Sorted by date Results 1085 - 1109 of 2084
Q. How do I show my medical information on my smartphone’s lock screen? A. Both Android and iPhone support storage of personal medical information and emergency contacts, accessible even when phones are locked. In an emergency, your phone can communicate vital information to a first responder if you prepare it beforehand. Here is how: On Android, the feature is called Emergency Information and it...
Editor's note: This story appears in the Senior Voice Health and Fitness section, Jan. 2020, however the text is incomplete, due to a layout error. We apologize for the error and here it is in its entirety. Tylenol with codeine makes my occasional migraines bearable. I use them sparingly, always cognizant of the dangers of opioids. More than that, I am beyond grateful that I don’t have to endure the chronic pain that can be a real problem for our age group. Which is worse, the pain or the cure? Opioids weren’t always reviled. The powerful cla...
Part one of a three-part series. In my experience you have not been able to find a book or even a website in the state of Alaska that comprehensively lays out the concerns, aspirations and plans for the future of Alaska seniors — but now you can. It is an extraordinary treasure trove of current information about seniors in Alaska. The document has the somewhat bureaucratic title “Alaska State Plan for Senior Services FY2020 –2023,” but don’t let that fool you. Much of it is very personal, at the center of our lives and the wellbeing of our lo...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Jan. 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. This month’s topic is “Stand Up to Falls,” presented by Margy Hughes, Injury Prevention Specialist with Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Alaska Div. of Public Health. Falls are the leading cause of injury and the leading cause of death for Alaskans age 65 and older. Programs are in place to help medical pro...
While President Trump has not had much success on the drug price reform front, his administration is making modest progress on a different front – announcing two regulatory changes that Trump hopes will provide more easy-to-read price information to patients. The first effort targets hospitals, finalizing a rule that requires them to reveal and display their secret, negotiated rates to patients, beginning in January 2021. This proposal has been resisted for months by a large portion of the health care industry. It would require hospitals for th...
Earlier this year, the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) had the opportunity to host several focus groups with American Indian family caregivers. The purpose of the groups was to learn more about these caregivers’ experiences helping an older family member or friend who has health problems and disabilities. During the focus groups, we learned about their caregiving duties, the challenges they face, and their encounters with healthcare professionals. Our focus groups revealed how caregivers’ lives are impacted by their role as caregivers....
I have worked with Alaska Health Fair’s dedicated team of employees for seven years and instead of the “Seven Year Itch” to move on, I’m even more in love with our agency and more dedicated to providing health services to Alaska residents. We have been a statewide non-profit for 40 years, as of 2020, with offices in both Anchorage and Fairbanks. We started from a small National Institutes of Health grant, that all 50 states received, each state being asked to go forth and develop a health education program. I found out that in the years b...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in January. This month’s discussion topic will be “Beginning a New Year: How We Can Be Better at Taking Care to Give Care.” Jan. 7, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 14, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 21, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 28, Open house at Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program in Blazy Mall, Soldotna, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check...
Avoiding sleep medications with simple exercises If you are having trouble sleeping at night, you might want to try a yoga class. Yoga and physical therapy (PT) are effective approaches to treating co-occurring sleep disturbance and back pain while reducing the need for medication, according to a new study by researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Writing in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, they report significant improvements in sleep quality lasting 52 weeks after 12 weeks of yog...
Editor’s note: This press statement was received on Dec. 13, 2019. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is reinstating Alaska’s adult preventive dental program (also known as the Adult Enhanced Dental Program) for Medicaid recipients effective Dec. 31, 2019. Program services will also be retroactively covered to Oct. 1, 2019, when the program was discontinued as part of an overall effort to address the state’s budget deficit. The decision to reinstate the program was made by DHSS Commissioner Adam Crum in coord...
I have had a lot to say about the problems with the probate system -- it’s expensive, it takes a long time, it is easy for a disgruntled heir or creditor to hold up the proceedings, it is very public -- and about how to avoid it. But today I want to talk about another imperfect system. If someone claims that you are not competent to handle your own affairs, the courts have an adult guardianship system to determine whether you need to have someone appointed to handle those affairs for you. T...
“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 presentation is “The Holiday Season Survival Guide,” by Patrick Curtis, the Anchorage Senior Activity Center Wellness and Programs Director. As winter advances and we gather frequently with friends and family to share the joys of the season, many of us also experience anxiety over some common stressors tha...
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 anti-kickback rules are now serving as a roadblock to coordinating better care for patients. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants to encourage primary care physicians and other clinicians to spend more time coordinating care for their patients including social issues, patients...
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 bucket list What would you like to do when you retire? What is on your bucket list? How will you spend your time so that it gives you joy, pleasure and satisfaction? You can start thinking about this years before you retire, or as you are easing into it. Perhaps you could discuss these ideas with friends...
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 fast approaching) new year, as we celebrate Alaska Health Fair’s 40th Anniversary in 2020. We are now at the end of our Fall 2019 season and want to express our appreciation for your wonderful support whether you attended an event as a participant, worked as a volunteer, screener or exhibitor, or g...
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 Cautious: Everyone knows winter is cold and flu season, but many don't know that it's also the prime season for heart attacks, too, especially if you already have heart disease or have suffered a previous heart attack. Here's what you should know, along with some tips to help you protect yourself. In the...
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 benefits and low or no-cost plans. How do you sort out all of this information and determine what plan is best for you in 2020? Medicare Advantage: Additional benefits, but not offered in Alaska No doubt about it, we are in the middle of the Open Enrollment Season for Part D (Prescription Drug...
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 whatnot. Speaking of whatnot, you already know how much I despise the pushing of unnecessary, toxic chemicals on us, right? But there’s something even more revolting. It’s the government handbook called, “The Food Defect Action Levels.” This guidebook spells out exactly how much mold, rat hair, maggots,...
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, Mental Health First Aid, that helps the public identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. Mental Health First Aid is an interactive eight-hour course funded by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority that teaches participants about the risk factors an...
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 and their care partners to engage in much needed socialization and enjoy the company of others who are on the same journey. At the Memory Café, time will be split between socializing and enjoying the talents of local creative artists. Come and join for live music, coffee, cookies, and the chance to recharge...
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 your favorite holiday dish. Also bring something you’d like to get rid of, as there will be a “recycle gift exchange.” Be sure your recycle gift is wrapped. For more information, call Sharon or Judy at (907) 262-1280. Homer Family Caregiver meetings take place on the second and fourth Thursdays of ea...
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 can result in stiffness and discomfort in the lower back and often in the knees, hips and feet as well. Restricted leg room can also lead to overall stiffness and exacerbate pain in body parts that are injured or diseased. Unnatural sleep positions, especially for the neck, mean you can awake with...
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 Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019, surgeons report that they can describe the impact of certain postoperative events in their patients by capturing data from a patient’s smartphone. This data allows surgeons to understand a patient’s level of postoperative physical activity, and how it may be impacted if...
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 disabled. To change your name in our records, you must provide Social Security with documents proving your legal name change and identity. If you are a U.S. citizen, you also must provide our agency with documentation proving your U.S. citizenship. You must present original documents or copies cer...
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 Alaskans with disabilities and seniors and caregivers seeking long term support in their community. In Southeast Alaska, the ADRC operates within Southeast Alaska Independent Living, Inc. (SAIL). Originally solely an independent living center serving people with disabilities of all ages, SAIL took on the...
