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Alaska’s seniors play a vital role in shaping the future of our state, and the Alaska Commission on Aging wants to hear directly from you. If you are age 55 or older, your input is needed as we begin developing the next four year Alaska State Plan for Senior Services—the roadmap that guides how the state supports older Alaskans. Every four years, the Commission gathers feedback from older residents across Alaska to understand what matters most to them as they age. Your responses help identify priorities for senior services and inform how the st...
If you've noticed that sleep isn't what it used to be, you're in good company. Many older adults find themselves waking earlier than they would like, getting up several times a night, or lying awake wondering why they can't fall back asleep. Friends often reassure them that "It's just part of getting older." This statement is not entirely true. Healthy aging can bring changes in how we sleep, whether we like it or not. Research shows that men tend to start having problems with their sleep after...
Dear editor, My name is Desiree. I'm 33 years old, but I am a social work student, and I care about the senior community. I am disabled because of a tumor that left me paralyzed from the chest down when I was 3. I use a wheelchair full time and have been on and off work over the years due to cancer and other life events. Long story short, I have lived alone in low-income housing for seven years and many of my neighbors are seniors. Although the idea of getting into low-income housing sounds fabulous, especially if you are only getting Social...
Even though I grew up on the fringes of Hollywood, I don't remember my high school companions yelling the iconic good-luck phrase among actors, "Break a leg!" Not even in acting class. How is breaking a leg a stroke of good fortune? I suppose we didn't say it to each other because we did not appreciate the finer points of black humor. During World War I German fighter pilots wished their fellow pilots good luck by saying a phrase translated as, "May you break your neck and leg." I am sure there...
Q: Recently, several of us at our assisted living home observed a very upsetting medical emergency involving a resident. Since then, I’ve been having recurring nightmares. I am worried that these bad dreams will never stop. What can I do? A: Know that what you are feeling is completely normal. Witnessing a medical crisis can be frightening, and your mind is simply trying to process that stress while you sleep. You went through a scare, and it makes sense that your evenings are feeling less t...
When a loved one's brain starts to unravel, it can really throw you through a loop. Here was a person you relied on for sage advice and it seems as if the next minute, they've become childlike. And it is also the day you realize you are now the adult in the family. Learn about the stages First off, educate yourself on the different stages of the diseases. This will help you from feeling overwhelmed, confused, and angry. It may also make you feel too connected with your own mortality and make...
Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, is the part of Medicare that covers most outpatient prescription drugs. Part D is offered through private companies as a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) for those enrolled in Original Medicare. Sometimes a Part D plan’s costs change or the plan no longer covers your medication(s). Today I will discuss how you can review your current plan, or choose to enroll in a new Part D plan. The goal is to ensure you have the lowest cost coverage t...
In Alaska, distance has always been part of life. We measure it in miles of highway, hours on the water and flights between communities. We know what it means to live somewhere where the nearest specialist, hospital or service may be hundreds of miles away. We also know what it means to depend on one another. For an Alaskan family navigating Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, those distances can suddenly feel much greater. The changes may have started slowly. A parent begins...
A promising new test could one day act like a health radar, spotting multiple cancers and organ diseases early from a single vial of blood. Investigators are now reporting that they have developed a blood test designed to detect multiple cancers. It can pick up cancer signals from 17 broad cancer types, such as ovarian, lung, breast and colorectal cancers. Today, many of these lack adequate screening tests for early detection. Cancer blood tests are one of the many tools that healthcare...
The road ahead looks wet, but it's not. That's ice, as smooth as glass. The first clue is when your steering wheel suddenly feels light in your hands. Winter comes to Alaska's roads before the calendar says it should. By the end of October, the pavement starts playing tricks on you. There are steps you can take to make driving safer. Start with your car. A battery that worked fine in July can fail when it's 20 below zero. Check your tire pressure, wiper blades, washer fluid, antifreeze, belts,...
The USS Ted Stevens, an advanced Navy destroyer, was commissioned Oct. 3 in Whittier amid much fanfare. The vessel, technically a DDG 128, is one of the newest Advanced Arleigh Burke Class (Flight III) Guided Missile Destroyer. Sen. Stevens represented Alaska as one of the longest-serving senators in history. He died in 2010 in a plane crash near Dillingham, less than two years after leaving office. Before his political career, Stevens was a decorated World War II aviator. He supported the Flyin...
On a cloud-covered, chilly day in late September, a group of seniors gathered in the men's chapel at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission. We were hosted by Sarah Russell, assistant shelter director. Six of the seniors were participants in the community service employment program called MASST (Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training). Funded by the federal Department of Labor and administered by the Alaska Department of Labor, MASST recruits low-income seniors, 55 and older, to volunteer for 20 hours a...
