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Alaska’s Pioneer Homes are a vital part of our state's commitment to providing quality care for our aging population, particularly those with dementia and cognitive changes. With six homes located across Alaska, these facilities offer assisted living services to seniors, including those facing cognitive challenges associated with Alzheimer’s and Dementia Related Diseases (ADRD). The dedicated staff at Alaska Pioneer Homes work tirelessly to ensure residents receive compassionate care, enabling them to maintain dignity and quality of life throug...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc. Alaska Health Fair events offer a great opportunity to learn about important health topics in an informal setting. Attendees can receive free basic screenings, obtain information and resources, and have their questions answered by health, wellness and safety professionals. Health fairs are also a great way to connect with local health and wellness resources. Most importantly, events feature comprehensive, affordable blood tests. Obtaining blood screenings at health fairs is a great way to get quick, accurate results at...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following caregiver support group meetings in February. Meeting format is open discussion unless otherwise noted. Feb. 5. Kenai Senior Center, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 6 Tyotkas Elder Center (in Kenai), 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 7. Soldotna Senior Center, 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 12. Seward Senior Center, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 20 Sterling Senior Center, 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 25 Nikiski Senior Center, 1 to 2 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support so...
The Alaska Radon Program is giving out free radon tests through the end of February. Radon is a colorless, odorless cancer-causing gas that is commonly found in Alaska. With homes zipped up tight for warmth, winter is a good time to test for the gas. Alaska residents may request a test kit at https://bit.ly/4aBXglx. Click “Request a kit” in the “Alaska Resources” panel on the right. Kits are mailed via USPS or people can pick up in Fairbanks or Anchorage. Details on pick-up locations and times are in the kit request page. For more informa...
In September 2021, Kawerak Inc. was awarded $3.8 million in funding for Project Regional Educational Model for Online Technology Engagement from the Dept. of Education, Alaska Native Education Program (REMOTE). Project REMOTE's goal was to increase online learning opportunities over three years for 555 Alaska Native learners in the Bering Strait Region. Project REMOTE successfully advanced remote learning capacity by reducing the technology access gap for Alaska Native residents in the Bering...
By now most people are aware that we have a lottery in Alaska. However, I don't think that people are aware of how it functions and of the benefits it provides to local nonprofit agencies of Alaska. The income from Lotto Alaska goes to support nonprofit agencies and we at Nenana Senior Center count ourselves as blessed to have received help from the lotto at the beginning of September. We are a rural nonprofit, 501.c3 senior center and have been incorporated since 1978. We have seen years when the budget went a long way in meeting the needs of...
Every senior deserves dignity, respect and a voice. In long-term care facilities across Alaska, residents need dedicated advocates like you to ensure their rights are protected and their voices are heard. As a Long-Term Care Ombudsman volunteer, you'll build meaningful connections with seniors while serving as their advocate in assisted living homes and nursing facilities. We provide thorough training and ongoing support - your compassionate heart and willingness to serve are all you need to...
Few could say that they do not have memories of meals and specific foods-flavors, aromas, textures, conversations, family recipes, comforting familiar rituals and celebrations. Food is a connection to the past, to our families, identity and culture. In the expression "as American as apple pie," most of us understand the reference to patriotic values and our identity and most of us have a memory of making and eating a perfect apple pie. Legumes may not have risen to this type of distinction with...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following caregiver support group meetings in January. Meeting format is open discussion unless otherwise noted. Jan. 2 Tyotkas Elder Center (in Kenai) support meeting, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 3 Soldotna Senior Center, 1 to 2 p.m. Jan. 16 Sterling Senior Center support meeting, 1 to 2 p.m. Jan. 28 Nikiski Senior Center support meeting, 1 to 2 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. If you are helping a...
Editor's note: Al Clayton, who died in 2008, recounted his Alaskan truck driving experiences to his daughter, Maraley McMichael, in 2005. She has written and submitted the story in two parts. In November 1946, I was working at the Seward power plant when I received a phone call. My mother was dying in Dillon, Montana. After packing some clothes in a suitcase, I took a taxicab to the airport and flew from Seward to Anchorage on Christensen Airways. Once in Anchorage, I booked a flight to...
This coming year, the Fairbanks Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) will offer “Take Charge Tuesdays,” free monthly workshops on a variety of topics, starting with “Power of Attorney Documents: Who Needs One, Why They Matter, and What They Mean,” on Jan. 14. They will be held at the Fairbanks Senior Center, 1424 Moore Street, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Other topics in coming months will discuss advance care directives, assisted living, estate planning, behavioral health, hospice, how to manage benefits applications, and more. Organiz...
Known as the "Hostess of Fairbanks," Eva McGown dedicated her life to helping newcomers find shelter when housing shortages were the order of the day – particularly during World War II. Her empathy may have been due to her firsthand knowledge about the hardships and loneliness travelers faced on their quest to reach Alaska. Born Eva Montgomery in Northern Ireland in 1883, she had been communicating via letters with New York born Arthur Louis McGown, part-owner of the Model Café in the Golden He...
