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The Forget-Me-Not-Chorus is a musical gathering of people with dementia. They performed at the Anchorage Senior Activities Center June 6. This testimonial is from Jeanne Bussey, who is the caregiver for her partner, Ken Cassity. It was provided by Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska. I'm here today, accompanied by Ken, my forever partner, and Elaine, our good friend. Today I'm going to talk about the wonders of music. Ken and I were both lucky to grow up in families enriched by music, so we learned...
Dear Savvy Senior, What kinds of legal documents do I need to help my family take care of me in my elder years? I would like to get my affairs in order but could use some help. - Approaching 80 Dear Approaching, All adults, especially an older adult like yourself, should have at least five legal documents to protect yourself and your family. These documents will make sure your wishes regarding your estate are legal and clear and will help minimize any conflicts and confusion with your family...
With the rising popularity of peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps like PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, Google Pay, and Apple Pay, it's crucial to protect yourself from fraud on these platforms. While these apps make transferring funds from one person to another quick and easy, they also increase the risk of scams. According to Forbes, P2P fraud losses reached an estimated $1.7 billion in 2022, and that number has only risen since. Transactions are instantaneous and usually irreversible, so knowing...
Q: Why do I feel like TV or online ads are trying to trick me into a certain way of thinking? A: Media has a significant and often subtle influence on our unconscious thoughts and actions, shaping our perceptions of reality, social norms and self-identity. Our unconscious mind holds a vast reservoir of thoughts, memories, emotions, and instincts that function outside our conscious awareness, continuously affecting our behavior. While the unconscious mind serves as the foundation, the conscious...
What is Alaska 211? Alaska 211 is United Way's statewide help line for information, referrals and assistance finding vital, available health and human services, community resources, government, and tribal assistance in the callers' communities. How did 211 come about? The first 211 in the United States launched in 1997, a joint effort of United Way Worldwide (formerly United Way of America) and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems, or AIRS, in Atlanta. Three years later, the...
With the Seeing AI app, users can hold their phone up to an individual, and it will audibly describe what the person looks like, including their hair color, estimated age, and emotional state. By pointing the phone towards a product, users will receive a description of the product, its expiration date, and other relevant details. The app can also read documents and recognize various structural elements, including paragraphs, headings, and lists. The Ava app transcribes spoken words into text,...
When you have Medicare and another source of health care insurance coverage, you may at some point wonder, “Who pays first?” If you are like me, my first thought goes to the classic Abbott and Costello comedy routine, “Who’s on first?” and that is a much funnier topic. But with Medicare and other coverage, such as that offered by your employer, knowing which coverage is considered primary (and which then is secondary) can help to fully understand your covered insurance claims. Point 1: The di...
We are fortunate to live here among the mountains, forests and vast natural beauty of Alaska. For many of us, hiking isn't just a form of exercise-it's a return to joy, spirituality, solitude, and connection. Whether you're getting back on the trail after a long winter or rediscovering hiking later in life, moving your body in this landscape can be deeply healing and rewarding. As a physical therapist, I see firsthand how physical activity supports not just longevity but vitality. It's not only...
A large study is suggesting that women who consume caffeinated coffee in midlife are more likely to be healthy agers. However, tea and decaf coffee may not provide the same benefits. Additionally, researchers found that drinking colas was strongly associated with lesser likelihood of healthy aging. Researchers conducted a study with almost 48,000 women who were followed for 30 years. They found that a morning cup of coffee might do more than boost energy and could also help women stay sharp,...
Our state brings us stunning scenery and the joy of wide-open spaces, but it also gives us harsh weather and natural disasters. Earthquakes, winter storms, wildfires, and flooding are all things to think about. Most of us have plans in place for our own safety, but what about our beloved pets? Dogs, cats, or other animals live with us, and it's just as important to plan for their safety, too. In an emergency, pets depend on us. Having a pet-friendly plan can make a big difference. If you have...
Even if you lose at the Alaska International Senior Games, you win. "If you like to laugh and you like to have fun," said Diann Darnall, the president of the Alaska International Senior Games board of directors. "This is for you." The AISG are coming up Aug. 8-17 in Fairbanks. And though the early-bird registration ended June 30, there is still time to enter. A qualifying event The AISG is a qualifying event for the National Senior Games, which this year takes place July 24-Aug. 4 in Des...
Many Alaskans have a bucket list. Floating the Slana River by canoe was crossed off mine back in July 2002. What started out as a conversation at our weekly Bible study about doing a fun summer activity together turned into more of a community ladies' day out. Joy attended Bible study and at the time, she and her husband Steve Hobbs operated Huck Hobbit's Homestead and frequently took their guests on float trips down the Slana River. So they had the canoes, the equipment, and the experience...
Lamar McGrew is 74 years old and has been in Alaska since 2001. He went from being the stepson of a sharecropper to working hard at his own successful small business. Here's his story. Q. What brought you to Anchorage? A. My brother lives here, so I decided to come up and stay. I was going to stay a couple of weeks. I got to like it here, so I stayed. Where's home? I was in Albany, New York. I was born in Alabama, but I moved to New York as a teenager. Did you mention to me that in Alabama your...