Fifty years ago this month, Alaskans voted to establish the Alaska Permanent Fund, supporting annual dividend payments from oil revenues to residents of the state. It was the culmination of one visionary governor with a bush pilot's boldness and a homesteader's practicality who tried to ensure Alaska's black gold would benefit Alaskans for generations. The seeds for Gov. Jay Hammond's efforts were sown in 1969, when Alaska received a $900 million windfall from the Prudhoe Bay oil lease sale. Ast...
It was not exactly an easy drive to reach Cape Flattery. From my home in the Southeast to this furthest northwest corner of the continental United States, the trip was roughly 2,800 miles-one way. If driving nonstop, that translates to around 45 hours behind the wheel. (If driving from Anchorage, it's about the same distance). The final 20 miles or so from Sekiu, a gorgeous small fishing village overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Canada beyond, may give your passenger a few heart...
Winning a gold medal in the Olympics is a big deal. It's an even bigger deal when you’re in a sport where nobody pays much attention except during the Olympics. Like, for instance, target shooting. So let me take you back to 2004. Matthew Emmons, an American shooter, was competing for gold. He was well ahead and on his last shot, all he had to do was hit anywhere on the target, which should have been easy for him. And he hit a target all right. The problem is he aimed at the wrong target and h...
The Thanksgiving Blessing is an annual event organized by the Food Bank of Alaska that provides boxes of holiday food for needy families. Several other organizations participate in helping with distribution and hundreds of volunteers lend time to the effort. This year, food boxes are available in three Alaska cities. To donate to the Food Bank of Alaska, go to https://bit.ly/4zm12e6. It costs $40 to feed a family. To volunteer, go to https://foodbankofalaska.org/individual-vo...
Established in 1968, OPAG is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to improving services, developing programs, educating, promoting and implementing changes to help Alaska seniors live healthy, productive lives. Current programs: - publish the monthly Senior Voice newspaper - publish and distribute the Directory for Older Alaskans senior resource directory - provide information and referral services for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Health Care Act and other senior issues - organize monthly Providers' Breakfast...
Dear Savvy Senior, I’m on Medicare. What changes are coming in 2027, and how can I make sure I’m not paying too much for my coverage? - Careful Shopper Dear Careful, If you have Medicare, now’s a good time to make sure you’re getting the best coverage for your money. Open enrollment runs through Dec. 7, giving you a chance to switch Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plans for 2027. Since costs, drug coverage and extra benefits can change from year to year, comparing plans now could save you money and headaches later. Even if you’re...
In our line of work, we hear a lot of thank yous. Not to us, but to the person who has passed. A daughter thanks her father for teaching her to drive on an icy road. A friend thanks a friend for showing up, year after year, without being asked. A husband thanks his wife for forty years of patience. These are some of the most honest words a person will ever speak. And most of them are being said for the first time. That is the quiet heartbreak of a funeral. The room is full of gratitude, and the one person who most needed to hear it is no...
With gas and groceries costing more in Alaska, you might be trying to make some extra income. Then a text arrives offering a remote job with good pay and full benefits. The timing is so perfect that you may overlook a red flag: you never applied. Before you reply, it's worth knowing what a fake job text looks like, how these scams work, and how to check whether an offer is real. What does a fake job text look like? A fake job text often promises Alaskans more than it explains. You may see generous pay, flexible hours or remote work, but few...
Perseverance Theatre, the regional theater based in Juneau that regularly offers productions in Anchorage, is producing Marisela Treviño Orta's "Wolf at the Door" in Anchorage Nov. 27-Dec. 13. The play will be produced at UAA's Fine Arts MainStage Theatre. Perseverance is teaming with Arciniega Street Productions, a local queer and Latina-owned boutique production company that specializes in cultural arts and queer entertainment. In recent years, Perseverance has produced more Alaska-centric...
If you meet Ron Clarke, he'll regale you with entertaining stories from his many years as the morning host and announcer on public radio in Fairbanks, or the years he spent in state government, or the ways he spends his days now, often with just his two dogs at his home in Chickaloon. "I can go days and days without talking to another person," he said. This might be true, but he's a natural storyteller, a sponge for information, and remarkably friendly. He moved to Alaska after completing his...
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced last month a 3.6% benefit increase for 2027. Social Security benefits include Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by $75 per month. Nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries will see the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) beginning in January 2027. Increased payments to about 7.3 million people receiving SSI will begin on...
Nov. 1 National Although Daylight Saving Time is not used across the country, it ends in states that do use it today. Nov. 1-2 International Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos (sometimes you'll see it as Día de Muertos, which is more traditional), is a Mexican commemoration of departed ancestors. It coincides with the Christian All Saints and All Souls feast days, which are Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, respectively. Researchers are divided about whether it derives from Indigenous Mexican practices, o...
