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Sheer canyon walls rose vertically on either side of the Colorado River as we approached the churning white water. Dick Griffith and I knelt on the floor of the inflatable raft, a position where we were less likely to be swept overboard. The next moment a cold wave crashed over us. I gasped for breath as one wave after another pummeled us. It felt like being flung around inside a washing machine not knowing which side was up. The raft was hung up on a rock with water pouring over the top. When...
Only six percent of centenarians say they wished they had more money. This is indeed surprising because most people don’t expect to live to age 100, so many have run short of retirement savings before reaching this advanced age. This small proportion who indicated they were okay financially was among the findings in a survey conducted last spring by the GFK Roper firm for UnitedHealthcare insurance company. Having a longer life doesn’t mean having a longer list of regrets either. When asked what these centenarians would have done differently if...
Older Persons Action Group held its annual meeting on Nov. 15, conducting general business and board member elections. Existing board members were re-elected, and a new member was added. Welcome Edgar Blatchford, associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Public Communications at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He also has taught journalism at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, owned and published the Seward Phoenix Log newspaper and served as mayor of Seward from 1999 to...
In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, email scams which solicit the wiring of money to stranded victims in the Philippines are surfacing. Better Business Bureau and the Alaska Attorney General warn willing donors to give cautiously over the next few weeks. “Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones in this devastating storm,” says Tyler Andrew, CEO of BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington. “However, it’s important for donors to understand that not all pleas for help are legitimate.” “I urge Alaskans who want to don...
As one of only 39 housing finance agencies across the country recognized by the federal Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) as Moving to Work, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) is announcing the first major overhaul of how public housing is administered statewide. “Families are staying in public housing much longer than they were a decade ago,” says AHFC CEO and Executive Director Bryan Butcher. “For every unit available, there are four families seeking assistance. Rent Reform is designed to support the increasing deman...
More than once have my well-intentioned suggestions for maintaining health been dismissed as not worth the effort. Even my wonderful mother, at 89 years, will sometimes say, “I don’t care if I live longer so stop telling me to exercise and eat right.” Other things I’ve heard are “we’ve all got to go some time” and “getting old is just a natural part of life so why resist it.” One of my latest suggestions to mom was that she improve her sleep. Living longer maybe isn’t the goal but living well while you are here certainly is worth some attentio...
Menopause, or change of life – as women become too old to bear children – can frequently be an agonizing and stressful time. But did you know there is male menopause? It’s one of the “most under-diagnosed” ailments among older men, according to Dr. Charles Cartwright of Urology Associates of Lake County, Florida. Cartwright is part of a group of central Florida urologists who have been trying to find new and better treatments for male menopause. He has diagnosed and treated hundreds of cases in his practice. As men age, their productio...
Time is running short December 7 is the last day you can change your plan for the Medicare drug program Part D, unless you are also on Medicaid or new to Medicare or need financial help. Some good news regarding Medicare costs The good news is that the 2014 Medicare premium, for those whose annual income is under $85,001, will be the same $104.90 and the Part B deductible will be the same $147 as in 2013. More about the insurance ‘Marketplace’ If you are on Medicare, Medicaid, TriCare, Ind...
If you need to sit down face-to-face with a certified Medicare counselor, there will be a “Last Chance Medicare Prescription Enrollment Clinic” at Providence Hospital in Anchorage, December 2 and 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The address is 3200 Providence Drive (Elevator A to HIM training room near the Subway sandwich shop). There also will be a clinic at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, December 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If those times don’t work for you, call the Medicare Information Office at 269-3680 in Anchorage or toll-free from anywh...
Most people take for granted the ability to communicate through speech and gesture. From birth, much of our life is dedicated to first acquiring the ability to speak, and then improving it through continual use. The “Matthews Effect” explains how the more you read the better your reading skills become. Repetition is the guiding light to learning to speak, as we learned as infants and has been reinforced throughout our lives. For a stroke victim, at a time when he or she is already disoriented and afraid, the loss or impairment of language is...
SENIOR VOICE STAFF A series of online trainings will be available beginning in January, sponsored by the Area Health Education Center (AHEC), UAA Office of Health Programs Development, and the Trust Training Cooperative. The series is a partnership with the Northwest Geriatric Education Center, and will offer 10 weeks of trainings from January 7 through March 11, to Alaska via virtual classroom on the Internet. The series is designed to give community-based providers working in the field of aging – physicians, nurses, physical and o...
