Articles from the July 1, 2019 edition


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  • Is this a scam? Find out at Anchorage forum

    Senior Voice Staff|Jul 1, 2019

    “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 Everything is as it Seems.” An increasing number of Americans are falling victim to more elaborate and sophisticated types of fraud and scams. These are inevitable by-products of our tech age, but are by no means limited to online hucksters. Moreover, scammers target people they believe are most vulner...

  • New board members join Older Persons Action Group

    Senior Voice Staff|Jul 1, 2019

    Older Persons Action Group, Inc. (OPAG) welcomes two new board members, Dylan Webb and S. Hollis Mickey. Dylan Webb is a certified holistic health counselor and owner of Ideal Health, LLC, in Anchorage, providing coaching for weight management and lifestyle change. He is board-certified with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, and in addition to health care his background includes coaching youth basketball and volunteer political work. “My experience in healthcare has led me to recognize the need to support our older A...

  • Time is an Eagle: Remembering Edna Woolston

    Edna Woolston, Senior Voice Correspondent|Jul 1, 2019

    Editor’s note: Long-time Senior Voice readers will remember Edna Woolston’s frequent columns from her home in Sutton, sharing stories about her days there with her husband and their animals, and her thoughts and recollections about many aspects of life. When her husband passed away six years ago, she returned to New York to live with family and we recently learned she passed away this year in January. There will be a celebration of life this month in her hometown of Gaines, New York. In honor of the dozens of articles she wrote over many yea...

  • Student load debt is a crisis for seniors

    Alan M. Schlein, Senior Wire|Jul 1, 2019

    If you think America's college loan crisis – with more than $1.5 trillion worth of debt – is only a young person's problem, think again. The federal government is now garnishing the fixed-income Social Security benefits of seniors in its crackdown to get people to repay student loans. More than three million people over 60 are still paying off college loans. Many of these seniors took out loans to help their children, grandchildren or spouse pay off tuition and are still paying them off. Oth...

  • Is physical health the be-all to successful aging?

    Jordan Lewis, For Senior Voice|Jul 1, 2019

    In rural communities across Alaska, it is not uncommon to see young people on four-wheelers or snow machines, riding around town with family and friends and spending time outdoors. On the same roads you see elders walking alone or with others to visit friends or family, check their mail or buy groceries, or visit the Elder luncheon. As someone who grew up with Elders who walked everywhere, I love to walk so I typically decline rides offered by the youth and get to know the community by walking. The Elders we have visited over the years have...

  • Volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors keep our health fairs alive

    Alaska Health Fair, Inc.|Jul 1, 2019

    We want to shout out a very big thank you to a wonderful and ever growing group of people that includes our donors, sponsors, volunteers and exhibitors. These individuals provide much needed support for Alaska Health Fair’s South Central, South East and Tanana Valley/Northern Region Programs. We would not succeed without your ongoing support. AHF has ingrained itself into the Alaskan fabric, with residents who live and work here benefiting from 40 years of hard-working volunteers and employee dedication. These are caring Alaskans who give in s...

  • Lessons learned about type 2 diabetes, Native Americans

    Ocean Le, Diverse Elders Coalition|Jul 1, 2019

    In the United States, American Indians and Alaska Natives have a greater chance of having type 2 diabetes than any other racial group. This is troubling because without medical intervention, the progression of type 2 diabetes may lead to other conditions and diseases, including high blood pressure, kidney failure and heart disease, itself the number one cause of death in the United States. In the United States, American Indians and Alaska Native are 50% more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites. In addition, 33% of the American Indian...

  • Osteoporosis strikes older men, too

    Jim Miller, Savvy Senior|Jul 1, 2019

    Dear Savvy Senior: Can men get osteoporosis or is it primarily a problem for women? When I fell and broke my wrist last winter the doctor that treated me told me I might have osteoporosis, but I never got it checked. What can you tell me? — Bony Bill Dear Bill: Many people think osteoporosis is a woman’s disease, but men can get it too, especially in their later years. Here’s what you should know. Osteoporosis in men Osteoporosis is a disease that causes the bones to become weak and brittle and more susceptible to fractures. Though women are f...

