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As we age, the more we need reliable health care, and an important part of the aging process is access to quality emergency and trauma care. As Republicans are looking to keep their promise to voters to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it’s important for lawmakers in Washington to understand how to repeal without continuing the damaging cuts to Medicare that were part of the ACA. In 2010, as we all remember, there was a fierce debate around health care reform - what it would look like and how it would be paid for. And sadly, as I warned d...
As Long Term Care Ombudsmen for Alaska, our mission is to meet with residents of assisted living homes and nursing facilities to see if they have any issues they need assistance in resolving. An important part of this process is to make sure residents and their families know there is a Long Term Care Ombudsman to help them if they need it. Established by the Older Americans Act, the Long Term Care Ombudsman program is federally and state mandated to provide independent oversight and advocacy services to residents in Alaska’s nursing f...
February marks the opening of Tax-Aide sites around Alaska. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is designed to prepare basic tax returns and anyone can use the service regardless of age or income. Sites are staffed by volunteers who are trained and certified by Internal Revenue Service and AARP Foundation instructors to prepare basic tax returns. By using AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, these taxpayers also avoid tax preparation fees and pitches for high-interest tax credit or refund loans. And the service is free. Following are the dates and hours...
Governor Bill Walker’s new operating budget for FY 2018 brings welcome news for the Alaska Pioneer Homes – no budget cuts for the homes. Since FY 2015, the Department of Health and Social Services, which includes services like the six Alaska Pioneer Homes, have seen the largest reduction in state funding, at $150 million in spending reductions. The homes have lost $1.3 million in funding, forcing numerous staff positions to be cut. “We lost 31 full time staff across the division since 2015,” says Julie Sande, administrator of the Ketchik...
Same incredible program, different local, non-profit, sponsor! The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is now actively serving and partnering with organizations in the Anchorage and Mat-Su region. This nationally-recognized program is sponsored and administered by the local non-profit, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. (APIAI). The RSVP program is a federally-funded program and is one of the largest volunteer networks in the nation for people age 55 and older. APIAI was awarded the three-year project in April of 2015, and has...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will hold a quarterly meeting in Juneau, Feb. 6 - 10, 2017. Interested parties are welcome to attend in person or on the phone. The teleconference number is 1-800-315-6338, code 53250#. On Monday, Feb. 6, the meeting will start at 3 p.m. and will end at 5:15 pm. Tuesday, Feb. 7, the meeting will start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Public comment will be heard from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Anyone is free to call in and give comments on senior issues. We love to hear concerns, challenges and success stories. Wednesday,...
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 Interagency Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all of the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The February meeting is Feb. 8, hosted by Access Alaska. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group for more information on these events or to be added to our e-mail reminder list, 276-1059....
If you’re a taxpayer who rushes to file early, don’t get in too much of a hurry. The tax filing season will begin on January 23, 2017, says the IRS, and the tax agency will begin accepting electronic returns on that day. But taxpayers who are expecting refunds through tax credits will need to wait longer than usual. More than 153 million returns are expected, about 80 percent of which will be sent electronically. A new law requires the IRS to hold refunds that involve the Earned Income Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit until Feb...
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. Teleconferences are scheduled 9:30 to 11 a.m. every other Thursday and weekly...
The growth trend in the aging population suggests that increasing numbers of Alaskans are rapidly becoming seniors at a pace that may exceed service capacity. Across Alaska and the nation, life expectancy has also increased substantially for people experiencing intellectual and developmental disabilities. As Alaskans with disabilities are living longer, service provider agencies across the state are looking for ways to support seniors of all abilities. Although it has been stated that older adults present unique public health challenges and...
As the year winds down let’s take a look back at what types of businesses made it on Better Business Bureau’s list for most complained about industries. Complaints include both resolved and unresolved in the last year in the BBB Northwest territory. Since January of this year, consumers have filed nearly 17,184 complaints regarding the following industries in the northwest territory: Top 10 Most Complained About Business Industries (with number of complaints): • Cellular telephone service and supplies: 6,867 • Internet selling service...
Marriage, adoptions, estate planning, wills, and many other issues have been rapidly changing for the LGBT community over the last few years and bring up challenging legal issues for all ages. You are invited to attend a two part seminar sponsored by SAGE Alaska to discuss these issues and solutions. Mike Walsh of the Law Office of Michael J. Walsh will present information regarding estate planning and probate matters, family law situations and a summary of the legal commentary regarding the future of Obergefell v. Hodges (recognizing gay...
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 Interagency Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all of the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The January meeting is Jan. 11, hosted by the MS Society. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group for more information on these events or to be added to our e-mail reminder list, 276-1059...
