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Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 5.9 percent in 2022, the Social Security Administration announced in October. The 5.9 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 64 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2022. Increased payments to approximately 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2021. (Note: Some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits). The Social Security Act ties the...
Older Persons Action Group will hold its 2021 annual membership meeting virtually on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 12:15 p.m. The board business meeting starts at 11:30 a.m., followed immediately by the membership meeting. Due to COVID concerns, meetings will be conducted online via the Zoom web platform. Attendance will require a Zoom log-in link, provided by email to those who RSVP no later than Nov. 16. To RSVP, call 276-1059 or 1-800-478-1059, or email admin@opagak.com. Senior Voice wins awards Seni...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Nov. 9, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s topic is: “Time for a Trip to the Brain Gym,” with presentation and discussion of the “Mind Aerobics” program offered by Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska. Mind Aerobics Project Director Ken Helander will describe how the program is a “systematic workout for the mind,” exercising six specific...
It appears the sky may soon be the limit on campaign donations in Alaska. In the case Thompson v. Hebdon, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently struck down three provisions of Alaska law. With the chief justice dissenting, the two-judge majority overturned the $500 per-year limit on the amount of money an Alaskan can contribute to an individual candidate; the $500 per-year limit on contributions to a particular political group; and the $3,000 per-year limit on the amount of money a candidate can accept from all out-of-state donors...
During 2020, while COVID-19 was raging across the nation, my tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, N.C., took intense measures early on, shutting down the Qualla Boundary (our tribal lands), implementing mass testing, contract tracing and case isolation. Tribal leaders and elders feel a sense of urgency about preserving the culture and language, as was demonstrated during the worst of the pandemic when Native language speakers were prioritized to receive the vaccine by some...
This year’s early snowfall was a reminder that winter is on its way. Alaskans are moving fast to put on snow tires and dig out ice scrapers. Time to winterize and immunize. Now is a great time to get your annual flu shot – and your COVID-19 vaccine – if you haven’t done so already. The goal is to protect Alaskans as quickly as possible, to help drive down our COVID-19 cases and prevent the flu before it begins circulating widely in our communities. Last year, Alaskans did a great job of getting their flu shots before the end of October as reco...
Fall is a wonderful time of year for celebrating family traditions and holidays, which definitely incorporate food. However, it is becoming more and more common to have a family member or friend with life-threatening food allergies, which need be avoided. What is a food allergy? A food allergy is a medical condition in which an exposure to a food can trigger a harmful immune response. These responses can range from mild (itchy mouth, a few hives) to severe (throat tightening, difficulty...
As you may know, Original Medicare Part B covers 80 percent of the cost of most health care needs. But what about the remaining 20 percent, or even the other out-of-pocket costs like deductibles or copayments? This is where supplemental insurance plans, also known as Medigaps, help to bridge the difference in costs. For some who already have other health insurance, such as for some company retirees, you are already adequately covered. For others, Medigaps can really help. Understanding Medigaps...
Alaska Health Fair is almost at the end of our fall event schedule – please consider attending one of our final events: Nov. 6 Upper Susitna Wellness Fair at Talkeetna Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 13 St. Johns Community Fair in Anchorage, 8 a.m. to noon. This will be the last fall event in Anchorage. We’re finished with fall community and worksite health fairs in Fairbanks, but will continue with office draw services on a few November and December dates – please see our website event schedule for more information. Our offices will...
Sonic waves for clearing coronary arteries Some heart centers around the country now are using novel lithotripsy technology to treat coronary blockages. This new technology is known as intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) and it’s based on the lithotripsy technology used to break up kidney stones. Shockwave technology delivers sonic waves to break-up problematic calcium, allowing the blocked artery to safely expand while restoring blood flow through a stent implant. As coronary artery disease p...
We Alaskans are a hardy bunch. Many of us tackle tough situations on our own. Some of us navigate challenges with family or friends by our side. And sometimes a common condition arises that brings us all together as a community and a state. The impact of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) is, now more than ever, one of those unifying conditions. Alaska Native and leading dementia researcher Dr. Jordan Lewis (Unangax, Native Village of Naknek) offers a unique cross-cultural...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program has moved into a new office located at 35477 Kenai Spur Highway, Suite 205 (located in the 4D Professional Building). You can call them at 907-262-1280 or email kpfcsp@soldotnaseniors.com. Caregiver support group meetings will be held at the following locations in November. This month’s activity will be playing bingo, with caregiver appreciation gifts provided. Bingo is from 1 to 2 p.m., with support group meetings following, 2 to 3 p.m. Nov. 3 Sterling Senior Center, Nov.12 Soldotna S...
Q: Today I read about a San Francisco couple who had $363,000 stolen from their bank accounts by their caregiver. How do I protect myself so this doesn’t happen to me? A: I read about that incident too, and can understand why you are concerned. On the Federal Bureau of Investigation website the agency reports that each year millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud. With an older adult population growing proportionally larger compared to other generations, and l...
