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The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following meetings and trainings in April, which is National Stress Awareness Month. A 60 minute video, “Humor Your Stress,” will be shown and discussed at these meetings. Please join and share your experience as a caregiver or to support someone who is a caregiver. April 1, peer support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 8, peer support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 15, peer support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 22, peer sup...
Research suggests that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elders are disproportionately represented in long term care facilities because, compared to their heterosexual counterparts, LGBT elders are much less likely to have family members who can care for them at home. Yet it is rare for our staff ombudsmen to hear long term care residents identify themselves as LGBT. So I have to conclude that there is an invisible minority of older LGBT Alaskans who live in long term care facilities but...
The Third Annual We Are All Elders-In-Training Summit takes place May 15 and 16 in Anchorage at the Anchorage Sheraton Hotel. Sponsored and organized by the Trust Training Cooperative, the event is a celebration of diverse community, with presentations by elders sharing their life experiences and strategies for aging and well-being. Each sharing will be followed by group discussions targeting issues around aging and mental health. The public is encouraged to join for group discussions, closing circles each day, and an opportunity to address...
Traveling outside of the United States obviously requires a lot of planning, and even more so for people with health issues. Many seniors who are covered by Medicare don’t realize that once they leave the United States, Medicare coverage is minimal or nonexistent. However, if you are traveling to a U.S. territory, such as the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, or the Northern Marian Islands, you are probably covered. Otherwise, don’t make the mistake of relying on Medicare. So what happens if you do end up needing medical care while o...
The legislature’s clock is ticking. The last day of the 2014 Alaska legislative session falls on Easter Sunday, April 20. Top issues being discussed among legislators include increasing Alaska’s oil and gas production, meeting in-state energy needs, education reform, workforce development, preventing Fetal Alcohol Disorder, promoting healthy communities, among other issues. Responsible spending is this year’s theme for framing budget discussions, with an emphasis on funding programs that can demonstrate measurable outcomes. During our recen...
This year, I have assumed the duties of the Democratic leader in the Senate. Senator Johnny Ellis passed the torch to me, and taking over from such a people’s champion is humbling. I want to take a moment to bring you up to date on what’s happening in Juneau. Last spring I wrote about oil tax reductions that had narrowly passed. I reported that as a result of that decision we had lost $4.5 billion to three of the richest corporations in the world, and I expressed my concern that this would lead to a loss of funds for vital services such as K-12...
When you turn 50 these days, three things generally happen: you ‘re invited to join AARP, a “friend” gives you a birthday card that makes you sound really old, and your doctor tells you it’s time to be screened for colorectal cancer. You may be surprised to know that colorectal cancer is the second most deadly cancer after lung cancer, but also the most preventable form of cancer. Screening lets your health care provider find and remove polyps before they turn cancerous, or to catch them in an early stage when the disease is most treatab...
Health care experts are rediscovering an old-fashioned concept that may help lower health care costs and improve the quality of health care: shared decision making. What is shared decision making? It is when you and your doctor work together as co-pilots as you travel through the health care system. And you have the right to ask your doctor to use shared decision making whenever you need to decide among several treatment options. What does shared decision making mean? Shared decision making can mean different things depending on the situation....
For those of my readers who are on the Senior Benefit Program, there is some bad news. The Senior Benefits Program was established on August 1, 2007, and was the program we were given when the Longevity Bonus was taken. To be eligible for this program you must be an Alaskan on a permanent basis, 65 years of age, have a Social Security number and have countable income that does not exceed the income limits of the program. Resources (assets) do not count in this program. The cash benefits are...
Need help through the Medicare maze? Come find your best Medicare deal with help from Alaskan Medicare experts. The state Medicare Information Office will offer a free workshop April 2 at Wasilla Area Seniors Inc., 1301 S. Century Circle, from 6 to 8 p.m. Reservation required. Call 373-3632. The Medicare Information Office is also seeking Medicare volunteers. For details, call 269-3680 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-6065 (toll-free statewide) or visit www.medicare.alaska.gov....
This is the second of a two-part series. Part one appeared in the February 2014 Senior Voice. Thanks to all the veterans who took the time to comment on last month’s column. This is your column and the Senior Voice will try to address any matters important to you. To recap Part One, many of our senior Alaska veterans were exposed to mesothelioma while serving our country and may just now be showing symptoms. Some veterans who have been diagnosed with lung cancer may in fact have this disease. This month’s follow-up addresses some avenues for...
Ask anyone who attends a meeting of AA (Alcohol Anonymous) or NA (Narcotic Anonymous), the road to recovery from alcohol or drug addiction is often a bumpy and long one. Days, weeks, months and even years of sobriety can be set back by a relapse to a former life controlled by alcohol or drugs. If a person has a long history of addiction, the longer and harder it may be for their recovery. Early intervention, as in most cases of disease recovery (such as in dealing with breast or prostate...
