Sorted by date Results 455 - 479 of 2047
First, I'm going to tell you a true story. Then we'll talk about how your public transit driver can pick you up and take you where you want to go for free, or sometimes for just a buck or two. In the late 1990s Christy (my wife) and I lived for nearly a year in Huntsville, Alabama, while I did research for a book I was writing. On weekdays she took our car to her job, and I took a city bus to the law office where I was doing the research. After a few months I got to know the bus drivers pretty...
The LGBTQ+ organization, SAGE Alaska, is now Alaska Rainbow Elders, or ARE for short. This change was made at the request of the national organization, SAGE USA, hoping it would encourage all its partners to concentrate on issues unique to their area. Under the new structure, ARE continues to partner with SAGE USA but will no longer use its name or logo. It will retain access to SAGE USA’s many resources. Alaska Rainbow Elders was created after using community input to guide the rebranding. ARE joined the national SAGE USA in 2016, having opera...
What does it mean to be a Livable Community? As defined by the AARP Livable Communities project, a Livable Community supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and rural areas to be great places for people of all ages. Communities should supply safe, walkable streets, affordable housing, safe transportation options, access to needed services and opportunities for residents of all ages to take part in community life. How does that translate to life in Anchorage? This is the first in a...
Q: When I was younger, my uncle gave me a copy of his manuscript detailing his life. Now in my advanced years, I am thinking about writing my own life summary. Where do I start? A: Chronicling your story can be a way to leave memories for your family, record information for historical purposes, or just be remembered. It can be a way to capture your lifetime of experiences, lessons learned, failures, triumphs, and share memorable moments with others. While a written legacy may seem daunting, it...
Most of us seniors have grown into adulthood "knowing" that total cholesterol levels over 200 "cause" premature death from cardiovascular disease. Like most medical facts, the truth is complex, nuanced and dependent on multiple variables. It is intuitively obvious that cardiovascular disease is more complex than the number 200. I hope we can agree on that. I have a family of Finnish patients who are hearty athletes (the type that skin up the mountain for spring skiing long after the lifts are...
Mental health care can diagnose and treat mental illnesses or mental health conditions. A mental illness or mental health condition may affect your thinking, feeling or mood. Examples of mental health conditions include depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. Some also consider addiction, like opioid use disorder and alcoholism, to be mental health conditions. Mental health conditions are typically not the result of any single event or circumstance. Rather, they are complicated conditions involvi...
In 2018, Medicare updated the Medicare card from containing a person's Social Security number to a random identifier that includes numbers and letters. That was the last time the card was updated and there is no plan to update it again. What does the card look like? The card from Medicare is a paper card that has a blue banner on the top, a white middle, and a red banner on the bottom. However, you can print your own in black and white. Examples of Medicare card scams Someone calls you...
June is Men’s Health Month, a time to raise awareness about the unique health issues men face and to encourage early detection, treatment and prevention. Alaska Health Fair, Inc. is proud to support this important initiative, and we’re here to help you take control of your health. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of men’s health and highlight the blood tests we offer that can help detect potential health problems. Men’s health issues can often go unnoticed or undiagnosed, which is why it’s crucial to prioritize regular checkups an...
Forget about dieting. A new electrical “pill” may be able to regulate a person’s appetites without any drugs or invasive medical procedures. It is a promising advance in treating eating disorders and other medical conditions that benefit from adjusting someone’s food intake. Developed by a research team from NYU Tandon School of Engineering and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the pill has been dubbed FLASH. It delivers electrical impulses to the stomach lining once it’s sw...
COVID-19 transmission continues to occur in many communities across Alaska, although overall case counts continue to slowly decline, according to state officials who are tracking the virus. Most COVID-19 infections in Alaska at this time are caused by viruses belonging to either the XBB.1.5 lineage or to BQ lineages. While many infections with the virus that causes COVID-19 are not detected or reported, changes over time in the number of reported cases still provide useful information about the...
The term "malnutrition" is used when a person has an inadequate diet. This diet does not allow them to obtain the necessary nutrients for their body and organs to function properly. In older adults, malnutrition manifests itself in increased fatigue due to a lack of vitamins and minerals. The body seeks to maintain the rhythm of a healthy organism and uses energy reserves to function properly. Changing needs Due to the changes in this stage of life, older adults have different nutritional...
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, Soldotna, Talkeetna, Willow. Call 1-800-478-1080 for details. ARA also hosts a statewide call-in meeting on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of every month, 1 to 2 p.m. For information, call Gay Wellman, 907-822-5620 or 1-800-478-1080. The Homer caregiver support group meets at the Homer Senior Center on the second and fourth T...
