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For the second time in three years, the U.S. Supreme Court could determine the fate of the president’s health care law with a case coming up for oral arguments in March. While a limited number of seniors are covered under the health care law, a Court decision could have a big impact financially on your health care costs if the High Court rules the law unconstitutional. With President Obama controlling the veto pen over Congress, lawmakers and the White House will continue their health care legislative standoff. Two years ago, the Supreme Court...
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, 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. every other Thursday and weekly during the last month of session. The remaining 2014 meeting dates are March 12 and 26; April 9, 16 and 23. To participate, visit a host...
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 for business and agency representatives. The March meeting is March 11 and will be hosted by the Cook Inlet Housing. Begins at 8 a.m. Call Older Persons Action Group to RSVP and get directions to the event, or for more...
Our granddaughter Olive is undergoing an excellent indoctrination into some of the finer films and television shows of years past. No, it’s not the work of her doting grandparents. We’re too far away to have enough time to indulge her in a quality cinematic education. But her uncle, who has half of my genetic makeup and all of my name, has been standing in nicely. He’s introduced his niece to the classics, movies and shows that celebrate the best of Western culture. Like “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” which is available to stream through Netflix. I...
Do you know an outstanding individual whose service, dedication and leadership have had a significant impact on the quality of life for seniors in Anchorage? May is Older Americans Month, and once again, the Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission will be presenting the Ron Hammett Award. Ron Hammett, a commissioner serving on the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission in 2004, was an extraordinary man who exemplified the spirit of outstanding service to seniors and their families. He worked tirelessly as an advocate for seniors in...
The Tax-Aide program is designed to prepare basic tax returns for most low and middle income taxpayers, with an emphasis on senior citizens and disabled taxpayers. 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. Keep reading for the dates and hours for the sites throughout...
There are more than 88,000 family caregivers in Alaska at any given time, and more than 128,000 over the course of a year, according to a 2014 report on Long Term Services and Supports done by AARP’s Public Policy Institute (http://www.longtermscorecard.org). This number is growing along with Alaska’s rapidly increasing number of older people living in our state. These Alaskan caregivers (who might be a spouse, sibling, adult child or grandchild, or even a friend or neighbor) are not paid, but if they were, their worth would top a billion dol...
The AARP Juneau Community Council attended the Jan. 15, “Annual Elders and Caregivers Workshop,” hosted by the Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. The focus was “Medicaid Opportunities in Alaska, Juneau Senior Housing and Services Demand Study, and Advanced Planning for Long Term Care: A Checklist for Elders and their Caregivers.” There were several community organizations, all sharing and networking. The lively conversation around the AARP table was often about living independently: “My family tries to take care of me; th...
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, 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. every other Thursday and weekly during the last month of session. The remaining 2015 meeting dates are February 12 and 26; March 12 and 26; April 9, 16 and 23. To...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc. and the Social Security Administration are teaming up to present an educational forum, “Social Security: Everything You Always Wanted to Ask,” on March 10, from 6 to 7 p.m. The event will take place in Anchorage and be teleconferenced statewide. Robin Schmidt, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist for the State of Alaska (and frequent Senior Voice contributor) will address what Social Security can mean to you and your family’s financial future. She will discuss the basics of Social Security retirement benef...
Alaska’s population ages 65 and older increased by 3,388 between July 2013 and July 2014 and reached 71,080 people, according to estimates released by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Since 2010, the proportion of the state’s population ages 65 and older increased from 8 percent to 10 percent. Among the state’s six economic regions, Gulf Coast had the highest share of seniors at 13 percent, followed by Southeast at 12 percent. Northern Region had the smallest share at 6 percent, followed by Southwest at 7 perce...
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. 11, hosted by NeighborWorks. 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...
The 7th Annual We Are All Elders In Training Summit will be held March 3 and 4 in Fairbanks at the Raven Landing Community Center, 1222 Cowles Street. This year's theme is "Inspired Aging; Limitless Opportunities." The event features presentations by elders sharing their life experiences and strategies for aging and well-being. Each sharing will be followed by group discussions targeting issues around aging and mental health. The public is encouraged to join for group discussions and closing...
Members of the Alaska Commission on Aging will gather in Juneau, Feb. 9-12, for the quarterly commission meeting and to pay visits to legislators in the state Capitol. The commission meeting will be held in the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation Building (Goldbelt Building), Suite 302 in the Hugh Malone Conference Rm. Hours for the regular meeting sessions are: Feb. 9 from 3 to 5 p.m.; Feb. 10 from 8:20 to 1 p.m., with a lunch break at noon (lunching at the Juneau Senior Center is encouraged). There will be a public comment period from 11:30 a.m...
