Articles from the December 1, 2021 edition
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COVID vaccinations save lives, study confirms
Vaccination is more than 90% effective at preventing deaths from the Delta variant of COVID-19, according to the first country-level data on mortality. Researchers found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 90% effective and the Oxford-AstraZeneca...
Different vaccine mandates for long term care workers
The Biden administration recently rolled out several steps toward getting more Americans vaccinated with two different new rules covering more than 100 million workers and specific guidelines for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The...
'Wish of a Lifetime' at Age Smart forum, Dec. 14
“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. 14, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. T...
OPAG elects officers for coming year
Older Persons Action Group, Inc. (OPAG) held its annual membership meeting on Nov. 18 and the following board officers were elected: Dylan Webb, president; Gail Opalinski, vice president; Joan Haig, treasurer; Yvonne Chase, secretary. Other board...
Stop the corporate Medicare money-grab
As a primary care doctor, I believe Alaskans must understand that a critical portion of our Medicare dollars is bleeding away into privately held corporations, which inherently value profits over people. Recently, Direct Contracting Entities (DCEs) h...
Disclosing huge campaign contributions is not enough
After the 2020 election in Alaska the hidden backstory came out: GCI donated $100,000 to the national Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), which gave $380,000 to the Alaska Council on Good Government, which launched late-in-the-campaign...
American Indians have the highest COVID vaccine rate
In May 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Twitter that its COVID-19 data tracker now displays U.S. vaccination progress by race and ethnicity. The tracker,...
Alaska Health Fair finishes another year serving Alaskans statewide
The Alaska Health Fair office in Fairbanks will hold blood test draws by appointment on Dec. 4, 7 and 8. Register early, as they are filling up fast. All our offices are closed from the third week of December until the start of 2022. We will reopen t...
What vaccines does Medicare pay for?
Preventive healthcare is care you receive to prevent illness, detect medical conditions, and keep you healthy. Medicare covers many preventive healthcare services, including vaccines. Today I will dis...
Concern for a loved one's medication use
Q: I have been watching the TV series “Dopesick” about opioid addiction. How do I talk to my mom‘s doctor about whether or not the medication she is on needs to be adjusted as she ages? A: This is a...
Breast cancer vaccine; organs from pigs; vitamin D
A breast cancer vaccine is becoming a step closer to reality. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic are studying a vaccine for preventing triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive and lethal...
Misconceptions about time and aging
“Time and tide wait for no man,” is an ancient proverb that appears especially relevant to the aging process. However, time by itself it cannot affect living functions, behaviors or organic changes. This distinction is important. If time were the...
Resources to stay safe and comfortable in your vehicle
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is holding Older Driver Safety Awareness Week December 6-10. According to the Center for Disease Control, the ability to drive can be affected as we age. Older drivers are also more likely to be in...
6 little-known stories about Pearl Harbor
Eighty years later, the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor remains significant as one of only a few times the United States has been attacked by a foreign adversary on its own soil. The tragedy of the attack came not only in the loss of over...
Free training, support for family caregivers
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program office is 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. The program will hold...
Tips for family caregivers during the holidays
During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, many caregivers can become overwhelmed physically and emotionally. Jane Felczak, RN, a family caregiving expert, offers these practical tips to help caregivers make it through the holidays without losing...
There's no shortage of scams this holiday season
Most holiday scams are just variations on scams we see year-round, but scammers will ramp up their efforts and tailor their fraud to holiday activities during this time of year. Online shopping Scammers target shoppers looking for bargains by...
Senior ride services on the Kenai, Kodiak
Traveling in the dark can be treacherous this time of year, but now many transportation systems are being kicked into motion. The COVID-19 pandemic left many stranded at home for weeks and months at...
Shopping sprees were rare and memorable
One winter while living in Slana, a couple months after our devastating 2002 Denali Fault earthquake, I took a two month leave of absence from my school aide job, and my husband, Gary, and I drove...
Exhibit shares stories of Alaskan women fighting cancer during the pandemic
Think life during the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard? Imagine what it’s been like for Alaskans who have been fighting cancer. Add the terrifying experience of chemotherapy, radiation and being immune-compromised during a pandemic to the list of o...
Alaska's island of mystery
Capt. James Cook reported seeing a tall, sail-like rock about 60 miles west of Dutch Harbor in 1778. Unbeknownst to him and his crew, a 6,000-foot volcano lay beneath the conical mountain and its...
Claude Jarman Jr. recalls family classic, "The Yearling"
Premiering in Los Angeles a few days before Christmas 75 years ago this year, "The Yearling" depicted the post-Civil War Baxter family struggling to survive in the backwoods of Florida....
Who's gonna drive you home?
Many of our Senior Voice readers will remember Ric Ocasek. He was the lead singer of a band called The Cars which had quite a few hits in the late 70s and early 80s. And if you were paying attention...
Installing Windows 11; Last minute gifts; Keeping devices connected
Q. I was able to install Windows 11 on my PC. What should I do now? A. Move that Start button back where it belongs! The Start button has been at the bottom left of my screen for decades, and that is where I think it belongs. To move it, right-click...