Walking is a great way to get around and to get exercise, especially as we age. You can follow the tips below to stay safe when walking. This is very important during Alaska's dark winter months, when roads may be slick, you're less visible, and more likely to be hit by a car. Wearing items that make you more visible, such as reflective tape, is an easy way to help drivers see and avoid you in the dark. To help all Alaskans be more visible on the road, Center for Safe Alaskans is giving out...
I am talking about the traditional pension, the kind of pension that allows you to retire with dignity. The kind of pension that pays a retirement income based on your salary and the number of years you’ve worked for the employer. This is known as a “defined benefit pension.” I am not talking about dodgy, relatively new-fangled retirement schemes such as 401(k)s, which are hardly more than savings accounts. On the one hand, a traditional pension is financially the most secure type of retirement. On the other hand, it is on its way to becoming t...
The transportation options this winter around Alaska are expanding and more user-friendly than ever before. Senior Voice will be looking at different transportation systems and schedules this winter. In Anchorage, People Mover is a division of the Municipality of Anchorage’s Public Transportation Department (PTD) and is the largest public transit provider in the State of Alaska. It connects the community with transportation options, emphasizing customer service while providing economic, social and environmental benefits. The first buses r...
One November many years ago my son taught me something about how the streams of love and loss flow through our family. It was the day our dog died, an eight-and-a-half-year-old Springer spaniel named Bandit. Before school that morning, we discovered she had spent the night on the front porch, not moving to her doghouse to sleep as usual. Immediately I wondered what was wrong, and when I went to check, she didn't seem to be able to move by herself. I took her to the Wasilla Veterinary Clinic righ...
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will sponsor a lecture series on Southeast Alaska Native history in November in honor of Native American Heritage Month. All lectures will be live streamed on SHI’s YouTube channel at noon Alaska time. Visit https://bit.ly/3GkBm6G. Some of the talks will also be available in-person to attendees who show proof of vaccination cards. Space is limited to half capacity of SHI’s clan house because of COVID-19 concerns. Here is the schedule: Nov. 2, “Tlingit Society and the Crucible of Contact, 1741-1867,” by Stephen...
Anchorage's first mayor, elected on Nov. 29, 1920, bore the responsibility of governing a railroad town of 1,856 people after five years of Alaska Engineering Commission management ended. When Judge Leopold David became Anchorage's mayor, he helped the new city council develop ordinances to provide law and order. They included establishing a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for youth under 16, setting a speed limit of eight miles per hour in town and outlawing spitting in public places. David, an...
Best known for her extensive television career that includes starring roles in shows such as "Falcon Crest," "Castle" and "Dharma and Greg," Susan Sullivan is always keen to offer advice to others and that includes sharing with seniors her family's experience with health issues. "Exercise!" she declared from her home in Los Angeles. "I'm 78, and about five years ago Connell (her longtime partner) was suffering from back issues and we began a program of high-intensity interval training. A lot of...
Many of you for years have had your tax returns prepared by Jan Watson, AARP Foundation Tax Aide Anchorage coordinator. She was a familiar face at the AARP State Office and Anchorage Senior Activity Center. Jan took a well-deserved retirement this year and moved to the Lower 48. I was asked, and agreed, to fill her role. These will be big shoes to fill, and I am still on my learning curve. I have been with the program for eight years, and have prepared returns at most sites in Anchorage. I have coordinated the Spenard Recreation Center site...
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, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, the monthly event currently meets virtually online via Zoom. The November meeting is Nov. 10, hosted by the Palliative Care Alaska Network. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on...
Lots of people get living trusts. For many folks, they’re a better way to avoid costs, disputes and delays when they shuffle off this mortal coil, as opposed to just having a will (or nothing at all) and going through probate. And most of these trusts are revocable. That means that if the person or couple who created the trust wants to change it later, or even cancel it completely, they can. That makes it a very flexible type of arrangement. Circumstances changed? Just change the trust. O...
Q. What is the latest information on the Windows 11 upgrade? A. Since I wrote about it last month, the picture is much clearer. Windows 11 will be available on October 5. Moreover, thanks to Microsoft’s refreshed PC Health Check app, you should be better equipped to determine if your PC supports the upgrade. Unlike the confusion surrounding the early version of the tool, the version pre-released a few weeks ago will report reliably if your PC can handle Windows 11. Best of all, if your PC cannot run Windows 11, it will provide guidance for e...
The big storm that blew through Southeast Alaska on Oct. 1 sure played havoc with my travel plans. On a Friday night the winds blew at storm force and it rained pell-mell all night long. Although I checked the night before for notices on the Alaska Marine Highway System website for a cancellation, there was none. But on Saturday morning, a friend who was out of town emailed the inevitable - canceled. How to get out and make my flight from Juneau to Boston on Tuesday? A short break in the weather...