  • Deciding on supplemental 'Medigap' insurance

    Nila Morgan, For Senior Voice|Jul 1, 2019

    Perhaps your 65th birthday is approaching, signaling that you are approaching your Initial Enrollment Period to sign up for Medicare. Meanwhile, you may be getting postcards and other mail informing you that you need to sign up for Supplemental Medicare or Medigap. You may also be getting phone calls with the same message – that you should purchase a plan right away! What is that all about? There are some people who may not want or need a Medigap plan. For instance, if you will have Medicare a...

  • Surprise, surprise! Eggs reduce risk of stroke

    Suzy Cohen, Senior Wire|Jul 1, 2019

    For years, folks have been afraid of eggs, and how they are “bad” for cholesterol and LDL. Long gone are the days where people drank them raw like Sylvester Stallone did in “Rocky” and, no, I don’t recommend you do that. Rocky did it to build muscle mass, but just so you know, the practice of eating raw eggs is about 120 years old. Today, some bodybuilders use liquid egg whites to avoid salmonella contamination. Today’s focus is on eggs and whether or not they raise risk of heart disease or stroke. The rationale is that eggs are high in cho...

  • Stem cells to patch up a heart attack

    John Schieszer, Medical Minutes|Jul 1, 2019

    Researchers in England are reporting that they have grown heart patches in the lab that are safe to move into trials in people with hearts damaged by a heart attack. These patches could one day cure debilitating heart failure, which is a major killer in the United States. At Imperial College London, scientists have developed a way to grow thumb-size patches of heart tissue (3cm x 2cm) that contain up to 50 million human stem cells. The stem cells are programmed to turn into working heart muscle...

  • "Obituary Writing 101" at Hospice of Anchorage

    Bethany Burgess, Hospice of Anchorage|Jul 1, 2019

    Summer is in full swing around here at Hospice of Anchorage. We would love for you to get involved with us, and we have a few opportunities coming up that may be of interest to you. Every month we hold an educational workshop that you are welcome to attend, network at, and learn from. Wednesday, July 17 from 3 to 4 p.m. we will be hosting a special workshop on “Obituary Writing 101”. Join Hospice of Anchorage staff as we give tips and tricks about what to include in an obituary and how to help your loved ones understand what is most imp...

  • Free training, support for family caregivers

    Senior Voice Staff|Jul 1, 2019

    Support meetings allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. If you are helping a family member or friend by being a caregiver, learn what kind of help is available. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend. The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program is taking a break for July; its caregiver support meetings in Kenai, Soldotna and Sterling will return in August. Homer Family Caregiver meetings take place on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month...

  • Trade war and the cost of health care

    Lawrence D. Weiss, For Senior Voice|Jul 1, 2019

    Why has the cost of health care risen so dramatically in the United States during the last few decades? Could be mergers, buyout, and concentration of ownership in the industry world-wide – a new version of the old robber barons. Could be lax federal regulation of the cost of health care due to industry-influenced politics. Might include collusion and price-fixing among corporate players. Perhaps it involves the health care dynamics of an aging population. Maybe it is located in the very nature of capitalism itself – a consequence of the dri...

  • Annual Fairbanks Stand Down for Veterans, Aug. 17

    Senior Voice Staff|Jul 1, 2019

    Veteran Stand Down is an event providing supplies and services to homeless veterans, such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings and VA Social Security benefits counseling. Veterans can also receive referrals to other assistance such as health care, housing solutions, employment, substance use treatment and mental health counseling. It is a collaborative event, coordinated between local VA Medical Centers, other government agencies and community-based homeless service providers. This year’s Stand Down is Aug. 17 at the Pioneer Park C...

  • Social hour a pleasure for both kittens and admirers

    Laura Atwood, For Senior Voice|Jul 1, 2019

    What happens when you mix kittens and the residents of Providence Alaska's assisted living facility, Horizon House? You get the Kitten Social Hour! Kitten Social Hour had a humble beginning. An Anchorage Animal Care and Control (AACC) kitten foster mom, who also provides hospice care primarily to our homeless community was caring for a woman who often mentioned how much she missed her cat. Debbie asked AACC staff if she could bring one of her foster kittens to visit her client and we agreed it...

