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Update: Last minute changes in the legislation changed these particulars. As the bill reads now, the new rules are: - 65 year age limit - no three-year renewal is required. Please stay tuned, as there is confusion among sponsors and the above details may change again. Senior Voice will publish a follow-up article in July. The state’s fiscal troubles have touched multiple aspects of state-funded programs, and the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game is no exception. For the past two years, District 6 Rep. David Talerico and Alaska Outdoor Council E...
Ordinary medical errors may be the third leading cause of death in the United States, reports a terrifying new study in the BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal). Patient safety researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine estimate 251,000 Americans die each year from common mistakes in hospitals and other health-care facilities. That’s about 700 people a day. Let’s set this number in context. The number one and number two annual killers are heart disease with 614,348, and cancer, with 591,699 deaths, according to the Natio...
April 15 is long gone, but that doesn’t mean tax worries are over, thanks to fraudulent phone callers posing as IRS agents. Better Business Bureau, the Alaska Medicare Information Office and others are reporting a surge in the calls, in which the caller claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service. “Reportedly, the tax scammers are pretending to be case workers from the IRS telling people there is a warrant out for their arrest,” Alaska Commission on Aging Executive Director Denise Daniello warns in a May 16 alert. “The scammers are targeti...
Normally, in a presidential election year, Congress doesn’t get much done. This year is no exception. But with a few months before July’s political nominating conventions, a brief window of productivity exists and some lawmakers are pushing bipartisan proposals to help change Congress’ gridlock image. Let’s look at what’s on the agenda (with the exception of the seemingly never-ending attitudes and activities surrounding Obamacare) over the next couple of months before politics overwhelms all congressional activity. Congress left town for...
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. They're informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The June meeting is June 8, hosted by the office of Mayor Berkowitz. 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,...
Recent data show that, across the board, fewer American retirees say they are “very satisfied” with their retirements, while a growing number of retirees report that they are “not at all satisfied” with their retirements. Based on a 15-year period of research from 1998 to 2012 using data from the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the most comprehensive national survey of older Americans, results show that a shift is occurring from “very satisfied” retirees to “moderately satisfied” and “not at all satisfied” retirees...
The Alaska legislature is no longer pushing to remove the mandate for the Senior and Disabled Property Tax Exemption, which exempts Alaskan seniors and disabled veterans from having to pay property taxes on the first $150,000 of the assessed value of their home. Although many municipalities protest the program as an expensive, unfunded mandate and have lobbied for its removal, the proposal floated during this session to make it optional, rather than mandatory as it is now, received too much pushback and has been abandoned for now, according to...
This letter, abbreviated here, was sent by the Alaska Commission on Aging to the Alaska Senate and House chairs on April 6, 2016, in regard to SB 139 and HB 256, which impose a $100 annual fee to be placed on the Pioneer Homes wait list. The letter is available in its entirety on the commission’s website at www.alaskaaging.org. Dear Sen. Pete Micciche and Representative Dan Sadler: The Alaska Commission on Aging is a Governor-appointed body within the Dept. of Health and Social Services that serves to ensure the dignity and independence of a...
Editor’s Note: This press statement was received on April 21, 2016. The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — is congratulating both President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress for reauthorizing the Older Americans Act (OAA), a vital piece of legislation that supports programs and services for approximately 11 million individuals and their families. GSA is also calling for Congress to fund, at a minimum, OAA programs at their authorized levels for Fiscal...
Most Americans and leading presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle support the idea that the federal government should lower drug prices. But it's not likely to happen any time soon even though the Obama administration and Congress are considering some proposals and ideas moving in that direction. This is a key issue for the 55 million seniors on Medicare. A recent Stanford Center on Longevity study found that almost half (47 percent) of Americans age 75 and older took five or more prescription drugs in 2011, nearly double the 24...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will conduct its quarterly meeting May 5 in Palmer at Mat-Su Senior Services, 1132 S. Chugach Street. The commission advocates for state policy, public and private partnerships, state/federal projects and citizen involvement on senior issues. Commissioners will hear presentations from and about senior service programs and agencies, including the Alaska Senior Hunger Awareness Campaign; Mat-Su Council on Aging; Division of Senior and Disabilities Services; Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority; Long Term Care...
Citing low public interest and little need, Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre vetoed a resolution to create a senior task force on Feb. 23. The resolution, brought forward by senior advocate Peter Zuyus and Kenai Peninsula Borough assembly member Kelly Cooper, was intended to form the task force to serve as a resource for seniors in the Kenai Peninsula. “We wanted a pathway for seniors to ask questions and offer commentary on the borough level,” said Zuyus. “Other boroughs have similar setups, and there are no representatives from...
