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As people approach age 65, we hope they are thinking about retirement, Social Security benefits and how they want to spend the next chapter of life, not where they are going to lay their head. Yet in Anchorage, 361 of our neighbors age 65 and older experienced homelessness last year. And many others faced the scary prospect of being without a safe, stable place to live. The good news? The number dropped by more than 20% between 2023 and 2025. Our community also has been expanding resources for those 55 and older, such as the In Our Backyard...
Dear Editor: I was so interested to read the article from Lawrence Weiss about driving around Europe (and beyond) in the late ’60s and early ’70s. I was living in England at the time and spent some time in Morocco with Minitrek (another similar organization to Encounter Overland). Basically, we drove around the country camping out in the desert, sometimes just on the ground as we didn't feel like putting the tents up, and at other times we all bunked in small cheap hotels to have a bit of comfort — and a shower! Several friends did similar trip...
Artificial intelligence is a rapidly growing technology with a wide variety of uses. An increasingly popular use of generative AI is as a form of mental health support. The temptation is real, as one college student, Violet, found out. "I try to avoid AI as much as possible. If I can use my own brain, I want to use my own brain. Except when it comes to venting. There have been periods of my life where I was in a very, very, very dark place with nobody to really talk to, who weren't going to...
Q: Why do I sometimes feel an instant connection with someone I've just met? A: It is common to feel an instant connection with someone you barely know. This phenomenon occurs when we recognize familiar personality traits, body language, or communication styles that make us feel understood and safe. Your brain subconsciously detects subtle cues-a specific tone of voice, a facial expression, or a unique mannerism-that put you at ease. When these nonverbal signals feel recognizable and intuitive,...
Claude, you are an artificial intelligence (AI) product created by Anthropic, but what does that mean? Who or what would a user be communicating with? I'm a large language model, which is a fancy way of saying I'm a very elaborate pattern-matching system trained on an enormous amount of text: books, articles, websites, conversations. So, what are you actually talking to? Not a person. Not a database. Not a search engine, though I can search the web when I need current information. I don't have a...
Recently, I accompanied a 75-year-old woman from my building to the emergency room. On a Friday, I was alerted by another resident that she looked "bad." Certainly, her sheet-white face indicated something was not right. I went downstairs to the lobby where she always hung out and asked if I could take her oxygen level -it was 85, a level that indicated she was beginning to have insufficient oxygen for her organs to function. She refused to go to the hospital, but would on Monday if it was...
For those of us enrolled into Original Medicare (Parts A & B), most of us have also enrolled into one of Medicare’s Part D Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs). Each year, we may make changes to this prescription coverage during Medicare’s Open Enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, for changes which will then go into effect from Jan. 1 onward. Leading up to this open enrollment, you will start to receive notices with information relating to any changes in your plan for the coming year. If you are like me, sometimes (more often th...
There are moments in dementia care that can feel almost like a door opening. A familiar song begins to play. Someone who has been quiet starts tapping a foot. A few words of a chorus emerge. A smile appears. Perhaps a story follows about a childhood home, a wedding, a parent, or a song once heard on the radio. For families living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, moments like these can be powerful. They are also helping researchers better understand the remarkable relationship...
Dear Savvy Senior, I had a living will/advance directive prepared about 10 years ago documenting my end-of-life medical wishes, but I’ve read that these documents are often ignored. What can you tell me about this? - Troubled Tina Dear Tina, Yes, unfortunately, that can happen. Living wills aren’t always followed in practice, most often because the document isn’t available when it’s needed or never reaches the right people in time. They can also fall short because they aren’t medical orders, and the language may be too vague to guide doctors i...
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Tribes Extension program and the Rural Alaska Community Action Program are sponsoring berry-related workshops in Bethel and Aniak in August. Led by Tribes Extension educator Heidi Rader and Chugiak berry grower Josh Smith, the workshops will be held in Bethel on Aug. 2, and in Aniak on Aug. 3-4. Rader will lead off the workshops on Aug. 2 at 4 p.m. at Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center, 420 Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway, Bethel, with a presentation on growing and managing berries. At 5 p.m., Smith will discuss...
First, I have to tell you a true story about maps. It may seem a bit far afield from the main event, turning 80, but I promise this story will wham! bang! collide with turning 80. In 1969 I was a wild and crazy guy in my early 20s careening around Europe to see what I could see. I was running out of money and decided to head to London from France thinking the job opportunities there would be better. I am compelled to note here that the border crossing was, uh, kind of rough. The English border...
What do we owe our Elders? What do they owe us? I have been thinking about this after a visit with my mom, who is 90 and in need of round-the-clock care. There are no easy answers to this question. Because I can’t be with her or with my aging aunts and uncles every day, I try to reach out as much as I can. During the pandemic, one of my cousins established a family Zoom meeting. We’ve had it for six years, every Sunday with few exceptions. The conversations have changed as my mother can no lon...
