Articles from the March 1, 2014 edition
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 26
Health coverage options when traveling abroad
Traveling outside of the United States obviously requires a lot of planning, and even more so for people with health issues. Many seniors who are covered by Medicare don’t realize that once they leave the United States, Medicare coverage is minimal o...
Retirement didn't work for her
Thirty-two years of teaching seemed like a long stretch to Chris Walker. Time to try something new? She pulled the plug on her teaching career and looked forward to retirement. "I was happy. I...
Our mission is to educate and advocate for seniors
Older Persons Action Group exists to serve all Alaska, with a special emphasis upon the senior community. Our mission is to reach out and advocate regarding senior issues. We do that by providing relevant information to seniors and advocating for...
Alaska Commission on Aging lays out legislative priorities
The legislature’s clock is ticking. The last day of the 2014 Alaska legislative session falls on Easter Sunday, April 20. Top issues being discussed among legislators include increasing Alaska’s oil and gas production, meeting in-state energy nee...
Alaska must extend the Senior Benefits program
Many Alaskan Seniors are on a fixed income, which has less and less buying power over time. I watched how difficult it was for my grandmother to cope with balancing her basic needs over her last few years. I can only imagine the trouble posed for...
Opinion: Now is not the time to cut essential services, programs
This year, I have assumed the duties of the Democratic leader in the Senate. Senator Johnny Ellis passed the torch to me, and taking over from such a people’s champion is humbling. I want to take a moment to bring you up to date on what’s happening i...
The second-deadliest and most preventable cancer
When you turn 50 these days, three things generally happen: you ‘re invited to join AARP, a “friend” gives you a birthday card that makes you sound really old, and your doctor tells you it’s time to be screened for colorectal cancer. You may be surp...
Sharing the decision making in health care
Health care experts are rediscovering an old-fashioned concept that may help lower health care costs and improve the quality of health care: shared decision making. What is shared decision making? It is when you and your doctor work together as...
Don't take your Senior Benefits for granted
For those of my readers who are on the Senior Benefit Program, there is some bad news. The Senior Benefits Program was established on August 1, 2007, and was the program we were given when the...
Help with Medicare at Wasilla workshop
Need help through the Medicare maze? Come find your best Medicare deal with help from Alaskan Medicare experts. The state Medicare Information Office will offer a free workshop April 2 at Wasilla Area Seniors Inc., 1301 S. Century Circle, from 6 to...
Options for veterans with mesothelioma
This is the second of a two-part series. Part one appeared in the February 2014 Senior Voice. Thanks to all the veterans who took the time to comment on last month’s column. This is your column and the Senior Voice will try to address any matters i...
Hardships can turn seniors to alcohol, drugs
Ask anyone who attends a meeting of AA (Alcohol Anonymous) or NA (Narcotic Anonymous), the road to recovery from alcohol or drug addiction is often a bumpy and long one. Days, weeks, months and even...
Dementia care training offered in Anchorage
Sign up now for “Dementia Care Essentials,” a five-week training series on providing care for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementia, presented by Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska. The classes meet in Anchorage on Mondays, April 7 through...
Can yogurt help ward off diabetes?
Just how safe are e-cigarettes? There is considerable debate right now about whether e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking or a gateway from smoking. For many adults age 50 and older, e-cigarettes...
Online training for care providers
A series of online trainings continues this spring, sponsored by the Area Health Education Center (AHEC), UAA Office of Health Programs Development, and the Trust Training Cooperative. The series is a partnership with the Northwest Geriatric...
Free training, support for family caregivers
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following meetings and trainings in March. The caregiver training topic this month is “Eat Well to Feel Well and the Mayo Clinic Mediterranean Diet.” March 4, Caregiver training at...
Staff have been known to steal residents' drugs
Every time you visit your mom in the assisted living home, she complains she isn’t getting her medication. When you question staff, they show you the medication log and it seems to indicate she is g...
Volunteer appreciation takes on a new look
Seward Senior Center's Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Feb. 14, with a theme of "Dapper Trapper," became an afternoon of delightful laughter. Mike Little's famous fish fry and volunteer...
Recognition for farm research
Lifelong farm researcher Sig Restad was awarded the "Life-Time Achievement Award" by the Mat-Su Farm Bureau at its annual meeting in Palmer on February 19. The Mat-Su Farm Bureau is organized to...
Seward's folly was his greatest source of pride
"Standing here and looking far off into the northwest, I see the Russian as he busily occupies himself in establishing seaports and towns and fortifications on the verge of the continent...and I can...
Leonard Nimoy a star on both sides of the camera
As Star Trek's Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy created one of the most iconic characters in television history. But for the past two decades, Nimoy has transported his career to the other side of the camera...
Business-to-business networking for Anchorage providers
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...
Social Security experts answer your questions
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 (March 11 and 25), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai S...
Why you need all of these legal documents
Dear Jonathan: My husband died six months ago. We didn’t have much but everything we had we held in joint names. Consequently, upon the advice of a family member some time ago, we never bothered to prepare wills because we were told that the s...
SD card vs. thumb drive and other tech questions
Q. I’m dithering between purchasing an SD card and a thumb drive for the storage of photos and documents. Is one better than the other or should I get an external hard drive? A. SD cards and thumb drives basically use the same technology. A thumb o...