Articles from the October 1, 2017 edition
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 29
Anchorage voters to cast ballots by mail
Anchorage is transitioning to Vote by Mail elections. This is an exciting advancement for our local Anchorage elections. Vote by Mail jurisdictions keep regular voters engaged, encourage new voter participation, and capture fraud attempts by...
Upcoming events, projects at Older Persons Action Group
Directory for Older Alaskans new edition Older Persons Action Group is updating its popular “Directory for Older Alaskans” for a new edition. Be sure your organization or agency listing is correct or, if you are new, have your business listing add...
Analysis: Pensions in Alaska
I moved to Alaska in 1982 to take a job in a fledgling nonprofit organization. By 1988 I had blundered into a teaching position at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Among other benefits included with the job was a traditional pension. At the time,...
Nursing home abuse is vastly under-reported
More than 25 percent of possible sexual and physical abuse cases against nursing home patients were not reported to police, warns a new government audit. The Health and Human Services inspector general’s office issued an unusual “early alert” recen...
Employment scams increase during holidays
Holiday hiring is already underway and Better Business Bureau Serving the Northwest reports employment scams are trending up from last year. In 2016, more than 1,900 employment scams were reported to BBB Scam Tracker, resulting in more than $730,000...
Aggressive deportation tears family caregivers away
Aggressive deportation policies, like those that have been enacted since President Donald Trump's inauguration, tear families apart - including elders and the family caregivers they depend upon....
Preserving summer's bounty: Make your own jerky
Not very many years ago high-carbohydrate bars were the "go-to" for hikers and other athletes. Now, when I pick up snacks for the trail, the shelves are loaded with pemmican-like meat snacks or meat...
Part D Open Enrollment is quickly approaching
Fall is in the air! Time for pumpkin spiced treats, watching football, getting out our winter gear, putting on our studded tires, and for Medicare beneficiaries, it is time to review our prescription...
Health fairs in full swing in October
We are now in the middle of Alaska Health Fair’s fall 2017 health fair season, so check out one of our fast approaching October events. The health fairs offer free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable blood tests and o...
Hospice education, remembrance events in October
Many people know Hospice of Anchorage as a place that serves patients with life limiting illness and provides people with grief support, but Hospice of Anchorage also provides event and educational...
Getting a handle on prescription medications
Dear Savvy Senior: I’m concerned that my 80-year-old mother is taking too many medications. She currently takes 10 different drugs prescribed by three different doctors, which I think is causing her some problems. She also struggles to keep up w...
Extend the life of an older car (and driver)
Dear Savvy Senior: Do you know of any auto safety products that can help seniors with older cars? My 80-year-old father, who drives his beloved 2004 Toyota Avalon, is still a pretty good driver but he has limited range-of-motion, which makes looking...
Free training and support for family caregivers
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in October. This month’s meeting topic: “Proper Body Mechanics and Back Safety and the Art of Caregiving, Part One.” Oct. 3, Caregiver support meeti...
Promising news about coffee, lasers, arthritis
Laser zaps gum disease Dentistry is getting a little bit less invasive and less painful. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a minimally invasive laser, a tiny laser fiber about t...
Disaster preparedness seems more urgent each day
We saw the devastation from Hurricane Harvey and then monster storm Irma. It’s not just rain, wind and flooding that leads to a disaster, it’s also earthquakes, landslides and fires. You just never know when severe weather will strike, you never kno...
Elders, youth work together for active leadership
Sometimes, it's best to just sit down and talk. Ask tough questions, listen to the answers with an open mind, and share opinions about the future. Young and old, facing each other in a platform of...
A leader in fitness, advocacy and community
Joe Pichler is a lifelong Alaskan. His parents Norman Pichler and Barbara Henry were true pioneers in Alaska in many ways. Norman was involved in the Alaska Mountain Rescue group and avalanche...
Anchorage's public bus system has been a blessing
We used to have two cars until a few years ago when the 1992 Dodge Grand Caravan suddenly made loud clunking noises and stopped running – forever. On the one hand we were sad to see her go. My wife and I had lots of shared memories about taking t...
Summer's a wrap in Cooper Landing
We've had a great 2017 summer at Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corporation Inc. (CLSCCI) in spite of the often rainy weather (alas Eclipse Day 21 August was clouded in and raining). So great in fact...
Celebrating a special Alaska Day milestone
Every year, Sitka hosts the Alaska Day Festival, and 2017’s theme, "Sesquicentennial of the Treaty of Cession," marks the 150th anniversary of the transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States on Oct. 18, 1867. Starting Oct. 10, official g...
Cannons in Sitka link to Russian occupation
Four small cannons in Sitka, which started out in Unalaska, stand in testimony to Alaska's occupation by Russia and the subsequent transfer of Alaska to America 150 years ago. The Northern Commercial...
L.Q. Jones reflects on his Hollywood journey
For over 50 years, L.Q. Jones was a familiar supporting character actor in some 100 films and hundreds more television shows. Lanky, tough and athletic, he could tackle any role although was often...
Taking Social Security's temperature
For now, Social Security is in the black. In 2016 the Social Security Administration (SSA) took in income of $957 billion, which includes interest income. During the same year, it had total expenditures of $922 billion, adding $35 billion to its asse...
Ever wished you could work from home?
It used to be a rare thing to meet someone who worked from home and actually made a decent income. Some people say they could never do it. They’re not self-starters. They can’t deal with the distractions. They’d feel like they were always at work....
Social Security questions answered by the experts
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Oct. 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior C...