Sorted by date Results 1135 - 1159 of 2084
HIV/AIDS used to be considered a disease of the young. In the early 1980s, when doctors first reported cases of HIV, nearly 70% of diagnoses were among people under 40. Fast forward four decades later and more than 50% of Americans with HIV are now over 50. And by 2020 that number is expected to reach 70%. This is largely due to major medical improvements in the effectiveness of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in suppressing the virus and transforming HIV from an often fatal disease into a chronic condition, like diabetes or hypertension. But...
Alaska Health Fair events offer free health screenings, plus lots of free health and safety education for all ages. These tests can help you learn about your overall health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. All events have free entry and are open to the public. Blood tests are for those over 18 years of age. The fairs' most popular test is the Chemistry/Hematology Profile (the only test requiring fasting) for only $45, which...
The Alaska Disability and Aging Coalition will host the 5th Annual Disability and Aging Summit, Sept. 25 and 26 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Special Olympics Alaska Jim Balamaci Training Center in Anchorage. The two-day summit will include presentations on aging, caregiving, aging persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), wellness and self-care, mental health, disaster preparedness and more. National Association of Social Workers Alaska Chapter Continuing Education Credits (CEs) are available. The goal of the summit is to...
Many people are unaware of the many preventive services that are provided to Medicare beneficiaries without paying a single dollar in deductibles or co-pays. Preventive services are covered at 100% under your Medicare Part B benefits and are a great way to get started with utilizing your Part B benefits. This is especially true if you are seeing a new primary care provider. You can begin accessing your preventive benefits by calling your primary care provider and making an appointment to have yo...
Everyone seems to know someone with Parkinson’s disease, whether it be a family member, friend, neighbor, or a colleague. Cases of Parkinson’s disease have more than doubled over the last 25 years and show no signs of abating. It affects an estimated 1 million people living in the United States and is the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Parkinson’s disease is a type of movement disorder that can affect the ability to perform common, daily activities. It is a...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in September. This month’s meetings will include discussion focused on strategies for long distance caregiving. Please join to share your experiences as a caregiver or to support someone who is a caregiver. Sept. 3, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Sept. 10, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Sept. 17, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Sept. 24, Open house at Kenai Peninsul...
‘Ins and Outs of Medicare’ presentation Feeling confused about your Medicare options and worried about what you’ll do when open enrollment starts up on October 15? Join us for our free monthly educational presentation by Nila Morgan, Medicare Counselor, to learn the ins and outs of your Medicare options. The presentation will be September 25 from 3 to 4 p.m. here at Hospice of Anchorage, 2612 E. Northern Lights Blvd. Call us at 561-5322 to RSVP and save your spot. Volunteer with Hospice of Anchorage Hospice of Anchorage is in search of some...
Enlarging your circle of friends Being more socially active in your 50s and 60s appears to predict a lower risk of developing dementia later in life, according to a new British study. Researchers used data from the Whitehall II study, tracking 10,228 participants who had been asked on six occasions between 1985 and 2013 about their frequency of social contact with friends and relatives. The same participants also completed cognitive testing, which started in 1997, and researchers referred to...
Gadolinium is a silvery-white heavy metal that is injected into the body through a vein and it is a contrast dye. Sometimes it is referred to as contrast media. They help a radiologist see inside you. Gadolinium is like a flashlight in your body. MRIs that require gadolinium can be ordered for many reasons including migraines, coronary artery disease, stroke evaluation, brain tumors, infections and cysts/tumors. Thousands of shots of gadolinium dye are administered to people each day. Side effects may or may not occur. If they do, they are...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will meet September 10-13, in Tok for its Rural Outreach board meeting. The meeting will include visits to communities in the surrounding areas that serve elders. The commission’s meeting is open to the public both in person and via teleconference at group host sites including the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, Homer Senior Center, Ketchikan Pioneer Home, Mat-Su Senior Services, Soldotna Senior Center and the Chugiak-Eagle River Senior Center. Meeting presentations will include reports from the Dept. of H...
What I really wanted to write about this month was the legislation making its way through Congress which would dramatically change how inherited IRAs can be taken out over time. That is what I wanted to write about. But I won’t. Part of the problem is that by the time this column reaches print, even though that may be only a few weeks, the legislation may have morphed into something completely different, or may have died completely. The other problem is that the details will probably change, a...
On June 28, Governor Dunleavy shocked the state by cutting $440 million from the legislature’s proposed operating budget for FY20, a 182 line item veto that devastated funding for crucial social services and programs such as the Senior Benefits Program, the Homeless Assistance Program, Medicaid and Dental Services, a host of Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery grants in addition to cutting 40% of funding for the University of Alaska system. Starting July 1, funds promised to Senior Benefits beneficiaries disappeared without warning and p...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Aug. 13, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. What does it mean to “age healthy?” And what does it take to be healthy as we age in the Last Frontier? Join UAA professor of Population Health Science, Dr. Britteny Howell, and her research assistants for this discussion on the challenges and opportunities for aging healthily in Anchorage. This engaging presentatio...
