Sorted by date Results 1513 - 1537 of 2084
Alaska Health Fair, Inc., begins the 2017 series of health fairs around the state this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. So take time out of your busy week and join AHF when they bring an event to your local area. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging...
New treatments and prevention efforts paying off Thanks to a host of factors, cancer death rates are continuing to drop significantly. A steady decline over more than two decades has resulted in a 25 percent drop in the overall cancer death rate in the United States. The drop equates to 2.1 million fewer cancer deaths between 1991 and 2014, according to Cancer Statistics 2017, which is the American Cancer Society’s comprehensive annual report on cancer incidence, mortality and survival. The r...
February marks the opening of Tax-Aide sites around Alaska. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is designed to prepare basic tax returns and anyone can use the service regardless of age or income. Sites are staffed by volunteers who are trained and certified by Internal Revenue Service and AARP Foundation instructors to prepare basic tax returns. By using AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, these taxpayers also avoid tax preparation fees and pitches for high-interest tax credit or refund loans. And the service is free. Following are the dates and hours...
Governor Bill Walker’s new operating budget for FY 2018 brings welcome news for the Alaska Pioneer Homes – no budget cuts for the homes. Since FY 2015, the Department of Health and Social Services, which includes services like the six Alaska Pioneer Homes, have seen the largest reduction in state funding, at $150 million in spending reductions. The homes have lost $1.3 million in funding, forcing numerous staff positions to be cut. “We lost 31 full time staff across the division since 2015,” says Julie Sande, administrator of the Ketchik...
Same incredible program, different local, non-profit, sponsor! The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is now actively serving and partnering with organizations in the Anchorage and Mat-Su region. This nationally-recognized program is sponsored and administered by the local non-profit, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. (APIAI). The RSVP program is a federally-funded program and is one of the largest volunteer networks in the nation for people age 55 and older. APIAI was awarded the three-year project in April of 2015, and has...
Q. My daughter keeps encouraging me to get a smartphone, but I fail to see any need. I don’t need the Internet on my phone. Are there other reasons? A. Information can save your life. And the smartphone can be an essential tool for recording information about your health. A smartphone can log medications and remind you when it is time to administer the next dose. It can record vital statistics, sometimes in concert with external devices like bathroom scales and blood pressure monitors. And it can also provide emergency responders with a p...
The growth trend in the aging population suggests that increasing numbers of Alaskans are rapidly becoming seniors at a pace that may exceed service capacity. Across Alaska and the nation, life expectancy has also increased substantially for people experiencing intellectual and developmental disabilities. As Alaskans with disabilities are living longer, service provider agencies across the state are looking for ways to support seniors of all abilities. Although it has been stated that older adults present unique public health challenges and...
A series of online Geriatric health care trainings will be available via virtual classroom on the internet beginning in January. The series is sponsored by the University of Alaska Anchorage-Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce-Alaska’s AHEC and The Alaska Training Cooperative. The series is a partnership with the Northwest Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Center and will offer 10 weeks of trainings from January 3 through March 7, 2017. The series is designed to give community-based providers working in the field of aging an o...
Most of you assume that if a medication is sold over the counter it’s safe, but that’s not true. Even over-the-counter drugs are drug muggers of nutrients that you need to prevent blood clots, keep your heart beating rhythmically and your bones strong. Over-the-counter medications are a multi-billion dollar business, especially drugs for stomach discomfort. An estimated 20 million Americans buy over-the-counter drugs to get quick relief from indigestion, esophageal burning, belching, chest (sternum) pain and other symptoms of excessive sto...
Santa’s Senior Center in North Pole will host free screenings for low vision and bone density in January. Low vision The low vision screening will be conducted Jan. 19 at the center by staff from the Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. In addition to vision testing, there will be information on specialized magnifiers and other devices as well as safety techniques to enhance daily activities. Screenings are available by appointment, beginning at 9 a.m. Call to reserve, 488-4663 or sign up at the center. Bone density Bone d...
Special Olympics in Anchorage is opening its Health and Wellness Center indoor track for walking this winter. The walking group, called Unified Walking Club, will be able to walk in a safe, warm environment regardless of the weather outdoors. January through March, the walking hours will be: • Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 2:30 to 6 p.m. • Tuesday, Thursday, 2:30 to 5 p.m. Registration is required but there is no cost to participate. The facility is located at 3200 Mountain View Drive. For more information, call Jan Carolyn Hardy at 301...
Making New Year’s resolutions work for you The New Year provides a great opportunity to reflect on our lives, health and wellness. Making a New Year’s resolution can give a person the push they need to make a positive change in their health habits. Dr. Sunil Kripalani, who is with Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, says it is important to set a reasonable goal that you feel confident you can accomplish. “Your goal may be to increase your physical activity, for examp...