Sign up now for “Dementia Care Essentials,” a five-week training series on providing care for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementia, presented by Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska. The classes meet in Anchorage on Mondays, April 7 through May 5, at 2702 Gamble Street, Suite 233, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The purpose of the series is to enable participants to identify strategies they will implement into their care practice that will increase a sense of safety, security, comfort and quality of life for the person living with dementia. Partici...
Just how safe are e-cigarettes? There is considerable debate right now about whether e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking or a gateway from smoking. For many adults age 50 and older, e-cigarettes may be a great way to transition off smoking. Ideally, if millions of people start using e-cigarettes as an aid to quit there could be a huge public health benefit. However, some health experts question whether e-cigarettes are just “an add-on” for chronic smokers and may be creating new problems. Cur...
A series of online trainings continues this spring, sponsored by the Area Health Education Center (AHEC), UAA Office of Health Programs Development, and the Trust Training Cooperative. The series is a partnership with the Northwest Geriatric Education Center, and offers trainings to Alaska via virtual classroom on the Internet. The series is designed to give community-based providers working in the field of aging – physicians, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers, pharmacists and other interested p...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following meetings and trainings in March. The caregiver training topic this month is “Eat Well to Feel Well and the Mayo Clinic Mediterranean Diet.” March 4, Caregiver training at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 11, Caregiver training at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 17, Caregiver training at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 25, Peer Support Meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend. Tra...
Every time you visit your mom in the assisted living home, she complains she isn’t getting her medication. When you question staff, they show you the medication log and it seems to indicate she is getting what the doctor prescribed. Is your mom just forgetting that she was given her medication? I wouldn’t be so sure. Theft of prescription drugs is a growing problem nationally, especially controlled substances such as opioids for pain and benzodiazepines for anxiety. Health care workers have as...
Dear Jonathan: My husband died six months ago. We didn’t have much but everything we had we held in joint names. Consequently, upon the advice of a family member some time ago, we never bothered to prepare wills because we were told that the survivor of the two of us would own everything so there was no need to have a will. Now that my husband has passed away, do you recommend that I now have a will? Also, I have received several telephone calls and letters from two different credit card companies threatening to turn me over to collection if I...
Alaska's Elder Mentor/Foster Grandparent program is resuming service under new funding through the Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc. (RurAL CAP). Lower income elders and seniors who volunteer receive a small stipend for working at least 20 hours per week with children in schools, preschools, Head Start centers and other community-based programs. These volunteers mentor youth who need assistance in succeeding academically and in developing positive social skills. In circumstances where...
"I see a lot of seniors who have done something right. Many are fit and active into their 80s and 90s." Betty Burke shares this positive assessment when reflecting on her position as Health Outreach Nurse at the Chugiak-Eagle River Senior Center. "My job is to promote optimal wellness in the senior population here," she says, "to promote fitness in general." Six years ago, Burke hooked onto the idea of launching a program related to the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, focusing on February fitness for...
The lifelong probability of a marriage ending in divorce is between 40 and 50 percent, according to PolitiFact.com’s estimates. Couples in trouble often seek advice from friends, family and counselors. But global marriage expert Mort Fertel, creator of the Marriage Fitness Tele-Boot Camp and author of “Marriage Fitness,” says much of the advice couples get is bad. “Much of the advice people get about their marriage problems is wrong. It sounds good. It makes sense. The problem is: it usually doesn’t work,” Fertel says. “Reconciling a broken mar...
President Reagan's quote, "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help," is often used to disparage the "help" offered by many bureaucrats; but it's a completely different feeling when you call or drop by Alaska's Medicare Information Office (MIO). First, you're greeted with a smile and a meaningful, "How can I help you?" You truly get the feeling they want to help. The office recently moved to 400 Gambell, with easy parking and private offices for confidentiality – a nice change after y...
Alaska Health Fairs, Inc. begins its spring series of health fairs this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. The tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. The test results give you and your health care provider important information about your physical condition and vital organ functions. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45 and panels 27 different...
A little history today. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared that he was starting a “War on Poverty.” Several of the most forward thinking citizens of Anchorage decided that they would join that war. They got together and formed the Older Persons Action Group, to have an entity to receive help from the Office of Economic Opportunity, to achieve the goal of helping seniors and others in Anchorage, who were foundering in need. Although the “war” did not last long, due to the change...
Let me begin by thanking the readers who contacted the Senior Voice concerning last month’s article. I hope our senior veterans will find this month’s topic on mesothelioma in the 60-plus year old age group useful to themselves or a loved one. If you worked in areas of high exposure while on active duty for even one day, that brief exposure could lead to this deadly form of cancer in you and your family (via secondary exposure). This discussion will be in two parts. I will cover the disease, its causes, areas of service in the military most vul...