Cranberries and chronic infections Go ahead and have an extra helping of cranberries over this holiday season. The latest studies show that cranberries pack a major nutritional punch and may help prevent chronic infections. In addition, researchers are now proposing the use of cranberry derivatives for preventing bacterial colonization in medical devices such as catheters. Cranberries are among one of the healthiest fruits and their history can be traced back to Native Americans who used to eat...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following meetings and trainings in December: Dec. 3, Caregiver training at Sterling Senior Center, 1 to 2 p.m., “Living Old: Modern Realities of Aging”. Dec. 10, Peer support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 11, Peer support meeting at Seward Senior Center, 1 to 3 p.m Dec. 23, Caregiver training at Kenai Senior Center, 1 to 3 p.m. “The Power of Forgiveness.” Dec. 31, Peer support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 to 3 p.m. Note: the Homer Support Group w...
Imagine your family is far away. Strangers bathe and dress you, but you’ve had a stroke, so it is hard to explain that your roommate is stealing your things. You’re a senior in a long term care home. You need someone to speak for you. You need an ombudsman. The best kind of ombudsman is the one who lives nearby and visits your home often. The ombudsman will get to know you and take the time to listen to your concerns. She or he can step in, with your permission, and work out solutions that mee...
Sitting in the Barrow Senior Center after lunch, Rossman Peetook of Wainwright looked back on his movie career with no trace of ego, something surely remarkable in an actor. "They were making movies here in Barrow in 1969, a Walt Disney movie, and they were looking for actors," said Peetook. "One preacher's wife came from Wainwright to Barrow, and said, 'there's a man you have to see,' and they sent for me." That started him off, and he went on to do three other Hollywood films. In 1970, he was...
Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski, Mark Begich and Congressman Don Young recently honored members of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and 32 other tribes from across the country for their critical service and unrecognized role as Code Talkers during both World Wars. Five Tlingit Code Talkers were the recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest Congressional honor, during a Nov. 20 ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. The Tlingit and Haida...
Jean Kaufman was named this year's Outstanding Volunteer in Philanthropy at the Association of Fundraising Professionals Alaska Chapter annual meeting Nov. 7 in Anchorage. Kaufman, 94, has volunteered for 54 organizations in Anchorage since she arrived in Alaska in 1953 and she continues sharing her time and resources throughout the community. She presented her award during the annual meeting luncheon and awards at the Hotel Captain Cook. For many years, Jean volunteered at a different...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will hold its quarterly meeting Dec. 11 and 12 in Anchorage. The first day will be an orientation for new commission members at the BP Energy Center, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Dec. 12, the meeting takes place at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. Public attendance is encouraged. Commissioners will hear presentations from and about senior service programs and agencies, including the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services; Senior Benefits program; Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education; A...
Felix Pedro joined the Klondike rush in 1898 from the Carbonado coalmines in Washington state. But his lucky number failed to come up, so he and Frank Costa, another Italian prospector, wandered over into the valley of the Tanana to prospect its streams and creeks. Deviled by mosquitoes, and forced at times to eat some of their dogs, they traveled through the wooded valleys, climbed the rugged hills and faced moose and grizzly bears. In July 1902, Pedro struck gold on a small stream just 24...
It's been called one of the most influential programs in the history of television drama. "The Twilight Zone," an anthology series that aired in the early 1960s, was created by Rod Serling (1924-1975), a veteran of radio and World War II. Both influenced his career as a writer. "When he returned from war in the Philippines, he went to college and wrote for the campus radio station," daughter Anne Serling recently recalled to me. "He later wrote plays for commercial radio, then television. He sai...
Dear Jonathan: Several years ago I purchased a 20-year term life insurance policy on my life with a death benefit of $3 million. The premiums were reasonable and since my wife and I had saved very little for retirement, I wanted to make sure that she was taken care of if I died first. Unfortunately, my wife passed away last year. Rather than let the policy lapse, I thought I would keep it in place for my children. I recently read an article, however, that said life insurance is taxable when the insured on the policy dies. What does this mean?...
Q. How can I upload a video from my iPhone or iPad to YouTube? Do I have to save it to my computer first and if so, in what format? A. If you create a video using your iPhone or iPad, you do not need to save it to a computer in order to place it on YouTube. Simply tap the Send button (the square with a little arrow), then tap the YouTube option. Q. Sometimes I long for the days of the floppy disc because they had labels on which I could write the disk’s contents. These days I use several USB flash drives which are too small to write anything o...
With Christmas fast approaching, have you finished your gift list, checked it twice and finished your shopping? Or do you still have some presents to buy? If you need ideas for what to get for folks who travel a lot for pleasure or business, a "gift of go" can be the perfect solution. Shopping is convenient, no further away than your telephone or computer. Whether scratching your head about what to buy for someone who visits a different Caribbean island every winter or for Aunt Matilda who's...
Put the president’s health care law aside, at least for now. Temporarily forget that the nation just went through the government shutdown ordeal. Get ready for the next crisis. It’s already on its way. Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill have until December 13 to reach an agreement to fix the nation’s budget woes. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., are coordinating a 29-member panel to reach consensus by that time. In short, the outlines of the probl...