“The number of Alaskans who are 65 or older is growing rapidly in all regions of the state. This shift to larger senior populations across Alaska will play an important role in shaping our communities and households in the coming years.” These are the first two lines in an important new report, “Alaskans 65 and Older,” published in Alaska Economic Trends, a monthly publication of the Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce. My inner tabloid journalist wants to use a screaming headline for this article like “Seniors Overrun Alaska!” or maybe “L...
The school classroom is filled with children eager to hear stories from Marge, who is volunteering in the classroom. Marge speaks fluent Yup’ik and was raised in the community where she has lived her entire life. In both Yup’ik and English, Marge shares the history and language with the school kids, what life was like when she was a little girl, and words of wisdom and advice she wants the children to remember as they grow up. Even though she has a hard time walking and uses a walker for support, she makes her way to the school twice a week to...
Born in Santa Ana, Calif., to two Muslim refugee survivors of the Cambodian genocide, Hatefas Yop wasn't aware of her family's use of public services when she was a young girl. After all, her peers in her elementary school all hailed from the local neighborhood, where many immigrant and refugee families had to live in one-bedroom apartments subsidized by Section 8 housing. She didn't understand the melancholy in an elder whom Hatefas referred to as "Grandma," when she said her food stamps...
Genetic testing has certainly become a phenomenon in the last few years. This amazing new type of medical test, also known as DNA testing, has diverse applications. It can determine bloodlines of familial relationships, can rule out or confirm certain genetic conditions, or determine the likelihood of passing on genetic disorders. There are some conditions or diseases caused by mutated genes that genetic testing can confirm, such as Down Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, or Huntington’s Disease. DNA t...
The Alaska Training Cooperative presents “Basic Concepts of Care Coordination,” a training designed for new care coordinators not yet certified. This training is required prior to taking Care Coordination Core Units offered by Senior and Disability Services. “Basic Concepts of Care Coordination” is a fast, five-hour course designed to be interactive and provide attendees the opportunity to participate in discussions. Topics include Ethics, How to Serve Someone with a Disability, Skills of Interaction, Advocacy and Person Centered Plannin...
Recently I interviewed Dr. Ahmad Sajadi, at University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, a nationally recognized Alzheimer’s research center. Running out of time, here’s the question he never answered: Why be diagnosed with dementia early if there’s no cure? At 88, my friend Marilyn’s doctor suggested a cognitive assessment diagnosing the possible onset of dementia. Marilyn told him, “I don’t do that test.” As my aging father’s caregiver, I learned to agree with Marilyn. In 2001, I took my dad t...
Smart glasses may help replace need for progressive lenses Just as motion-detection technology is changing how cars are designed, the same is occurring with eyeglasses. Using eye-tracking technology, engineers now have created a prototype for ‘autofocals’ designed to restore proper vision in people who ordinarily would need progressive lenses. Presbyopia plagues many adults starting about age 45, as the lenses in our eyes lose the elasticity needed to focus on nearby objects. For some peo...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in August. This month’s meetings will include discussion on anticipatory grief and ambiguous loss issues in caregiving. Please join to share your experiences as a caregiver or to support someone who is a caregiver. Aug. 6, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Aug. 13, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Aug. 20, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Aug. 27, Open house at Kenai P...
Like many transplants from the Lower 48, a job offer lured me up to Alaska. No, you won't find me welding on a pipeline or commercial fishing on the Bering Sea, but as a program coordinator for a large nonprofit, I've gotten to do a bit of traveling during my first year here. From Homer to Fairbanks, Bethel to Tok, Glenallen to Haines, Palmer to Dillingham, and at all the stops along the way, I've gotten to meet and work with many remarkable seniors – not just from Alaska, but from all over t...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc. (OPAG) welcomes two new board members, Dylan Webb and S. Hollis Mickey. Dylan Webb is a certified holistic health counselor and owner of Ideal Health, LLC, in Anchorage, providing coaching for weight management and lifestyle change. He is board-certified with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, and in addition to health care his background includes coaching youth basketball and volunteer political work. “My experience in healthcare has led me to recognize the need to support our older A...
In rural communities across Alaska, it is not uncommon to see young people on four-wheelers or snow machines, riding around town with family and friends and spending time outdoors. On the same roads you see elders walking alone or with others to visit friends or family, check their mail or buy groceries, or visit the Elder luncheon. As someone who grew up with Elders who walked everywhere, I love to walk so I typically decline rides offered by the youth and get to know the community by walking. The Elders we have visited over the years have...
We want to shout out a very big thank you to a wonderful and ever growing group of people that includes our donors, sponsors, volunteers and exhibitors. These individuals provide much needed support for Alaska Health Fair’s South Central, South East and Tanana Valley/Northern Region Programs. We would not succeed without your ongoing support. AHF has ingrained itself into the Alaskan fabric, with residents who live and work here benefiting from 40 years of hard-working volunteers and employee dedication. These are caring Alaskans who give in s...
