Sorted by date Results 1185 - 1209 of 2084
The old baseball star Satchel Paige is supposed to have said: Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind it does not matter. On Capitol Hill, old seems to be the new young. In the House of Representatives, the top three leaders are all seniors. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is 79 years old. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., is 80, and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., is also 80. While you can actually start serving in the House at age 25 and age 30 in the Senate, the 2018 elections brought in a much younger group of l...
A lot is asked of our men and women in the military, whether active duty or those who have achieved veteran status. Per their service, they are required to constantly relocate, every three to four years depending on military branch. They must deploy to faraway places for training and service abroad, spending weeks and months without those closest to them. Every day, they are asked to perform mentally and physically, with strength and stamina. They are, in principle, dissuaded from showing weakness. They are soldiers. They are warriors. They...
Dear Savvy Senior: I have heard that the VA has a benefit that can help veterans and spouses with long-term care costs. We recently had to move my 86-year-old father – who served in the army nearly 60 years ago – into an assisted living facility, and my mom isn’t far behind. Can the VA help? -- Seeking Aid Dear Seeking: The Veterans Administration does indeed have a little-known, underutilized benefit that can help wartime veterans and their surviving spouses pay for a variety of long-term care costs. This benefit, called “Aid and Attenda...
When we talk about the costs of Medicare, the discussion can include premiums, deductibles, co-insurances and copays. Another cost to Medicare beneficiaries that may come as a surprise is the Income Related Monthly Adjustment, or IRMAA. The IRMAA is an increased amount that individuals who have a higher income pay. This can affect you if your earnings are high or you receive an unexpected windfall such as an inheritance. The IRMAA can affect both your Medicare Part B (Medical) premium and your...
Alaska Health Fairs will be held at the following locations and times during May. For more information, call 907-278-0234 (Anchorage) or 907-374-6853 (Fairbanks); or just visit www.alaskahealthfair.org for the remaining Spring 2019 community schedule, a complete roster of our blood tests, occasional updates, monthly announcements, great articles on health related topics and our monthly newsletters. All events offer free entry and are open to the public. May 4, Cooper Landing Community Health Fair at Cooper Landing School, 19030 Bean Creek...
Concern over a potential misuse of new depression medication The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March approved Spravato (esketamine) nasal spray, in conjunction with an oral antidepressant, for the treatment of depression in adults who have tried other antidepressant medicines but failed to improve. These patients have what is called treatment-resistant depression. While this new approach to depression may prove lifesaving in some cases, there is a very serious concern about misuse and...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in May. This month’s topic is Caregiving and Depression. During Mental Health Month, discussion will focus on how caregiving puts people at risk for depression. Please join to share your experiences as a caregiver or to support someone who is a caregiver. May 7, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 14, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 21, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1...
Thanks to an arrangement with Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. (WASI), the Mid-Valley Senior Center in Houston is open for lunch again. WASI started catering lunch to the Houston center in April, with lunch hours 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. A comment on the Mid-Valley Senior Center’s Facebook page notes “coffee is ready about 10 a.m., so come in for a cup”. Mid-Valley Senior Center ceased operations almost four years ago and has been trying to find ways to restore services since then. A private kitchen began offering meals to th...
I was reading a travel article recently and noticed a photograph the writer took of a local in the country he was covering. They were not smiling. In fact, they were scowling. It reminded me of the time I watched a visitor to Utqiagvik take a photo of three Inupiat women elders in the MarkAir terminal. They were dressed in the latest fashion of exotic Hawaiian prints for the covers of their traditional parkas and rhinestone pins on their wolverine ruffs that seemed to be a friendly contest...
Congressional Democrats are pushing an ambitious plan to expand Social Security and put it on a sustained long-term footing in an effort to overturn 20 years of attempts by congressional Republicans to scale back entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security. The New Deal social insurance program had been one of the primary targets of former House Republican Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., since his arrival in Congress in 1999. Ryan always believed Social Security “is an undeserved entitlement,” and lawmakers have often suggested that it...
A decade ago, Rushern Baker III started seeing signs that something was wrong with his wife when she was still in her late 40s. Christa Beverly was forgetting things and losing things. It took some doing, but he convinced her to see a doctor. She was tested, and at age 49 was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Within a few years of the diagnosis, Christa had lost most of her functions. Today, at age 58, she is unable to talk, walk or eat on her own, but she remains at home. Baker, 60, has r...
We are so attached to our food and drink that it pains me when I have to take something away from you. But this is an old story for me. I have never ever recommended artificially sweetened sodas or “diet” anything. To me, that whole industry is a multi-billion dollar campaign effort to get you to drink and eat things that aren’t, by definition, food anymore. The entire industry depends on the illusion of you thinking that diet drinks are healthy. The latest research is frightening. It’s based upon data collected over 12 years and suggests that...