July is all about Independence Day and the multiple festivals across the state. Perhaps the most notable Fourth of July celebration is in Seward with the Mount Marathon Race. This is the 97th running of the race, which is 3.1 miles but goes straight up and (mostly) straight down Mount Marathon. The race has its origins when two men debated the possibility of climbing and descending the mountain in less than an hour. “Impossible” one said... For a more laid-back experience, consider going to Seldovia for its Fourth of July celebration. Keep in...
From July 1 to Oct. 31, low-income seniors in Alaska can access fresh, locally grown produce through the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. The program is funded by the USDA and administered by the Food Bank of Alaska. Participants will receive a QR card or a QR code through an app that will automatically load with $40 on July 1, 2025. To be eligible you must be 60 years old (as of September 30, 2025), living in Alaska, and have income below 185% of the federal poverty level or you are...
The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) admitted three more harbor seal pups to the Wildlife Response Program in late May and early June, marking a busy start to the 2025 season. One of the pups was born prematurely, one was found severely malnourished, and another was rescued after it was found alone, likely due to maternal separation. These cases follow the recent admissions of another premature harbor seal pup and an orphaned northern sea otter pup, all requiring intensive rehabilitation and...
Elizabeth Wanamaker Peratrovich, born in the Southeast Alaska town of Petersburg on July 4, 1911, often is hailed as a heroine in the fight to end discrimination against Alaska Natives. When she saw a sign posted on the Douglas Inn across from Juneau in 1941 that said, "No Natives Allowed," she wrote to territorial Gov. Ernest Gruening. "The proprietor of Douglas Inn does not seem to realize that our Native boys are just as willing as the white boys to lay down their lives to protect the...
Released 60 years ago this year, "The Sons of Katie Elder" is often cited as a favorite amongst John Wayne fans. In addition to the delightful screen chemistry between Wayne and co-star Dean Martin as lead actors, the cast is a who's who of beloved classic film character actors including Paul Fix, James Gregory, Strother Martin, Rhys Williams, and John Qualen. And John Doucette. With his deep, rich, distinctive voice and rugged features, Doucette was a prolific supporting actor in more than 140...
Jim Irsay died recently, age 65. If you don’t know who Jim Irsay was, he was the owner of the Indianapolis Colts football team. His father bought the team and moved it from Baltimore. Jim inherited the franchise and ran it for most of his life. Irsay had an estate which has been estimated at $4.8 billion, the Colts being the bulk of that at an estimated $4.4 billion. He was divorced and left his entire estate to his three daughters. This is going to be a problem for them. Under current law, e...
Q. Is there a quick way to open your most used app on an iPhone? A. Siri, the sometimes-maligned voice assistant, is generally fast at opening a named app. Skip the “Hey Siri” phrase and use the hot key to invoke Siri. The hot key is different on different iPhone models, but it’s usually the home button or the power button. On my phone, tapping the power button and saying “open camera” is faster than finding and tapping the camera icon. As long as I use the same name that appears under the app’s icon, it works nearly every time. If you just ins...
Snowbirds are Alaskans who leave the state in the wintertime for some warmth and sun elsewhere, or it might be a couple of weeks to Hawaii to thaw out, get a tan, and eat fresh fruit. You'll return refreshed to face the remaining winter. Still, you'll be abandoning the most expensive item you've ever bought - your home. It's a sobering thought to consider what disaster might happen if you don't take precautions. To-do list 1. Winterize your plumbing Turn off the water supply at the main valve...
Midnight Sun Home Care and Alaska Dinner Factory are having the fourth Senior Fun Day from noon to 4 p.m. on July 19 at Eastchester Park at 900 E. 20th Ave. in Anchorage. Food, games and family fun are in store. The event is the brainchild of Eden Lovejoy, the owner of Midnight Sun Home Care. The first one, in 2021, was to mark the 20th anniversary of Midnight Sun Home Care, and it’s continued every year since. The company employs 28 people, most of whom are professional caregivers helping s...
ACoA estate planning webinar slide deck and recording An estate planning webinar held in June with attorney Chelsea Riekkola is available as a recording. You can watch the recording here: http://bit.ly/4k3UtV8. If you need a copy of the webinar transcript to read, please email us: doh.acoa.info@alaska.govdoh.acoa.info@alaska.gov. Other free webinars are in the works. Elder listening sessions in Nome, Shishmaref and Unalakleet July 8-11 Alaska Commission on Aging's Program Coordinator will be traveling to Nome, Shishmaref and Unalakleet July...
Marijuana use among older adults in the United States has reached a new high, with 7% of adults aged 65 and over who report using it in the past month, according to an analysis led by researchers with the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at the NYU School of Global Public Health. https://www.cduhr.org/ Their findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine in June, also show that the profile of those who use cannabis has changed in recent years, with pronounced increases in use by older...
Laurel Downing Bill is early for a coffee date. She announces that she has already had two cups, even though it's only 9 o'clock. She takes a seat and waits for her less caffeinated companion. But it's not coffee that keeps Bill cranking out books about Alaska history. She brims with her own stores of energy and innate curiosity. Her secret? Listening to true crime shows while she writes. "I don't pay attention to it. But words come flowing out. Murder works." Last spring, Bill published her...