Aug. 18 is the Alaska State primary election. Alaska uses a nonpartisan top four primary to determine the top four vote getters that will advance to the general election, regardless of political affiliation. A primary election candidate does not have to be a member of a political party or a political group to run for office, according to Alaska law. If a candidate is registered as affiliated with a political party or group, it does not imply the candidate is nominated by, endorsed by, approved by, or associated with that particular party or...
We erred in listing Maraley McMichael’s story about hiking Lazy Mountain as being on page 14 in the July issue. It appeared on page 16 and continued on page 18. It also misstated the credit for a photo of Al Clayton, Maraley McMichael’s father, with her daughter. It was taken by Maraley McMichael....
By KAREN CASANOVAS For Senior Voice Q: I spend hours playing word games and puzzles on my phone. Could I be addicted? A: To determine if your online habits are an addiction, ask yourself: 1. Interference: Do I game during conversations, meals, or while working? 2. Emotional dependency: Do I feel irritable, restless, or anxious when away from my phone and cannot finish my puzzles? 3. Tolerance: Do I extend play to feel accomplishment or to chase a high score? 4. Failed control: Have I tried to...
Fall prevention is key to retaining independence for older adults. Falls are a significant contributor to premature morbidity (lack of wellness) and mortality (death) in seniors. Loss of mobility, self-confidence and independence due to falls creates an enormous financial and emotional burden on seniors. Sobering statistics One-third of adults aged 65 years and older experience a fall each year and the risk increases proportionally with age. Non-fatal falls continue to pose a significant social...
There are almost too many things to remember when you change residences. This month’s article will help with how to manage your Medicare coverage before, during and after a move. The Medicare Information Office provides a checklist of items to complete, helping your move be free from additional aggravation and frustration. Moving into or out of Alaska If you have Original Medicare (Parts A and B), you will not need to make changes to your Medicare when moving within the U.S. since Original M...
Domestic pets have gone through changes over the years from being a part of the family to actually being family. Now, ads on television and in print highlight dogs saying "Mom, I like this food best!" In a world in turmoil, especially dogs and cats, become our children who don't talk back or beg for expensive toys, and do provide companionship, love and exercise. Like human health insurance, pets now need insurance for routine visits and specialized treatment as they age-just like us. Common...
A new study has found that older adults entering skilled-nursing facilities may have a hidden health benefit from the shingles vaccine. Researchers found that those who received the recombinant shingles vaccine (RZV) had a lower risk of developing dementia over the following four years compared with those who were not vaccinated. Older adults admitted to skilled nursing facilities are at higher risk for both dementia and shingles. The findings, which were published in the Annals of Internal...
Editor's Note: National Centenarian's Day is Sept. 22. The day honors those who've celebrated 100 birthdays or more. We're publishing profiles of people who have hit this milestone. The Alaska Commission on Aging is working with the Governor's Office, Pioneer Homes and Long Term Care Ombudsman to celebrate Alaska's centenarians. After we published this story, Betty Calhoon died. We mourn her and send condolences to her family. Betty L. Calhoon says she was born on a lucky star. That's because...
From icy walkways to long distances between towns, our state presents unique challenges. One of the most important tools for protecting yourself and your loved ones is a figurative jumper box for the heart. It is called an AED, which stands for automated external defibrillator. This small device can save a life during a heart emergency, and knowing how to use one could make you a hero in your community. An AED is a portable machine that helps a person whose heart has suddenly stopped beating cor...
August is National Make a Will Month, a reminder that one of the most meaningful gifts we can give our loved ones is not something wrapped in a box, but a plan. Many people put off creating a will because they believe they have plenty of time, don't have enough assets, or simply aren't sure where to begin. Yet having a will is about much more than deciding who receives your belongings: it is an act of care that can provide clarity, reduce stress, and ease difficult decisions for the people you...
On a clear August 2015 morning, I met longtime family friends in the parking area of Knik Glacier Tours. Charles and Jimmie, ages 84 and 82, had done this tour more than a dozen times, but it was to be my first experience, and they were taking me along as their guest. In preparation for this trip, they told me about their first experience with Knik Glacier back in April 1976 with the Alaska Prospector’s Society. A rather large group had organized a day trip with a guide to see the glacier. T...
Ground was broken in June on an Interior Alaska Veterans Cemetery in Salcha. It will become the first State of Alaska Veterans Cemetery and the northernmost veterans cemetery in the nation, providing a final resting place for thousands of Alaska veterans and their eligible family members, according to a news release from the Alaska Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. Currently, eligible veterans can be buried at the Fort Richardson National Cemetery on JBER in Anchorage or the Sitka...
August lacks a major holiday, as July and September do. But there’s lots to do across the state. Salmonfest is July 31-Aug. 2 in Ninilchik at the Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds. It’s a weekend of live music, food, and family-friendly activities. One-day tickets are available..... The Alaska International Senior Games in Fairbanks is Aug. 7-16. https://www.alaskaisg.org/ …. Further south is the Sitka Blues Fest on Aug. 15.... The Blueberry Festival at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood is Aug. 15 and 16. There’s blueberry picking, crafts, music and foo...