My gravity-affected holy temple gets weaker quicker these days. Like an old steel horseshoe, I’m oxidizing, rusting. Feeding my temple the best fuel that will give my cells the juice needed to sustain, repair and replace my holy temple infrastructure so it can perform for me when I ask it to is vital. Much like an aging family car, we become more affectionately attentive to the quality of oil, additives and rustproofing as parts begin wearing. My wife and I have decided there’s no better time than the “now” to nourish ourselves the best we...
United States military involvement in the Vietnam War officially began on August 5, 1964; however, the first U.S. casualty in Vietnam occurred on July 8, 1959. Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam. During the war, over 58,000 U.S. military members lost their lives and 153,000 were wounded. There were 766 prisoners of war of which 114 died in captivity. The war was officially ended by Presidential Proclamation on May 7, 1975. Following is the latest updates from the...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in January. This month’s focus is care coordinator services, with presentations by Annett Brookshire, a certified care coordinator since 2008. She will share her experience of growing from a caregiver into care coordinator. Jan. 3, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, with Annett Brookshire,1 p.m. Jan. 10, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, with Annett Brookshire, 1 p.m. Jan. 17, Caregiver support meeting at K...
You may have heard some of the following claims: gets rid of wrinkles, great for weight loss, gives your digestive system a rest, detoxifies your body and cures cancer – these are some of the health claims that proponents of "juicing" make. This popular part of the 60s and 70s health food movement seems to be back, with fresh juices standard fare in chic, health-focused eateries. With all dietary emphasis on eating more fresh vegetables and fruits and the many tantalizing health claims, you m...
Pat Howard, living with multiple sclerosis for decades, gets around in a powered wheelchair since she can no longer put any weight on her legs. Last summer, her daughter Cindy was driving her 74-year-old mom back from an adult day care facility 30 minutes from her Santa Clarita, California, home when the car overheated and broke down. “We were stuck,” Cindy recalled in a recent phone call. “I was freaked out about driving the overheated car and worried about our safety. Our only vehicle was now sitting by the side of the road.” They called for...
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles Senior Voice will publish in coming months on various topics from the Diverse Elders Coalition. Each article will cover a different segment of the elder population. Despite their resilient nature, Hispanic older adults continue to face a plethora of challenges, which include retirement insecurity, lack of access to health care, housing and programs, as well as hunger and chronic disease. The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) — the leading national organization working to imp...
I hope you’ve all had a great Thanksgiving and will have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year. I have been under the weather, but I have met a wonderful group of friends, who are “dog people”. I had been wondering what I could do for my adorable, sweet Portia. She is an Italian Greyhound, all of 15 pounds and the sweetest, smartest dog (without having had any training) I have ever been around. She loves people, cats and dogs and not necessarily in that order. My newly found frien...
Last year prices for Medicare held fairly steady, and of course, there was zero increase in your Social Security check. This year, the cost-of-living raise is tiny, at .03 percent (about $3 if your monthly benefit is $1,000). In fact, Part B premiums rose more than the COLA. Here’s a summary of the figures that have been released so far. Part A premiums (hospital, nursing, hospice, home health) According to Medicare.gov, most people get Part A coverage free of cost. However if you buy it, the monthly cost in 2017 will be $413 per month (up from...
Everyone is aware of the assault that your stomach takes from antibiotics. You might think cramps and diarrhea are bad enough, but at least those are transient problems. Brand new animal research suggests these drugs trigger Type 1 diabetes, especially when toddlers take them. Keep in mind that back in 2015, a Denmark study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism correlated the use of antibiotics to type 2 diabetes in adults. From all of this, and other research, I think it’s safe to conclude that antibiotic usage increa...
Using the nose to treat damaged knees Researchers are now reporting they have successfully harvested cartilage cells from patients’ own noses to produce cartilage transplants for treating bum knees in 10 adults. All the patients had cartilage that was damaged by injury. Two years after reconstruction, most recipients reported improvements in pain, knee function and quality of life. They also developed repair tissue in their knees that was similar in composition to native cartilage. R...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in December. This month’s focus is “How to Measure Vital Signs.”. Dec. 1, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 8, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 15, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 15, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, hosted by Paula Koch, 3 p.m. Dec. 29, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meeti...
Senior citizens are “super voters.” I like that moniker. I am proud of that moniker. And in the spirit of wanting to know how our state candidates (incumbents and challengers) would address issues of importance to seniors of all stripes I sent out a questionnaire to elicit answers. What you read in the following is a summary of the state candidates’ responses to three questions. If you would like to know the specifics of your candidate’s perspective, I urge you to call her or him directly. Fiscal approaches “What is your view of how the legisla...
The federal government is trying to stop nursing homes from forcing people into using private arbitration instead of lawsuits when people bring cases of elder abuse, wrongful death and sexual harassment. The private arbitration issue is actually much larger than just a problem for seniors. Over the last 10 years, thousands of businesses across the country – from big corporations to storefront shops – have used arbitration to create an alternate system of justice. You probably haven’t noticed or paid attention to the notices buried in writt...