Dear Savvy Senior: What’s the best, environmentally safe way to dispose of old and unused medications? My mother has a medicine cabinet chocked-full of pills, some of which haven’t been touched in 25 years, and I’d like to clean it out for her. - Protective Daughter Dear Protective: Cleaning out the medicine cabinet is a chore that most people don’t think about, but it’s an important task that can help prevent medication problems, and protect children who may have access to these old, unused drugs. Here’s how you can clean out your mother’s me...
Save the date for Hospice of Anchorage’s 17th Annual Heroes of Healthcare Awards Black Tie Event and Auction at the Anchorage Marriott Hotel on Saturday, April 20. Heroes of Healthcare is a way to recognize significant contributions and service to the community. This event is also an annual fundraiser for Hospice of Anchorage. Individuals have the opportunity to sponsor a table and bring eight guests to attend the event as well as participate in the silent and live auction. There are different levels of sponsorship starting at partner level of...
Alaska Health Fair events offer free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable blood tests and so much more. These tests and screenings can help you learn about your overall health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. Alaska Health Fairs will be held at the following locations and times in April (and early May). Everyone is welcome at these events. For more information, call 907-278-0234 (Anchorage) or 907-374-6853 (Fairbanks); or just visit http://www....
Mushrooms may have hidden brain benefit Researchers are reporting that older adults who consume more than two standard portions of mushrooms weekly may have 50 percent reduced odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A six-year study, led by Assistant Professor Lei Feng from the National University of Singapore, found that seniors who ate more than 300 grams of cooked mushrooms a week were half as likely to have MCI. A portion was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked mushrooms...
Although a cure for rosacea has yet to be discovered, advances in medical therapy have made it increasingly possible for those who suffer from this chronic disorder to achieve clear skin. At the same time, recent surveys have shown just how important this attainable goal is to patients’ physical and mental well-being. The National Rosacea Society has designated April as Rosacea Awareness Month to educate the public on the current understanding of this often life-disruptive condition estimate to affect more than 16 million Americans and 415 m...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in April. This month’s topic is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and meetings will include discussion centered around age related issues and driving. April 2, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 9, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 16, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 23, Open house at Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program in Blazy M...
I still get the feeling that most libraries I have visited the last twelve or fifteen years are, well, naked. OK, maybe that is not the best description, but at first glance they seem to be missing something very important. Where is the card catalog? It was the brain center of every library -- a dark wooden wall of dozens or hundreds of sturdy little drawers holding thousands of index cards with key information about the library’s holdings. For decades my fingers laboriously walked through those cards searching for that part of the world’s inf...
Psychology has found its way into finance, and it’s a good fit. Behavioral economists design systems that nudge people into making the right decisions. For instance, workers save significantly more when the default is paycheck deductions into their retirement account. This type of “opt-out” policy, versus an “opt-in” standard of having to choose to participate, has gained popularity with both employers and employees. Each of us approaches retirement in different circumstances. Some started retirement accounts with their first paycheck....
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has introduced legislation to end the Senior Benefits program, the income-based program that provides monthly cash assistance to low-income Alaska seniors. Identical bills, House Bill 60 and companion Senate Bill 58, were introduced at the governor's request in February. If passed, the legislation would end the benefits program, effective June 30, 2019. The Senior Benefits program provides monthly payments to seniors age 65 and older at three different levels, depending on applicants' income level: $250 for the lowest-income...
House Democrats, Senate Republicans and the Trump administration agree on one thing – that drug prices must be lowered. Both parties are working through the ideas to reduce prescription drug costs, but the problem is finding common ground and achieving consensus. No compromise is there yet and it may not emerge as some lawmakers could choose to use the issue for political advantage instead of working out a solution now. But an arms race of sorts is building as Democratic presidential contenders try to make the most noise on the drug pricing i...
Dear Savvy Senior: I will be enrolling in Medicare in a few months, and would like to know how Medicare covers vision services? I currently have vision insurance through my employer but will lose it when I retire. - Looking Ahead Dear Looking: Many people approaching 65 are unclear on what Medicare does and doesn't cover when it comes to vision services. The good news is that original Medicare covers most medical issues like cataract surgery, treatment of eye diseases and medical emergencies....
Alaska Health Fair events offer free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable blood tests and so much more. These tests and screenings can help you learn about your overall health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. Alaska Health Fairs will be held at the following locations and times during March. Everyone is welcome at these events. For more information, call 907-278-0234 (Anchorage) or 907-374-6853 (Fairbanks); or just visit http://www.alaskahealth...
The Alaska Training Cooperative and Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska will present “Dementia Care Workshop,” April 17 at the Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska office in Fairbanks, 1 to 5:30 p.m. The purpose of the workshop is to build a foundation of knowledge that will enable learners to integrate new care strategies into their professional practice, ultimately using these strategies to increase the quality of life for people with dementia. The workshop teaches the fundamentals of dementia, as well as practical skills such as communication techniq...