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 (May 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (May 4 and 18), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (May 5, 12, 19, 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 Juneau Soc...
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 May meeting is May 11, hosted by the Anchorage Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group for the location and more information on these events or to be added...
The budget axe continues to fall on programs affecting low income seniors as lawmakers deliberate where to cut state spending to help offset a huge budget deficit. Although the numbers can be a moving target as legislators debate and negotiate, at Senior Voice press time March 29, a few proposals seemed to be moving forward. Senior Benefits program The legislature looks set to eliminate the monthly cash assistance benefit to the top income tier of seniors in the program, those who earn up to $25,760 annually. Up until now, the program has paid...
After years of planning and feasibility reports, Skagway’s senior center is getting closer to a reality. Since being appointed by Mayor Stan Selmer in March 2013, the Senior Ad Hoc Committee has been overseeing the project, guided by the committee mission statement, “Build a Skagway senior citizen center to include a commercial kitchen with dining/visiting area and expand to include senior housing.” Shortly after the founding of the Senior Ad Hoc Committee, the Assembly passed a resolution in March 2013 dedicating the corner of 11th and Broad...
The good news is, overall, we’re living longer. But the bad news is, many of us will live longer but only with the assistance of a nursing home or at a minimum, home health aides. What’s the likelihood you or someone you love will require long-term care? According to the government website, www.longtermcare.gov, adults who are 65 years old today have nearly a 70 percent chance of needing some type of long-term care (LTC) services and support in their remaining years. Men average 2.2 years in long-term care, while women spend an average of 3.7...
During the 1980 recession, Alaska lost over 20,000 jobs, most of which were in Anchorage, where a majority of the oil, construction and related services were located. The 2015 reduction in oil prices have resulted in over a $3 billion state budget deficit. This deficit means the State of Alaska will have less money to allocate to local municipalities and less money to fund a capital budget upon which local construction companies rely, creating economic instability. Already job losses in Anchorage for 2016 are estimated to be 2,000. Job losses f...
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 April meeting is April 13, hosted by NeighborWorks. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group for the location and more information on these events or to be added to our e-mail reminder list,...
Editor's note: This is an expanded version of the story appearing in the April 2016 Senior Voice print edition. The next big health crisis is the battle over chronic care and long-term care. Patient advocates, policy experts and lawmakers call it the “silent crisis” – one that potentially will affect every American family: the inability to plan and pay for long-term care. Some modest bipartisan cooperation to find a solution is emerging, despite it being a contentious election year. A bipartisan group of senators are trying to find actua...
A new service has been launched that will provide assistance to Alaskans seeking to use their wealth to make positive change. Alaska Philanthropy Advisors, led by established nonprofit leader Dennis McMillian, will fill a need that individuals, companies or families often have, which is help in defining and articulating philanthropy goals, identifying partners or grantees, and investing in programs that achieve the donor’s desired impact. According to Rasmuson Foundation President and CEO Diane Kaplan, a philanthropy advisor works with i...
“Pay it forward” is part of my educational philosophy. When we were children in public schools people around us paid taxes to educate us. Our parents and neighbors volunteered in schools, served on the PTA and voted. They voted for school bonds and for leaders who valued education. Now it’s our turn, particularly as we consider the status of our schools. The Anchorage School District’s report card reveals that more than half of our students fail to achieve a full year’s growth academically. Compared to 50 school districts that match us in siz...
Keep track of bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Hosted by local agencies statewide, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates across Alaska to share information about issues and specific bills of concern. Teleconferences are scheduled 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Thursadays, April 7, 14 and 21 For host site locations, and a list of bills being discussed, visit the commission’s Web site at www.alaskaaging.org Or call 907-465-3250 for more i...
With the state anxiously seeking ways to cut costs, one idea being discussed is privatizing its Pioneer Home assisted living facilities. The state recently took another step in exploring this possibility, and issued a request for letters of interest for potential privatization of the six Pioneer Homes. “We’re in a horrible financial situation,” said Vickie Wilson, director of the Alaska Pioneer Homes, Division of Health and Social Services. “The legislature is asking us to consider what’s out there for privatization. All 24-hour facilities owne...
Alaska seniors age 65 and older can receive a tax exemption on the first $150,000 of the value of their home, thanks to the state-mandated Senior and Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption. Different municipalities around the state have different deadlines to apply. Some communities offer more generous exemptions. To qualify, all applicants must have turned 65 on or before Dec. 31, 2015, and must own and occupy the exempted property as their primary residence. The Anchorage Municipality application deadline is March 15. Applications are...
