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The right to vote is preserved in Alaska for all eligible voters, even during these times of coronavirus pandemic. In other words, in order to vote, you do not have to go in person anywhere and potentially expose yourself to the coronavirus, to long lines, or to bad weather. You can vote by mail with the help of the U.S. Post Office, or you can vote via your email. You can also vote with the assistance of a human proxy referred to as a “personal representative” who is authorized to bring you a ballot and help you fill it out if you need ass...
We’ve been hunkered down for months, and people are wanting to get together. Do you go ahead with that birthday party, neighborhood potluck, concert or fun run? And if you do, what can you do to reduce the chances of getting sick or spreading COVID-19 among the guests? “The safest thing is for us to all be in a bubble and to not interact ever together, but that is also not how you live,” said Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer. “So what ways are we able to live and be meaningful and mindful, while minimizing the chances of making ot...
First, some good news. Do you feel the power, senior power? Well, OK, maybe we are a bit worn down at the moment from the stress of months of lockdown and fear of COVID-19, or maybe (speaking from personal experience) it’s nap time, but this might perk you right up: “With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day, the American labor force is transforming. Out of the 11.4 million jobs expected to be added to the U.S. economy by 2026, 6.4 million will be filled by workers over 55. Moreover, all of the net increase in employment since 200...
As the nation moves into whatever "reopening" the next phase of the COVID-19 challenge means, the pandemic's mark on American health will be a permanent one in good ways and unfortunate ones too. The nation is nowhere close to a vaccine or a cure despite president Donald Trump's hyper-ambitious "plan" to develop, manufacture and distribute a vaccine by the end of 2020. Most scientists suggested that the most "optimistic" potential for a vaccine would be at the end of 2021 and more likely it...
The YMCA of Alaska and Alaska Cancer Partnership have partnered to help care for current or past cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES program will offer services like grocery shopping, prescription pick-up, lawn work, and package delivery to individuals undergoing treatment for cancer, or who have received treatment within the past five years. The Alaska Cancer Partnership is a group of organizations and individuals working to bring resources and expertise together in an effort to help promote cancer prevention and control...
COVID-19 is caused by something so small we cannot even see it, a virus known as SARS-CoV-2. This virus is causing illness and death throughout the world, and it seems to be targeting our elders especially hard. According to the CDC, 8 out of 10 deaths reported in the United States have been adults age 65 and older. This is a tenuous time for grandmothers, grandfathers, older siblings, loved ones and neighbors. Great concern, appropriately so, exists for our elders that live in residential care facilities as well as those that live in...
Memory fires flickering? Fear not! Mushrooms may be one of the best natural lines of defense for a healthy brain and clear mind. Despite joking about losing our minds, phones, or forgetting why we went into the other room, diminishing mental clarity need not be synonymous with getting long in the tooth. So what can mentally declining elders do when brain power flickers and grows dim? We can blow on the coals of mental health with medicinal mushrooms, the latest trend to hit the health market....
Alaska Health Fair is closed for its traditional summer break from July 3 through July 12. The new Fall 2020 health schedule will be published shortly after that timeframe. Check out our website at www.alaskahealthfair.org for the dates being offered in your area of the state. The website will be updated as communities and worksites firm up fall events. You can also find our health newsletters, complete test roster descriptions and other announcements on the same site. In-office and, now, on-the-road appointments We have offered blood draw...
Having trouble signing up for Medicare Part B, Medical Insurance, in the midst of these trying times? The Social Security Administration (SSA) is the agency that handles the Medicare Part A and Part B enrollment and as you may know, SSA, like so many other agencies affected by the COVID-19 virus pandemic, has not been open to the public for face-to-face assistance. This has been particularly challenging to people who need to sign up for Medicare Part B, but prefer to do business in person...
Usually, I would start my article off by saying something like, “I hope you are doing well.” It’s not that I don’t hope you are doing well, but these days, hoping you are well doesn’t feel sufficient. There are some of you who are struggling financially due to COVID-19 and the loss of your job. Some of you are lonely and isolated. Some of you are disgusted at the racial injustice our country continues to face. I can speak for the entire staff at Hospice of Anchorage when I say that we are here for you during these times of unrest. Our offic...
Editor’s note: This schedule may change, due to coronavirus safety measures. Be sure to confirm with the host agency prior to visiting. With senior centers still closed, the Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold all peer support meetings in July at its new office location, 44539 Sterling Highway, Suite 202 in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna, and online via Zoom. Social distancing will be respected, and masks will be worn at the office meetings. This month’s discussion topic will be “Caregiver Wellness: How to Combat Isola...
We’ve all heard or even been told that getting old is something we have to live with and getting sick, feeble and diseased just comes with the territory. Well, I for one am going to fight it every step of the way and I am not going to settle for aging as an inevitability. Dr. Frank Shallenberger shares my philosophy or, maybe better said, I share his -- he’s more famous than me even though I might be a few years his senior. A pioneer in alternative and anti-aging medicine, Dr. Shallenberger claims that you don’t have to grow old biolo...
New identification of genetic basis of COVID-19 susceptibility will aid treatment Italian researchers are reporting that they have been able to identify the genetic basis of susceptibility to Covid-19 infection. This has important implications for treatment and drug development. The clinical presentation of COVID-19 varies from patient to patient and understanding individual genetic susceptibility to the disease is therefore vital to prognosis, prevention, and the development of new treatments....
Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska will present a free online webinar for caregivers and professionals, “Engaging People Living with Dementia,” on July 14 from noon to 1 p.m. The webinar will explore ways to create meaningful engagement for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. Continuing nursing credit available. Register online at https://bit.ly/3etS7xY or contact Amber Smith, 907-586-6044 or asmith@alzalaska.orgasmith@alzalaska.org....
During our first summer of trying to be self sufficient and live off the land, my husband, Gary, decided to keep honeybees. The year was 1974 and we lived 23½ miles out of Fairbanks on the Chena Hot Springs Road. Once he got the bee hive box situated near the edge of the woods, they needed little attention. One evening in late July, upon returning from a day in town, we noticed the hive box had been toppled over. Gary walked over to investigate and decided from the signs that a bear had...
With senior centers closed during the coronavirus pandemic, senior centers have been forced to make adjustments to their supported fitness programs, whether via ZOOM classes or taking activities outside into the open air. Fortunately, summer has arrived with blue skies, intermittent rain in some neighborhoods, and the aroma of leaves bursting with new life. Daily walking can bring new life to seniors, as they are now coming out of forced self-isolation, in search of reconnecting with their...
Chugiak-Eagle River Senior Center (CERSC) accepted a $25,000 donation from the organization's Foundation fund at a presentation June 4, with organizational staff and local leaders in attendance. "The Foundation's donation couldn't have come at a better time, especially with seniors facing hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic," CERSC Operations Director Darren Adams wrote in a press statement. "We will be able to use this donation in a multitude of ways, including helping procure a much-...
When the U. S. Army took over responsibility for administering Alaska in 1867, law enforcement found it had its hands full trying to stem the flow of liquor into the territory. Up until alcohol possession was legalized in 1899, smugglers brought their illegal brew into Alaska via whalers, fishing vessels, American and foreign ships and Indian canoes from both British Columbia and U.S. ports. Enforcement also had problems controlling the manufacture of "hootch," a name taken from the Tlingit...
Reassembling a dozen cast members from a popular 90s TV sitcom could pose a challenge for any network, much less an individual. But it was a task Fran Drescher relished. As the nasal-voiced star of the hit CBS series "The Nanny," Drescher co-created and co-produced the show along with then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson. "Peter came up with the reunion idea for fans stuck at home during isolation and I said right away let's do it if everyone in the cast is available," said Drescher from her home in...
What are the options for voting safely during this coronavirus pandemic? Join AARP Alaska for a telephone town hall with Lt. Governor Kevin Meyer and Director of Elections Gail Fenumiai to ask your questions about the upcoming election. What: A telephone town hall on voting safely, hosted by AARP Alaska When: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 22 Who: Lt. Governor Kevin Meyer and Director of Elections Gail Fenumiai How to participate: Call 855-286-0294 toll-free a few minutes before 10:30, or register to be called at www.vekeo.com/AARPAlaska....
Important update to my Social Security’s Representative Payee portal Millions of Americans who get monthly Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits need help managing their money and may need a representative payee. A representative payee is a person or an organization we appoint to receive the Social Security or SSI benefits for beneficiaries who can’t manage or direct the management of their benefits. Representative payees must know the beneficiary’s needs to decide the best use of benefits for care and well-...
Editor’s note: This press release was received June 22, 2020. With COVID-19 continuing to threaten communities across Alaska, ongoing Tlingit language revitalization efforts are particularly at risk. Many Tlingit culture camps and language study opportunities have been canceled or postponed this summer, and elders are more isolated from the communities with which they usually share their knowledge. In response, Sitka-based nonprofit organization Outer Coast is partnering with the Sealaska Heritage Institute to co-host Kashook’ Áa K?aa Ee Dult...
I can sum up the premise of today’s column in two words: philosophy matters. I’m not talking about Plato and Sartre and Descartes. I’m talking about the philosophy each of us brings to our work. Everybody has a philosophy for what they do. When you go to the doctor, she may have a philosophy of treating most infections aggressively with antibiotics, or she may have a philosophy of avoiding antibiotics unless they are absolutely necessary. If you use a tax accountant, he may tend toward aggre...
Q. How do I disinfect a smartphone or tablet? A. Manufacturers usually publish guidelines for their products, and you should follow them. The most common advice is to avoid using too much liquid by applying it first to a clean, lint-free cloth. Use a disinfectant solution that contains at least 70% alcohol. Never use bleach or similar strong chemicals. Products intended for cleaning screens do not disinfect, even if they contain alcohol. I usually use a pre-moistened alcohol hand wipe and wait a couple of minutes for any liquid to evaporate,...
Dear Savvy Senior: Can you recommend some simple devices that can help tech-challenged seniors with video calls? My 80-year-old mother has been isolating herself for months now in fear of the coronavirus and I haven’t been able to see her face-to-face in quite a while. - Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned: Video chatting is a great way to stay connected and keep tabs on someone when you can’t be there, but it’s even more important now during this pandemic as many isolated seniors are also suffering from chronic loneliness. To help connect you a...
