Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 30
Here’s a thought experiment: What would happen if Social Security were suddenly entirely eliminated? The most immediate consequence would be that six million households across the United States would be plunged into poverty or near-poverty, i.e. below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). A recent study found that 37 percent of households with older persons already survive on 200% or less of the FPL. The study is entitled, “Examining the Nest Egg -- The Sources of Retirement Income for Older Americans.” The report primarily limits itsel...
Editor’s note: This press statement was received on May 12, 2020. Social Security benefits have lost 30 percent of buying power since 2000, according to the latest “Social Security Loss of Buying Power” study released in May by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). “This year’s study found a 3 percentage point gain in the buying power of Social Security benefits over 2019,” says study author Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for the League. “That should indicate that most retirees may have seen at least some prices come down on certai...
On April 29, 2020 Governor Dunleavy signed into law House Bill 96 (HB 96) for the Alaska Pioneer Homes (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitk, and Alaska Veterans & Pioneers Home in Palmer). The Pioneer Homes serve elder Alaskans needing assisted living care. Residents of the homes receive help with daily living activities, medications, meals and some nursing services depending on level of service. HB 96 brings with it positive changes for senior residents of Alaska. Younger seniors needing care will now be able to move in earlier, as...
A lawsuit filed in November 2019 related to massive rate hikes at Alaska’s Pioneer Homes has been settled out of court, Alaska State Attorney Kevin Clarkson said on May 6. In a statement released by the Department of Law, Clarkson addressed the dismissal. “The plaintiffs and the State have asked the court to approve this resolution calling for dismissal of the lawsuit. The parties agree there is no benefit to continuing expensive and time-consuming litigation over rates that will no longer be in effect after July 1 of this year.” Alaska House B...
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there have been over 20,300 COVID-19 complaints carrying an estimated $15.6 million in losses since the start of 2020. U.S. service members and veterans should take particular notice because these fraudsters have tailored their fake pitches to mix the pandemic with top concerns of those who’ve worn a military uniform. AARP’s Fraud Watch Network and Operation Protect Veterans initiative have received reports of COVID-19 treatment scams, fake charity pitches claiming to help veteran and mil...
SAGE, the world's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT elders, has recently launched SAGEConnect, a program that matches LGBT elders with volunteer community members and allies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many of our LGBT pioneers, the heightened need for social isolation has left them homebound with severely limited support networks. The one-to-one contact offered through SAGEConnect will help combat feelings of loneliness and disconnection...
Despite the current COVID-19 Pandemic, the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program will be offered this summer. On May 12, 2020, The Alaska Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) updated its website with the announcement that low-income seniors with coupons will be able to exchange them for fresh Alaska-grown fruits, vegetables, fresh-cut herbs and honey at farmers’ markets, and authorized farms and roadside stands. Each eligible older adult will receive six $5 coupons and they can be...
Dear Savvy Senior: I manage a large doctor’s clinic that treats hundreds of seniors each month. We are moving to more telehealth visits to help keep our patients safe at home during the coronavirus pandemic, but this new way of seeing a doctor is befuddling to many of our elder patients. Can you write a column educating patients on how to prepare for a telehealth appointment? - Regular Reader Dear Reader: I’d be happy to help. To help keep patients safe and at home during the coronavirus crisis, more and more doctors and other health care provi...
Alaska Health Fair is not able to put on health fairs in your community at the current time. We hope to return to this important service as soon as possible. Over the past three years, we have offered office draw appointments several days each month. This popular service is now very vital to Alaskans that are looking for a way to still get their blood tests done, without being able to attend a fair. Office tests are the same price as at a health fair, and we add a $10 office fee. Get everything done in less than 30 minutes, with no standing in...
One of the most challenging areas of communication our society still faces today is communication at the end of life. Some of the most important decisions and opportunities are found to have come from end of life conversations. However, many still seem to be missing out on the opportunity. Studies show that end of life communication provides an opportunity for an individual who is dying to have their voice heard and their needs met. In addition, studies show that effective end of life conversations lead to better quality end of life and much...
Editor’s note: This schedule may change, due to coronavirus safety measures. Be sure to confirm with the host agency prior to visiting. The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in June. This month’s discussion topic will be “Caregiver Wellness.” If COVID-19 restrictions have not been lifted, meetings will be conducted on Zoom via computer or smartphone. June 2, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. June 9, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center,...
I can't see clearly out of my right eye, I have a headache and in spite of blinking, the eye is uncomfortable. I have extreme dry eye. I went to an ophthalmologist who plugged the tear ducts into which the tears drain. Didn't help. He gave me a sample prescription of Xiidra which would have cost $600 a month if it worked. It did not. In fact, I awoke feeling as though I'd dipped my entire eyeball into sand. A second ophthalmologist prescribed prednisone drops which helped the irritation but not...
COVID-19 may affect men differently than women The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to perplex researchers and is leaving millions of people struggling. It is still not clear why some individuals are more severely affected by the virus than others. So far, adults age 60 and older and those with certain pre-existing conditions appear to be at greater risk. However, a new study in the journal Frontiers in Public Health suggests that men are significantly more likely to suffer severe effects of the...