In December after an active spring, summer and autumn of physical activity, you wonder how to keep it together as another Alaska winter sets in. You could winter over in Hawaii (see deals in the travel column), but you don't have to go that far; exercise is as close as your nearest shopping mall or recreation center. Anchorage Dimond Center Mall is open for free mall walking on the first and second levels of the building, Hours are Monday through Saturday, a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following caregiver support group meetings in December. Meeting format is open discussion unless otherwise noted. Dec. 4 Kenai Senior Center, “Stronger Together” support group, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 5 Tyotkas Elder Center (in Kenai) support meeting, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 6 Soldotna Senior Center, 1 to 2 p.m. Dec. 19 Sterling Senior Center support meeting, 1 to 2 p.m. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend. For information or to offer sug...
For the first time ever, the Light the World Giving Machine is coming to Alaska. Disguised as a vending machine, it dispenses cheer by simply choosing one of the local non-profit organizations in the machine and depositing money. Actually, there will be two machines. "In case one goes down, you know electronics, and it can allow two people to donate at the same time. The lines can get long," said Fairbanks Senior Center Co-Director Angela Jones. This year for the 2024 holiday season, there will...
The Social Security Administration is hosting a webinar through Microsoft Teams on Dec. 11, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Social Security Public Affairs Specialist Nathan Cole will lead the workshop, “Social Security 101,” to explain Social Security benefits and eligibility. The webinar is free but registration is required. Register online at https://bit.ly/3CCUboo or scan the QR code to be directed to the site. Local offices emphasize appointment-based services The Social Security Administration (SSA) is expanding appointment-based services at its loc...
Senior Voice was recently recognized for excellence, winning eight awards in the annual contest sponsored by the North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA), a nationwide network of publishers focusing on boomer and senior readers. Awards were announced Sept. 11, 2024, at the annual NAMPA conference, held virtually online this year. Entries were independently judged by a panel including journalists, proofreaders, librarians and geriatric professionals. Senior Voice entries competed in Division A, for circulations below 25,000. Senior...
New steps are underway to improve the detection and management of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias among American Indian and Alaska Native elders. A $11.3 million dollar contract has been awarded to specifically train healthcare providers and support patients’ families in communities that have little access to such specialized care. The program will be led by Dr. Dedra Buchwald, a professor of neurological surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, and it is funded by the Indian Health Service (IHS). She and...
November is Diabetes Awareness month. Thanks to our partnership with the State of Alaska Dept. of Health (DOH), Alaska Health Fair, Inc. is making it easier than ever to check your blood sugar levels and learn about diabetes and pre-diabetes at health fairs. Diabetes occurs when your body struggles with insulin production or usage, leading to high blood sugar levels and potential complications. Pre-diabetes is a warning sign that your blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet at diabetes levels. Early detection and intervention can prevent...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following caregiver support group meetings in October. Meeting format is open discussion unless otherwise noted. Nov. 1 Soldotna Senior Center support meeting with presentation, “Holiday Dining with Dementia,” by Valerie Flake from Val’s Care Coordination, 1 to 2 p.m. Nov. 6 Kenai Senior Center, “Stronger Together” support group, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 7 Tyotkas Elder Center (in Kenai) support meeting, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 21 Sterling Senior Center support meeting, 1 to 2 p.m....
A unique program is underway in Fairbanks in which local police officers are learning to make beaver hats from Native elders, while learning about Native traditions and cultures. Hosted by the Interior regional non-profit elder organization Denakkanaaga, the sewing sessions are held over several weeks, with the result being a warm hat the officers can wear while on duty in the winter. Four officers are paired with four elders to make the hats in each session. This is the second round of the prog...
While workers completed the last portion of the Alaska-Canada Highway at Beaver Creek on Oct. 25, 1942, the idea to connect Alaska to the rest of the world was born many years earlier. Donald MacDonald, a locating engineer with the Alaska Road Commission, had dreamed for years of an overland coastal route to Alaska. It would run north from Seattle across British Columbia through the Yukon Territory to Fairbanks. MacDonald and a group of Fairbanks residents formed the International Highway...
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a global campaign to increase awareness about this prevalent disease. Breast cancer affects millions worldwide, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases diagnosed each year. Early detection, often through screening, significantly increases the chances of successful treatment and can save lives. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts in the cells of the breast. While it can affect both men and women, it's far more common in women. Regular self-examinations and routine screenings play a crucial...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following caregiver support group meetings in October. Meeting format is open discussion unless otherwise noted. Oct. 2. Kenai Senior Center, “Stronger Together” support group with Rachael Craig, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 3 Tyotkas Elder Center (in Kenai) support meeting, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 4 Soldotna Senior Center support meeting, 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 17 Sterling Senior Center support meeting, 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 29 Nikiski Senior Center, Cindy Harris from Alzheimer’s Assoc...
It is late August and despite the nip in the air as fall descends on Interior Alaska, 56 elders and emerging elders eagerly gathered to learn and share their traditional Native activities at the third Denakkanaaga Elders Mentoring Elders Cultural Camp. Held at the scenic Howard Luke Gaalee'ya Spirit Camp on the Tanana River, the elders joined together to celebrate Native traditions, values, stories and skills. "The camp is an opportunity to support elders who were disconnected from their...