Social Security announces as a result of Congress’ approval of the fiscal year 2015 budget, the agency will expand its hours nationwide and offices – including Alaska’s three offices – will be open to the public for an additional hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, effective March 16, 2015. A field office that is usually open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. will remain open until 4 p.m. Offices will continue to close to the public at noon every Wednesday so employees have time to complete current work and reduce backlogs. In recent years,...
Medicare is like a government octopus, with its tentacles stretching into almost every aspect of senior life. With its policies affecting 50 million beneficiaries, this agency has a lot going on simultaneously. Sometimes, policies it puts in place get lost in the shuffle, as it has with its obesity program (see below). Other times, people figure out how to game the system, resulting in huge fraud and abuse. So as often happens at year end, the agency, formally known as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has been issuing...
Did you know that the Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) monitored a total of 45 bills and resolutions and actively supported 25 pieces of legislation that affected seniors during the FY2014 legislative session? We also provided committee testimony and letters of support to bill sponsors, legislative committees and Congressional members. Senior advocacy is a “team effort.” We invite you and other Alaskans in your community to be active this legislative session by participating in the 2015 ACoA Senior Legislative Teleconferences. The purpose of...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc. and the Social Security Administration are teaming up to present an educational forum, “Social Security: Everything You Always Wanted to Ask,” on March 10. The event will take place in Anchorage and be teleconferenced statewide. Robin Schmidt, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist for the State of Alaska (and frequent Senior Voice contributor) will address what Social Security can mean to you and your family’s financial future. She will discuss the basics of Social Security retirement benefits: • When am...
Seniors in Alaska are asked to complete many surveys, needs assessments and questionnaires that try to determine who people are and what they need. These surveys help policy makers and service planners to know where gaps are and how funds should be distributed. But until now there has never been a survey that tries to identify who older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are and how their aging experience might differ. At last January’s annual Alaska Public Health Summit, three organizations presented a seminar on the u...
It happens every New Year. Immediately following January 1st, all of the treadmills will be occupied and classes at your local gym will be full of people looking for a healthy start to the year. According to USA.gov, two of the top six New Year’s Resolutions every year are “Get Fit” and “Lose Weight.” After all of the delectable temptations seasonally popular between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, it’s easy to see why improving one’s health through exercise is always a top resolution. Your Better Business Bureau recommends taking a look at BB...
Anchorage-area seniors can sign up now for winter session classes offered by OLE (Opportunities for Lifelong Education). Although there is no minimum age requirement, classes are geared to adults age 50 and older. Courses begin Jan. 12 and end March 6 and are held in classrooms on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus, along with other locations around town. OLE membership is required to enroll, however members may take as many classes as they like. Annual OLE membership is $150. The courses are casual, with no tests, homework or grades, an...
Last spring the nation was outraged when the enormous backlog of claims at the Veterans Administration was revealed. The number of claims stuck in processing for more than 125 days at that time was 611,000 veterans who were not getting their claims processed. Seven months later, that number, the VA says now, has dropped to 344,000 claims that are still 125 days behind. While there was bipartisan anger over the VA scandal, a recent Washington Post story reveals a dramatically worse backlog over...
If you love visiting with seniors and want to speak up for them, join the dedicated volunteer advocates of the Alaska Long Term Care Ombudsman program. Volunteer Ombudsmen are needed to advocate for seniors living in assisted living homes and long-term care facilities. Volunteers are needed statewide, including Anchorage, Bethel, Delta Junction, Dillingham, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Galena, Homer, Houston, Juneau, Kasilof, Kenai, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, North Pole, Palmer, Petersburg, Sitka, Soldotna, Tanana, Valdez, Seward, Wasilla,...
What will it take to live well to be age 100 and older in Anchorage? Do we have in place what you need to remain active and independent in your home as you ‘age in place’? Join in this most important conversation at the upcoming Elder and Senior Listening Session. The Municipality of Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission and Alaska Commission on Aging invite you to attend Thursday, Dec. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, 1300 E. 19th Avenue. This facilitated listening session will explore your per...
The long-awaited Silver Alert rapid response and notification system is now live at silveralert.alaska.gov. The network’s protections are especially important to senior citizens with dementia, adults with developmental disabilities, veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and other disabled adults. “In the same way Amber Alert helps find missing children, Silver Alert will save lives by coordinating the efforts to find seniors, vulnerable adults, and even veterans should they go missing,” said Representative Max Gruenberg (D-An...
