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The weather is crisp outside, the leaves are falling and the holiday season is fast approaching. Typically, this time of year fills us with joy, laughter and festive gatherings surrounded by those we love. However, holiday traditions may also serve as a reminder of what is missing and the happiness of others can make grieving individuals feel alone. Hospice of Anchorage recognizes that the holidays aren’t easy for everyone. Our mission is to help individuals and families prepare for and live well with serious and life-limiting illness, dying, a...
During Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period, you will likely experience more marketing from private Medicare insurance providers, such as Part D prescription drug plans. Companies try to reach consumers in various ways, like television commercials, radio ads, events, mailings, phone calls and texts. The government has rules, though, to protect you from forceful or misleading marketing. Knowing the rules and red flags can help you make the best choices for yourself during Open Enrollment. M...
November shines a spotlight on a growing health concern: diabetes. As we delve deeper into this awareness month, it’s imperative that we arm ourselves with knowledge and take proactive steps toward ensuring better health outcomes for ourselves and our community. What is diabetes and pre-diabetes? Diabetes is a condition where the body is unable to properly utilize or produce insulin, a hormone essential for converting sugar into energy. Without this process, sugar accumulates in the blood, leading to various health complications. P...
New nasal spray for rapid heartbeats A fast-acting medication delivered as a nasal spray may soon allow individuals with intermittent rapid heartbeats to treat the problem themselves as soon as they develop symptoms, according to a new study. This new medication is still waiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “This is a potential new and exciting option for patients to safely self-treat their rapid heartbeat without direct medical supervision to avoid emergency r...
The annual Great American Smokeout public awareness event takes place Nov. 16 and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) plans to observe the day by highlighting resources for quitting smoking, vaping, chewing tobacco, and iqmik. ANTHC and the State of Alaska have resources available for quitting tobacco use: Contact the Alaska Tobacco Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to learn more about free services for quitting tobacco, including over the phone and virtual consultation. Tribal health beneficiaries throughout Alaska...
If you are helping a family member or friend by being a caregiver, learn what kind of help is available. Family Caregiver Support Programs offer free support meetings to allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend. Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska (ARA) organizes caregiver support meetings around the state, including Anchorage, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau/Southeast, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Mat-Su Valley, Seward, Sitka, S...
Dear Savvy Senior: I’m interested in contributing to a health savings account to help boost my retirement savings but would like to better understand how they work. What can you tell me? – Almost 60 Dear Almost: A health savings account, or HSA, is a fantastic financial tool that can help you build up a tax-free stash of money for medical expenses now and after you retire. But to qualify, you must be enrolled in a high-deductible health insurance plan. Here’s an overview of how they work and how you can open one. HSA rules HSAs have becom...
The Social Security Administration partners with locations throughout Alaska to offer a secure video service option. Video service is a convenient and no-cost way for people to talk directly to a Social Security employee through a secure computer link that includes two-way video and sound. The video service locations are available at: In Nome, Norton Sound Health Corporation, located at 1000 Greg Kruschek Ave. Video service is available for walk-ins on a first come, first served basis, on the second and fourth Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai...
If you face heating bills that are burdensome, the State of Alaska’s Low-Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program could be your solution. LIHEAP is a federally-funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills. It can help you stay warm in the winter and reduce the risk of health and safety problems such as illness, fire or eviction. The program may be able to offer you one or more of the following types of assistance: bill payment assistance, energy crisis assistance, and weatherization and energy-related home r...
October is National Long-Term Care Residents’ Rights Month, a time to acknowledge the contributions and sacrifices many long-term care residents have made to better our community and to call attention to the rights of residents in long-term care facilities. Residents’ Rights Month is celebrated each year to highlight residents living in all long-term care settings. This year’s Residents’ Rights Month theme, "Amplify Our Voices," emphasizes a community of long-term care residents coming together to make their voices heard. Amplifying your vo...
This is the third in a series of interviews with Alaskans who have continued to work beyond the usual age of retirement. In this article, Bill Weiss, Physician Assistant (a mid-level health care provider), talks about living and working in Alaska and in other parts of the world. It's complicated. When and why did you come to Alaska? I originally came to Alaska in 1986 or 1987 after I had worked in Saudi Arabia. I came to Alaska to visit my brother [the interviewer is the brother] who had been...
Q: My mother will soon be using a wheelchair in her home. What should we be considering as she makes this transition? A: This is a really great question because there are several adjustments to be made, not only by your mother, but for others who may be visiting her home. I will only address a few potential retrofits one may take into account when getting her home ready to accommodate a wheelchair. One broad option is to undergo a full assessment of her living environment to understand where...
Supplements are different than over-the-counter medicines because medicine is given to change the physiologic workings of the body-suppress cough, decrease mucus, dampen inflammation-whereas supplements are typically given to enhance the normal functioning of the body, or to promote the optimal expression of body and mind. Here are the four basic types of supplements, with information on how to take them. Food-like supplements, including vitamins, minerals and botanicals In general, it's best...
From Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, I encourage you to review and, if needed, change your Prescription Drug Plan under Part D coverage. Changes you elect will become effective on Jan. 1. Certified Medicare counselors across Alaska can help you as part of the Medicare Information Office’s network of program Ambassadors, including through your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). Give us a call, we would be glad to answer your questions, guide you through the process, and even complete the...
Have you ever lost someone you love, or do you anticipate the death of someone you care about? Are you, yourself, facing the end of your life? I believe this is just about everyone reading this newspaper! Having been through the loss of two of my brothers, my husband, my friend, my mother, my step-dad, and my father, I found that the book “Understanding Your Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart (2nd Edition),” to be a wonderful resource. The author, Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D., writes with clarity and emp...
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a global campaign to increase awareness about this prevalent disease. Breast cancer affects millions of women worldwide. Early detection, often through screening, increases the chances of successful treatment and can save lives. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts in the cells of the breast. It can affect both men and women, but it’s far more common in women. Regular self-examinations and routine screenings can help in the early detection of breast cancer. Mammography remains one of the m...
Discount cards with Amazon and GoodRx versus out of pocket payments A nationally representative study is suggesting that at least one out of five prescriptions for commonly prescribed generic medications are cheaper through Amazon Prime or GoodRx Gold discount cards compared to actual out-of-pocket payments made by patients. The authors also highlight the disproportionately higher frequency of out-of-pocket payments exceeding discount card pricing for various vulnerable subgroups like the...
The Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired organizes monthly “Living Well With Vision Loss” educational and support meetings for people with low vision and their caregivers in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. In Anchorage, meetings are at the center’s office, 3905 Taft Drive, every second and third Wednesday (Oct. 11 and 18) at 1 p.m. Call Pete McCall for information, 907-771-4306. The Mat-Su sessions take place at Wasilla Senior Center, Oct. 17, 12:30 p.m., and Palmer Senior Center, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. Mid-Valley Senior Center in Ho...
AARP Alaska is sponsoring a webinar series, “Brain Health Across the Lifespan,” which will explore how the brain changes as we age, plus aspects of lifelong brain health including diet, exercise and sleep. Webinars will also discuss how to work through situations where brain changes may be non-modifiable. The University of Alaska Southeast will livestream and post the talks on the UAS YouTube page. The series runs through January, with one webinar per month except for October, when there will be two: Oct. 13 and Oct. 20. Both will be pre...
Family Caregiver Support Programs offer free support meetings to allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. If you are helping a family member or friend by being a caregiver, learn what kind of help is available. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend. Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska (ARA) organizes caregiver support meetings around the state, including Anchorage, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau/Southeast, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Mat-Su Valley, Seward, Sitka, S...
Jeanne Ashcraft started out as a school librarian, but for the last 10 years she has been operating Ashcraft Historical Transcription in Anchorage. She's 80 years of age now, and periodically thinks about stepping back from the work, but hasn't yet. She seems to be having too much fun. When and why did you come to Alaska? Oh, my. I came in 1998, about 25 years ago. My daughter and I drove up. I had three sons up here and a new grandchild, so I came up temporarily to see the grandchild, but then...
The AARP Alaska Anchorage Age-Friendly team hosted a booth at the 2023 Annual Fairview Block Party July 22 and enjoyed the opportunity to collect feedback about making Anchorage and Fairview more Age-Friendly. The event was lively, fun-filled and featured live music, good summer weather along with several other community service organizations, AARP partners and many engaging community members. The AARP booth centered around what it means to be an Age-Friendly community, shown by the “8 Domains of Livability”. The Domains are Outdoor Spaces and...
Q: My wife recently moved out, and I am unsure how to begin life over at age 77. She wants a divorce and I cannot imagine my life without her. A: While not knowing the details of your situation, I acknowledge your predicament. Life transitions pose difficulties for many reasons. First, the emotional havoc of that news is tough to digest. It creates pain, anxiety or possibly guilt, then drains a person’s vitality. And people often see change as a problem rather than an opportunity. Further, it w...
A first-of-its-kind robotic glove currently is lending a hand and providing hope to piano players who have suffered a disabling stroke. After suffering a stroke, everyday tasks can be extremely challenging due to decreased coordination and strength in one or both upper arms. These problems have spurred the development of robotic devices and now Florida investigators have come up with a new robotic hand that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve hand dexterity. The developers claim this...
My name is Pete McCall and I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Older Blind Coordinator at the Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I was born and raised in southwest Louisiana and worked over 20 years as an administrator and teacher in the New Orleans catholic school system. Six years ago, I came to Alaska to teach in one of Alaska’s villages, Kotlik. I met my wife in Anchorage and have been in Alaska ever since and now call it my home. It is my goal to help build a close-knit, vibrant blind and low vision community at the...
