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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...
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...
Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled devices are significantly changing how older adults are receiving medical care. Doctors and nurses are finding that AI can save time, improve workflows, and support faster decisions. This may allow your health team to care for more patients on a daily basis. Adults 50 and older are part of this sea change in medicine. AI is reshaping how individuals prepare for and participate in their care. Researchers at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School have...
Providence St. Elias Specialty Hospital was recently reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International. This means its stroke specialty program and brain injury specialty program were recognized for their excellence in specialized rehabilitation services. Providence St. Elias Specialty Hospital was also recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as Alaska’s top rehabilitation hospital and among the top 50 nationally among the 1,131 rehabilitation hospitals evaluated. Alaska has one of the h...
If you're looking for ways to improve your brain health, it's important to pay attention to your diet. But how do you know which diet is best? "The MIND diet is one that I focus on because it has been shown in research studies to lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Sandra Darling, a preventive medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The MIND diet emphasizes plant-based foods like berries, leafy greens, whole grains, beans and nuts. The diet also favors fish and poultry...
National Centenarians Day honors individuals who have reached the age of 100 or older. Many months, we profile a centenarian. If you know someone who has reached this milestone, contact the Alaska Commission on Aging at 907-465-3250. The governor’s office will send a special gubernatorial letter and commendation recognizing your loved one. You can also email editor@seniorvoicealaska.com to notify us about the potential for a story about your 100-year-old or older Elder. You can see past profiles about centenarians on our web...
The Palmer Senior Citizen’s Center, Inc., which does business as Mat-Su Senior Services (PSCC/MSSS), has appointed Elda McCraw to the position of chief executive officer. Elda has been active in the organization and in the Mat-Su community. Elda is a lifetime member of PSCC/MSSS and has been on the board for more than six years. As a director she has volunteered many hours as well as financially invested in many of the board projects. She has worked to address projects that had languished due to lack of funding or lack of hands. This i...
Dear Savvy Senior, I turn 62 early next year and plan to retire soon after. Most advice says I should wait to claim Social Security because my monthly benefit will be higher. But with all the recent news about Social Security’s financial problems, I’m wondering if taking benefits early might be the safer choice. Is there ever a good reason to claim at 62? - Ready to Retire Dear Ready, You’re definitely not alone in asking this. The latest Social Security Trustees Report projects the retirement trust fund could be depleted around 2032 if Congr...
Could someone steal your credit card information while it's still in your wallet? Technically, yes. But before you panic, you should understand what tap-to-pay is, how these scams work, and if the risk is significant enough to worry about. Tap-to-pay technology Contactless cards use a secure, short-range form of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology that transfers information between a card and a card reader via radio waves. Despite what many people think, using tap-to-pay doesn't...
Like a scene from the 1950s or a lost episode of "Mad Men," it's not unusual to see people at the Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired sporting a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses. While they may look stylish, these smart glasses have become much more than a fashion accessory for people who are blind or have low vision. When Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses first hit store shelves in September 2021, they were marketed to consumers as a hands-free way to access music, take photos and...
This is part 2 of 3 of a couple rediscovering each other after their children moved out. Chiang Mai is where Thailand slows down and softens around the edges. Inside the Old City, a square framed by a moat and crumbling 13th-century Lanna walls, one wanders past ancient temples and modern cafés. For empty nesters, it's the perfect place to trade homework checks and packing lunches for slower days, shared discoveries, and the quiet realization that you're a couple first again. Arrival, curry,...
Q. Can Apple AirTags track my family pet? A. I recommend against AirTags for pet locations. AirTags depend on iPhones, and they only report their location every once in a while. They can work in some circumstances, but they are not the right tool most of the time. If you want to track your pet, use a GPS collar. The GPS I use is made by a company called Fi, and they have an entire line of trackers of different sizes and capabilities to fit different sized pets. They require a subscription, which might be a dealbreaker for some users. But the...
I was in an online discussion with another estate planner recently. She practices in Indiana, and she raised an issue which, for her, mostly related to family farms. We don’t have all that many farms up here in Alaska (a few, I know, but nothing like the Midwest), but I have seen the same issue come up regarding small businesses. Here’s the underlying problem: What do you do when you have a single asset which dwarfs the rest of the estate, and one kid wants to take it over? Here’s what I’m t...
Fifty years ago, a scrappy boxing film with a surprisingly low budget and starring a little-known starving actor knocked out star-laden productions such as "A Star is Born" and "All the President's Men" to win the coveted title of highest grossing film for 1976. "Rocky" went on to win three Oscars including Best Picture. Contributing to the film's success, some 80 minutes into the story, audience eardrums are pelted with one of the most stirring and memorable movie themes of the 20th century...
On Sunday, Sept. 25, 1932, the Russell Hyde Merrill Memorial Beacon was dedicated at Merrill Field. Bought with money raised by the Anchorage Women's Club, it was a memorial to a pioneer airman. Three years before, he had disappeared almost without a trace. Merrill, a pivotal figure in Alaska's early aviation history, was honored with not only Anchorage's Merrill Field and memorial beacon but also the mountain pass he discovered, Merrill Pass. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1894 to a prominent...
Sept. 1 National Forgiveness Day. This date is dedicated to embracing the journey to forgive others (or maybe ourselves), though some places list this as Sept. 27. Sept. 1 National Victory over Japan (or V-J Day), which recognizes Allied Forces' victory over Japan during World War II. Officials announced the surrender of Japan to the Allies on August 15, 1945. The official signing of surrender took place on September 2, 1945, officially ending World War II. Sept. 4 National Food Bank Day. This...
Anchorage’s economy faces challenges—an expected natural gas shortage is just one of them—but a few developments are positive. That was the message at the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation luncheon in early August. Twice a year, the group invites more than a thousand businesspeople to the Dena’ina Convention Center to examine economic trends facing the municipality and southcentral Alaska in general. As AEDC CEO Jon Bittner described it, Anchorage is in the third era that began in 2015...
This is the month that termination dust arrives on the mountains, and the birch leaves turn a stunning gold. It’s also the first opportunity in months enjoy a darker sky, including the chance for glimpsing the aurora borealis. A plethora of festivals and other events this month wrap up summer and let us know fall is here. The Alaska State Fair runs through Sept. 7 at the fairgrounds in Palmer....The Anchorage Museum’s informative exhibit Cold War to the Cosmos runs through Sept. 7....The Anchorage Community Theatre is presenting “1776: The M...
Independent living in Alaska brings beauty and adventure, but it also brings risks that can lead to injuries right in your own home. A simple fall or a cut in the kitchen can turn serious with a quickness. Knowing how to stop bleeding and when to call for help can save your life. First, let's talk about when bleeding needs emergency care. If blood is spurting or pouring out and does not slow down after a few minutes, call 911 right away. If you feel dizzy, weak, or confused while bleeding, that...