Dear Savvy Senior: Are people with high blood pressure at increased risk of getting coronavirus? - Hypertensive Helen Dear Helen: If you have high blood pressure, you definitely need to take extra care to protect yourself during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Research shows that people with hypertension are more susceptible to getting COVID-19, are more likely to develop severe symptoms if they do get sick, and are more likely to die from the infection, especially if they’re older. High risk links A weaker immune system is the key r...
If you’re out somewhere — getting groceries, for example — don’t sneeze. If you do, you might be taking your life into your hands. That happened to me last month when I sneezed (into my arm) in a grocery store parking lot – and then heard myself explaining to the stranger eyeing me like she wanted to strangle me, “Hey don’t worry, I’m not sick! I have snatiation!” She rolled her eyes. I realized she had no idea what I was talking about and probably thought I was being sarcastic to her. I just learned about snatiation a few years ago, but I...
Getting older in America will never be the same, after the astonishing death toll in nursing homes and senior housing facilities has revealed just how flawed the nation’s system of care is. The fallout could completely collapse the nursing home and assisted living industries. No doubt, though, it will certainly change them and how we take care of our elders. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a defective system of caring for seniors, including severe understaffing at nearly all facilities, inconsistent regulations, economic challenges p...
I sat listening as Dad recited verse after verse of "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" by Robert Service. During my month long visit with him in October 2005, I had been surprised and amazed several times. I can't remember the poetry we were required to memorize back in high school, and yet Dad started quoting Robert Service out of the blue. Actually, not out of the blue. We were sitting in front of the open oven door of a wood cook stove drinking tea. It was his idea that we take some food to one of...
Be part of Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc.’s virtual Miles for Meals 5K fundraising event. Miles for Meals is WASI’s largest fundraising event of the year, supporting Meals on Wheels of the Mat-Su Valley. Using the proceeds, WASI strives to end senior hunger and malnutrition in the Mat-Su by delivering meals to seniors in their homes and ensuring they are safe. Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, this year’s event will be virtual, meaning participants won’t gather together on race day as they’ve done in the past. Instead, they can run,...
The remote islands of the Aleutian Chain, home to the Unangan people for more than 8,000 years, endured the first invasion on American soil since the War of 1812. On June 6, 1942, at around 10:30 p.m., 500 Japanese troops came ashore at Kiska. They captured a small American naval weather detachment of 10 men, along with a dog. One member of the detachment escaped, but surrendered after 50 days – thin, starving and cold. The enemy then invaded Attu at 3 a.m. on June 7. Villagers, who'd been e...
If you don't think Jimmy Stewart put the classic in 'classic movies,' consider these titles in which he starred: "It's a Wonderful Life," "The Philadelphia Story," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Rear Window," "Vertigo," "Harvey," and the list goes on. No wonder Stewart appears near the top of just about every list of all-time most popular classic film actors. With such a resume, it's hard to imagine the man didn't develop an ego the size of the famous Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee in the Santa...
During this time when our physical offices are closed to the public, you may wonder, “How can I get help from Social Security without visiting an office?” You can find the answer at www.ssa.gov/onlineservices, which links you to some of our most popular online services. You can apply for retirement and disability benefits, appeal a decision, and do much more. Our newest my Social Security feature, Advance Designation, enables you to identify up to three people, in priority order, who you would like to serve as your potential representative pay...
You’ve planted a victory garden, cleaned the garage, and caught up with old (and older) friends. If you’re lucky, you’ve stayed healthy and are still employed (or retired). COVID-19 has affected each of us differently, but there’s no doubt it’s been a game changer for those of us at or near retirement. What effect might the pandemic have on your financial life? I like to believe every problem comes packaged with its own solutions. Maybe it’s not a welcome solution, and maybe it doesn’t present itself as quickly as we’d like, but patience an...
Covid-19 is some scary stuff. It’s even more so if medical procedures make you nervous. By now we’ve all seen videos of people having long swabs stuck far up their noses, or a tube stuck down their throats, or lying in a hospital bed gasping for air through an oxygen mask. So if you don’t like thinking about medical traumas … tough noogies. Read this anyway. The prospect of a looming medical crisis has a lot of people thinking about what kind of treatment they would want, if their circums...
Q. Which mobile phone is the best value? A. Although many options exist in the smartphone market, one choice stands above all the others: The 2020 iPhone SE. I am so impressed by the new iPhone SE that I believe it should be the first phone anyone considers, even current smartphone owners who want to upgrade. It is simply that good. Technology refinements over the last few years have created a revolutionary landscape for consumers. The iPhone SE capably matches top of the line phones from a few years ago for less than half the price. Even more...
When I contacted Scott McMurren, who has published the Alaska Travelgram each week since 1999, for his take on tourism at this strange moment in time, he wrote, "Not sure how much insight I can share, aside from 'subject to change without notice.' "Well, the pandemic affects every aspect of our lives, including how, where and when we travel. It's kneecapped our efforts to plan. So those of us in the business need to consider how to keep each other safe... as well as our guests. That's job one....
