business Bureau Study of How ‘Winners’ Lose Millions Through an Evolving Fraud...
Dear Savvy Senior: Are there any specific auto gadgets you can recommend that can help senior drivers? Both of my parents are in their eighties and still pretty good drivers, but due to arthritis and age they’re very stiff, which causes them some driving problems. Researching Daughter Dear Researching: To help keep senior drivers safe and prolong their driving years, there’s a plethora of inexpensive, aftermarket vehicle adaptions you can purchase that can easily be added to your parent’s vehicles to help with many different needs. Here are s...
Fifteen years after it hired its first staff member, Kenai Peninsula Housing Initiatives (KPHI) held a grand opening for its brand new office in Homer on May 16. The housing non-profit also announced that it will open a Homer Community Housing Center in the same building, and will break ground on six new apartments this summer on an adjacent lot. "We know there is a real need for affordable housing in Homer, and are excited to not only be building a six-plex this summer, but also to be offering...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast (formally known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The July meeting is July 11, hosted by the Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times in July: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (July 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (July 18; July 4 is holiday), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (July 5, 12, 19 and 26), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s Southeast com...
Editor's note: This story in our print edition included an error regarding the timeline of these Senior Benefits Program changes. In the second to last paragraph, the date should have read July 1, 2019, not 2018. Fairbanks’ Senior Recognition Day, an event to honor Alaskans 65 years and older as part of Older Americans Month, included an additional celebratory event this year - the official signing into law of House Bill 236, otherwise known as the Senior Benefits Program extension bill, by Governor Walker. As of May 10, the program will be ext...
I’ve been receiving a lot more robocalls lately. What can I do to prevent scammers from calling my phone? If you feel like your phone has been plagued with more robocalls lately, you’re not exaggerating. In the past year, BBB Scam Tracker has received over 500 reports of robocalls throughout the country. According to YouMail, the volume has skyrocketed in recent years, reaching an estimated 3.4 billion in April, equaling to 112 million calls each day nationwide. April’s monthly total marks the nation’s highest robocall rate since the YouMail...
Editor’s note: This press release was received May 22, 2018. One-in-four of the nearly 40 million family caregivers in America is a millennial. Millennials are defined as those born between 1980 and 1996. AARP’s latest report, “Millennials: The Emerging Generation of Family Caregivers,” spotlights the unique experiences and challenges this generation faces as more support a parent, grandparent, friend or neighbor with basic living and medical needs. According to the report, millennials are more likely to care for someone with a mental health...
In partnership with the Alaska Forget Me Not Coalition, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs holds an annual Mental Health Summit with the goal of improving collaboration with community partners to address the mental health needs of veterans. This year’s summit, the 6th annual, takes place June 26 in Anchorage at the Southcentral Foundation Nuka Wellness and Training Center, 4085 Tudor Center Drive, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Participation is free and there are also free CME continuing education credits available. Community-based providers of s...
Anchorage’s Mabel T. Caverly Senior Center and Services will move into a new location, effective July 1. The new location will be in the VOAA (Volunteers of America Alaska) Building, 509 W. Third Ave., Suite 103, Anchorage, AK 99501. The phone number will remain the same, 276-1496. The center runs a number of programs for senior Alaskans, including transportation to appointments, grants for dental work, small emergency needs grants, the Phone Pals calling program, and the Anchorage Senior Friendly Project. For more information, visit w...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast (formally known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The June meeting is June 13, hosted by Older Persons Action Group, Inc. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on these events or...