  • Kitchen table became a venue for international sharing

    Maraley McMichael, Senior Voice Correspondent|Jul 1, 2019

    Many diverse conversations took place at our kitchen table when my husband Gary and I lived in Slana, partly because we ran a bed and breakfast in an area of Alaska that is off the beaten trail, but also because we lived next to the largest National Park in the United States – Wrangell-St. Elias. One Sunday in June 2006 stands out in particular. We had fixed our specialty breakfast of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs and reindeer sausage and sat down to eat with our father-son guests. We d...

  • Championship chili in Anchorage

    Jul 1, 2019

  • Register now for Alaska International Senior Games

    Senior Voice Staff|Jul 1, 2019

    This year’s Alaska International Senior Games (AISG) will be held August 9-18 in Fairbanks, with the opening ceremony and gala games kicking off Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. at the Pioneer Park Civic Center. Since 2003, AISG has attracted participants from across the United States and several other countries to compete in everything from disc golf and road races to ice hockey and pickleball, among many other activities that cater to different levels of experience and fitness. There will be 60 events in 20 different sports, in all. The registration fee i...

  • Networking for Anchorage, Mat-Su area providers

    Senior Voice Staff|Jul 1, 2019

    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 Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The July meeting is July 10, hosted by Maxim Healthcare. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on these events...

  • Black Wolf Squadron lands in Nome

    Laurel Downing Bill, Senior Voice Correspondent|Jul 1, 2019

    The U.S. Army Service's famed "Black Wolf Squadron" planted its mark on Alaska history in 1920, when four biplanes flew across our northern skies in an attempt to prove the feasibility of long-distance air travel. The New York-to-Nome Alaskan Flying Expedition, as it was known, was comprised of a squad of four airmen with crewmembers flying wheeled DH-4 De Havilland biplanes. The crew left Fort Mitchell in New York bound for Fort Davis in Nome on July 15, to demonstrate that the United States co...

  • Terry Moore as Valentino's Lady in Black

    Nick Thomas, Tinseltown Talks|Jul 1, 2019

    Since her first film role in 1940, Terry Moore has appeared on the big screen in each of the subsequent eight decades. Recently celebrating her 90th birthday, the actress plays a lead role in the Vladislav Kozlov-directed period drama about silent film superstar Rudolph Valentino – Hollywood's first male sex symbol. "The film's called 'Silent Life' and I had 90 pages of dialog to learn," said Ms. Moore from her home in Santa Monica. "I feel it's one of the best roles I've ever had." Following V...

  • A government pension might reduce your Social Security benefits

    Jim Miller, Savvy Senior|Jul 1, 2019

    Dear Savvy Senior: As a teacher for 20 years, I receive a pension from a school system that did not withhold Social Security taxes from my pay. After teaching, I’ve been working for a small company where I do pay Social Security taxes. Now, approaching age 65, I would like to retire and apply for my Social Security benefits. But I’ve been told that my teacher’s pension may cause me to lose some of my Social Security. Is that true? - Ready to Retire Dear Ready: Yes, it’s true. It’s very likely that your Social Security retirement benefits...

  • Were you admitted as an inpatient?

    Kenneth Kirk, For Senior Voice|Jul 1, 2019

    Here’s an interesting question: The last time you were admitted to the hospital, were you admitted to the hospital as in inpatient? “Kirk, you’re crazy as a loon,” you might respond, “of course I was an inpatient the last time I was an inpatient. What else would I be?” But that wasn’t my question. You were admitted, given. But were you admitted as an inpatient? “I was,” you say, “and I have a plastic wristband to prove it. They kept me for several days, poked my arm for blood a bunch of ti...

  • Killing iTunes, dying PCs, and missing email

    Bob DeLaurentis, Senior Wire|Jul 1, 2019

    Q. A few weeks ago I read that Apple was killing iTunes. How will I load music onto my iPod? A. In early June there was a flood of dire sounding news about the end of iTunes. Let me put some of the more alarmist implications to rest. Apple is replacing iTunes with several applications. However, the iTunes app you have now will continue to work. iTunes is a very old app. By splitting the tasks it does into smaller pieces, the experience should be better for everyone. In the meantime, the current version of iTunes will continue to support users...

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