Articles from the December 1, 2019 edition
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 30
Yes, you can survive the holiday season
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Dec. 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. This month’s...
Goldstein joins OPAG board; officers named
Longtime Anchorage attorney Beth Goldstein has joined the Older Persons Action Group, Inc. board of directors. The board unanimously voted her in at its Nov. 21 meeting. Goldstein has extensive...
Better care? Lower costs? Better value?
The Trump administration has proposed to overhaul decades-old Medicare rules that were originally meant to counter self-dealing and financial kickbacks among medical providers such as hospitals, clinics and doctors. But the administration says these...
Here's a checklist for your retirement
It will have a huge impact on your life. Maybe it’s a few years away, and maybe it’s just around the corner. No matter when you anticipate retirement, it can be overwhelming. Ease into it with a checklist. Here are a few suggestions. Retirement b...
Thank you and happy holidays from Alaska Health Fair
Alaska Health Fair staff want to wish you a wonderful, happy and safe holiday season, and a great start to 2020. Thank you for providing generous support for our non-profit during a very busy 2019. We ask that you help us to greet an amazing (and...
Partnering with churches to help family caregivers
When Altrice Ward’s 82-year-old mother was hospitalized after falling for the third or fourth time, Ward knew she had to face an uncomfortable reality: Her mother could no longer live on her own. So, despite holding down a full-time nursing job,...
Networking for Anchorage, Mat-Su area providers
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 (formerly known as the Interagency...
Why the risk of heart attack rises in winter
Dear Savvy Senior: I've read that people with heart problems need to be extra careful during the winter months because heart attacks are much more common. Why is this? -- Cautious Senior Dear...
How do I choose a Medicare plan for 2020?
Have you seen all of the advertising for Medicare Plans? It seems like the TV waves are inundated with commercials about Medicare this time of year. And there is lots of talk about new benefits, free...
The gross allowances of bug materials in our food supply
As the holidays approach each year, a lot of people start off the season with Halloween trick-or-treating events. I used to do that too, even decorating the house a little bit. But today I’m not really fond of skeletons and morbid spiders and...
Training for mental health first aid
Most people have heard of First Aid and CPR to address physical distress, but what happens when someone is exhibiting signs of emotional or mental distress? The Alaska Training Cooperative (AKTC) is providing a groundbreaking public education program...
Visit the Memory Café in Wasilla
Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska will present the monthly “Memory Café” event Dec. 17, at the Wasilla Senior Center, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Held the every third Tuesday in Wasilla, the Memory Café offers an opportunity for people living with dementia...
Training, support and a party for family caregivers
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will not hold any regularly scheduled meetings in December. They will host a Christmas party at the Soldotna Senior Center on Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. The event is a potluck, so bring...
Traveling for the holidays?
There are plenty of physical and mental stressors involved in holiday travel for people of any age. For seniors, long drives, train rides, or flights can pose specific challenges. No matter the mode of transport, sitting for extended periods of time...
Better food choices, smartphone data may improve health
Smartphone data may help surgery patients New uses for smartphone data are continually emerging, and the area of surgical care is no exception. In a new study presented at the American College of Surg...
Save money while you help save the planet
I am so bummed. I’ve prided myself in how little we toss into the trash compared to our recycling bin, following the rules on the lid. We pack cloth grocery bags, reuse and recycle plastic bags, and often remember to bring our own reusable plastic...
Social Security and name changes
If you’re changing your name, it’s important to let Social Security know so we can update the information we maintain, send you an updated Social Security card, and ultimately ensure we pay you accurate benefits when you retire or if you become...
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 in December: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Dec. 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon....
Resource Center serves Southeast Alaska seniors
Alaska's vast geographic space dictates more than its beauty-- in the case of the statewide Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) it determines access and the providing of services for...
Christmas was truly special in Alaska
As a child in Anchorage, Seward and then Glennallen, I remember many magical Christmases. Then, in third grade, I got into a big argument with another student about Santa. I was devastated after a...
Juneau senior survey is underway
The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Commission on Aging recently started its fourth decennial senior survey for the Juneau area. Local residents age 55 and older are encouraged to participate, as the survey is conducted only once every 10 years and...
Alaska Commission on Aging meets Dec. 11
The Alaska Commission on Aging quarterly board meeting will be held on Dec. 11 and will be accessible by videoconference and teleconference. Topics that will be included during the meeting will be program reports from the Division of Senior and Disab...
Stories on stage at the Anchorage Museum
The Anchorage Museum will continue its series of “Storytelling Saturdays Theatre” through the winter, including two performances in December. Learn about the local community’s many cultures during these family-friendly, live performances of...
Dancehall girls mine prospectors
During the Klondike Gold Rush, Dawson's dancehall girls offered prospectors a welcome diversion from their grueling, lonely days of digging in the sub-arctic tundra. "The sourdoughs lay on their...
A Lassie Christmas with Jon Provost
BDuring the seven years Jon Provost starred as little Timmy Martin in the CBS TV series "Lassie" from 1957 to 1964, several end-of-year Christmas episodes aired. Most still stand out in Provost's...