January 16 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day — a national holiday and a day of remembrance. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to creating and fostering equal rights for African Americans, and he died during his efforts to make his dream a reality. Many people commemorate this holiday by serving their community and giving to others who may be less fortunate. In many ways, this is what Social Security does every day, all year long. A great way to be of service to others is to help someone you know who may need assistance applying for S...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Jan. 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Jan. 4 and 18), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Jan. 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 communities can call the Jun...
Pat Howard, living with multiple sclerosis for decades, gets around in a powered wheelchair since she can no longer put any weight on her legs. Last summer, her daughter Cindy was driving her 74-year-old mom back from an adult day care facility 30 minutes from her Santa Clarita, California, home when the car overheated and broke down. “We were stuck,” Cindy recalled in a recent phone call. “I was freaked out about driving the overheated car and worried about our safety. Our only vehicle was now sitting by the side of the road.” They called for...
It's the holiday season and that means visitors, decorations and lots of food. All of which is fun for humans but might be stressful or even dangerous to your pets. Here are some tips to make this a safe and fun holiday for your four-legged family members. Food, the center of all holiday gatherings Many human foods can cause intestinal distress or may even be poisonous to our animal friends. This list includes: • chocolate – remember that dark chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate. • a...
Every day across the country more than 4,800 home burglaries occur, mostly in daylight hours, and in one out of three of those break-ins, a family member is home. The U.S. Justice Department says in about 7 percent of cases, violent crime is involved, and in less than 14 percent of burglaries, arrests are made (according 2014 statistics). And even when an arrest is made, chances are, the victims don’t get their stolen property back. What can you do? Two separate groups of researchers asked inmates serving time for home burglaries how they c...
The Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) will hold several meetings in December, including its quarterly meeting December 7, 2016, via videoconference and teleconference from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The videoconference sites for the quarterly meeting are: • Anchorage Senior & Disabilities Services, 550 West 8th Ave., Room 201 (Contact: Allison Morrow, 269-3666) • Juneau Senior and Disabilities Services, 240 Main Street, 6th Floor Conference Room (Contact: Lesley Thompson, 465-4793) • Palmer Mat-Su Senior Services, 1132 South Chugach Street (Cont...
Family caregivers spend an average of nearly 20 percent of their income providing care for a family member or other loved one, according to a new AARP Research Report, “Family Caregiving and Out-of-Pocket Costs: 2016 Report.” The report shows that family caregivers spend an average of $6,954 in out-of-pocket costs related to caregiving, with Hispanic/Latino and low-income family caregivers spending an average of 44 percent of their total annual income. “This study spotlights the financial toll on family caregivers – particularly those with mo...
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles Senior Voice will publish in coming months on various topics from the Diverse Elders Coalition. Each article will cover a different segment of the elder population. Despite their resilient nature, Hispanic older adults continue to face a plethora of challenges, which include retirement insecurity, lack of access to health care, housing and programs, as well as hunger and chronic disease. The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) — the leading national organization working to imp...
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) has released its first Tlingit podcast for students who want to learn the language through their mobile devices. The podcast is part of SHI’s “Learning Tlingit” app, which was released in August. It includes 26 episodes that cover a wide range of topics, including verbs, tools, colors, places, carved objects, anatomy of a building and cooking phrases. The episodes are offered in audio (.mp3) or video (.mp4) formats. “Our ‘Learning Tlingit’ app currently offers audio sections on vocabulary, phrases and the alp...
After being put on the Oct. 4 ballot, the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s plan to phase out the additional $150,000 property tax exemption offered to Kenai Peninsula Borough seniors was voted down by the public. “Three-to-one turned it down, with 6,888 not in favor and 2,754 saying yes,” said Larry Persily, assistant to Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre. “The results were pretty resounding.” The Kenai Peninsula Borough is one of the few municipalities in Alaska to offer an additional $150,000 property tax exemption along with the state’s m...
It’s not a very holiday-like subject, but if you seldom see your older relatives except at Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s an important time to be alert for signs of elder abuse. Not that you should necessarily talk about it, but keep your eyes open for obvious and for subtle signs of problems. For example, does Uncle Edward have bruises on his arms he can’t explain? It’s often true that seniors bruise easily, but it doesn’t hurt to ask him about it. Does he seem nervous about answering? If so, do what you can to get to the bottom of it. Th...
Senior citizens are “super voters.” I like that moniker. I am proud of that moniker. And in the spirit of wanting to know how our state candidates (incumbents and challengers) would address issues of importance to seniors of all stripes I sent out a questionnaire to elicit answers. What you read in the following is a summary of the state candidates’ responses to three questions. If you would like to know the specifics of your candidate’s perspective, I urge you to call her or him directly. Fiscal approaches “What is your view of how the legisla...
