Articles from the June 1, 2019 edition
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Budget cuts take toll on assistance programs
Years of declining oil prices and increased spending of state funds came to a head for a number of state-subsidized senior assistance programs this legislative season. After taking office in Dec. 2018, Gov. Dunleavy’s proposed operating budget for F...
Successful aging means sharing and teaching
Being surrounded by grandchildren and children from the community is a blessing for anyone, and especially when you are given an opportunity to share what you have learned in your life. While we are doing interviews in Elders’ homes across Alaska, w...
Opinion: State should not increase Pioneer Home rates
The Dunleavy administration has brought unprecedented threats to Alaska Seniors. From Senior Benefits to Medicaid health insurance, the governor has put elders in the crosshairs. Fortunately, legislators are working together to defend Alaska’s P...
June is the month of gay pride celebrations in many Alaska cities
A child drawn to the rainbow stickers on display was heard asking his mom, “What’s a Pride?” “Pride is when you get to celebrate loving who you are,” was her perfect response. For the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community, much of the fo...
RIP LGBT: Let's end sexual orientation initials
While leaving a recent nonprofit meeting another member was muttering aloud, obviously annoyed. I questioned why. He said: “Ugh, ‘A’ means ‘Ally’, it has always meant ally, not ‘Alternative.’” I agreed; he was correct. What frustrated him...
Grandfamilies cut across class and ethnic groups
Caregiving provided by grandparents serves as a safety net for children in need of parenting regardless of race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Approximately 2.9 million grandparents make...
Prostate health: Zinc, capsaicin and more
Macho American men are not getting enough zinc in their diet, and far too many procrastinate until their prostate is the size of a bowling ball before they visit their family physician for the dreaded one-digit “test.” Prostate cancer is the mos...
Farmers' Market Coupons available in June
June is the month seniors can start using Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program coupons. Each recipient gets six coupons, worth $5 each, which can be used through Oct. 31. Coupons are issued to low-income seniors and can be exchanged for fresh A...
Balance billing and what it means for you
Balance billing is when a provider bills you for the difference between the amount he charges for a product or service and the insurance company’s negotiated amount. For example, if the p...
Fiber, health and truth from the 1800s
My Grandma Tillie, born in 1893, was on to something. Her son, my dad, made fun of his mom. He laughed at her admonitions to eat fiber-filled whole grains, saying, "Tillie was always telling us to...
Alaska Health Fair provides important services year-round
If you’ve missed attending a local community or worksite health fair or are seeking an additional blood test, we want you to be aware that our staff provides high quality office draws (on an appointment basis) on select Tuesdays each month. These a...
Day centers are more than places for naps
Have you heard of adult day services and if you have, what does it bring to mind? Hopefully not a group of seniors sitting in recliners, napping. Adult day services (sometimes also referred to as “day care”) provide quality care and companionship for...
Free training, support for family caregivers
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in June. This month’s topic is “When is it time for a long term care facility?” Understandably, many family members want to care for their loved one a...
Financial toxicity from medical expenses is getting worse
A new study is suggesting that more than half of Americans report problems with affordability, stress or delaying care because of medical costs. The study, which was published in the Journal of...
Fishing for lures leads to a scary swim
To get to his construction job site those early summer mornings in 1974, my husband, Gary, could either drive 24 miles into Fairbanks and then another 25 miles to Eielson Air Force Base, or drive 4 mi...
Free tax assistance over the summer
Still working on a tax return? Need some help? AARP Tax-Aide program volunteers will be available “off-season” in Anchorage and Ketchikan. Anchorage AARP State Office, Frontier Bldg., 14th Floor, from noon to 3 p.m. on June 13, July 11, Aug. 7, Sep...
Networking for Anchorage, Mat-Su area providers
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast (formerly known as the Interagency...
Is this a scam? Find out at Anchorage forum
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns July 9, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. The July topic is, “Not Ev...
Protect yourself from the Social Security impostor scam
Dear Savvy Senior: I recently received a strange call from a Social Security employee. He told me my Social Security number had been suspended because it was involved in a crime, and that I needed to reactivate it and secure my bank funds by...
Nome town boy makes good
Seventy-seven years ago this month Japanese Zeros bombed Dutch Harbor and then occupied Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Islands. Why? Because they thought that two months earlier James "Jimmy"...
Congratsamundo, Anson Williams, for saving lives
As one of the most popular television shows in the late 70s to early 80s, "Happy Days" helped propel many cast regulars into the production side of show business. Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Don Most...
Will you be financially secure after retirement?
Ah, retirement -- the “golden years.” Visions of fit youngish-looking seniors cavorting on a white-sands beach. Beautiful perfect-teeth smiles glowing on their faces, palm trees swaying in the breeze, and brilliant blue-green waters glistening in...
Social Security staff answer your questions
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times in June: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (June 11 and 25), 9 a.m. to noon. K...
Oh no! Another holographic will
Seated across the desk from me is the dejected widow. Arrayed around her are her children, there to give support. The mood is sad, as it always is in the days after a husband and father has died. “I’m...
Travel tips, new PC skills, Linux for old hardware
Q. What advice can you share for traveling with personal tech devices this summer? A. Plan ahead for Internet connectivity, storage space and power. Our phones and tablets thrive in environments with speedy internet. When the internet is slow, interm...