Water safety is essential for all ages but particularly important for seniors. As people age, they often experience changes in their physical abilities and health that can make them more vulnerable to accidents and injuries in and around water, but self-awareness doesn't always keep up with those limitations. Understanding water safety is critical to prevent accidents and enjoy the many benefits of water activities. The most important aspects of water safety for seniors are the risks associated...
The Elder Mentor Program is pleased to continue our monthly feature in Senior Voice, each article highlighting an Elder Mentor who has generously offered their time, support, wisdom and care to their local communities throughout Alaska. For the next three months, our New Stuyahok Elder Mentors will be sharing their stories and recipes. Elder Mentors volunteer in school with students, serving as role models, tutors and, often, also Culture Bearers. Culture Bearers pass down their knowledge to...
Nothing seems to stop Rick Mystrom. From the quest to hold the Olympics in Anchorage, to building an ad agency, to running for mayor of Anchorage, to facing the scourge of Type 1 diabetes, Mystrom has not backed down. Born in Minnesota in 1943, he moved to Alaska in 1972 and three years later established Mystrom/Beck Advertising, now the Nerland Agency. He's contributed a lot to the life of Alaska. "I started Big Brothers Big Sisters after doing it in Los Angeles," he said. "I called the...
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...
There is a vast array of benefits for retired veterans and their families, but “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Not to worry, we will point you in the right direction. I recently interviewed three Alaskan experts on the topic and here’s a sample of what they had to say. First up, Verdie Bowen, Director of the Alaskan Office of Veterans Affairs: “I’m probably the only director in the nation that actually will take and file a claim. I’m Alaskan and I’m from the bush. When you go into a community, you’re the only expert there. “We are here...
On behalf of our more than 75,000 members, AARP Alaska is working to pass legislation in the current state legislative session that empowers all Alaskans to choose how they live as they age, and the vast majority of us want to age at home in our Alaskan communities. Alaska has the fastest growing senior population in the nation for the tenth year in a row. As the senior percentage of our population grows, more workers retire and the available workforce shrinks. We’ve seen this trend accelerated in the last few years, when many older Alaskans r...
A caregiver is a person in charge of providing specific and often specialized care to older adults and people with chronic diseases. In other words, they are committed to accompanying and improving the quality of life of the person they care for. Caregivers fulfill the task of facilitating and providing care for the basic and instrumental activities of daily living that an older person cannot perform or in which they require some type of support, due to physical or mental disability. Taking on the commitment of caring for a loved one brings...
May has arrived, and as we welcome the warmer weather and blooming flowers, let us also take a moment to recognize the importance of mental health. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Alaska Health Fair, Inc. is dedicated to raising awareness for mental well-being. Mental health is a crucial aspect of our overall well-being, as it encompasses our emotional, psychological and social wellness. Our mental health influences how we think, feel and act, and plays a significant role in our ability to cope with stress, relate to others and make d...
Obtaining the best health care involves good communication between you and your doctor. Today I will help explain how you can build an effective relationship with your doctor and make the most of your visits. Communicate well with your health care provider Communication is very important when building relationships with your health care providers and getting the best possible care. To help you communicate with your providers, take the following steps: Be prepared. Arrive at your doctor’s o...
Hope Conference Alaska, presented by the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation, takes place May 6 at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The educational symposium will feature guest speakers Dr. Pinky Agarwal, with updates on Parkinson’s disease, and Dr. Karin Duncan, discussing gut health and Parkinson’s. Activities include a Qi Gong demonstration, Rock Steady Boxing, a resource fair and more for people with Parkinson’s, care partners, family, friends and interested health professionals. Boxed lunch provided by Sweet Caribou...
Powerful benefits from wild blueberries for older adults New research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition further supports daily consumption of wild blueberries for improving memory, brain function and blood pressure in older adults. A 12-week clinical trial called BluFlow, led by Dr. Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, an associate professor in Nutrition at the Department of Nutritional Sciences of King’s College London, investigated the cognitive and vascular benefits of daily wild blueb...
Q: My daughter has recently gotten divorced and previous occasional visits with grandchildren has now turned into full-time care, due to an absent father and a daughter who cannot afford to care for them on her own. How do I handle the ambivalence towards this situation? A: These days with circumstances of divorce, incarceration of a parent, death of the children’s parents, or when a family situation changes, it becomes a new beginning for older adults when they start caring for their g...
Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. (WASI) will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, Friday, May 5 at 2 p.m., to celebrate the new WASI Mid-Valley Adult Day Services, located at 11975 W. Mid-Valley Way in Houston. All are welcome. WASI’s mission is to help seniors live as independently as possible for as long as possible. As the number of seniors continues to increase dramatically in the Mat- Su Valley, families, friends and professionals are seeking out more specialized care and support services for a vulnerable adult. The WASI Adult D...
