Sorted by date Results 476 - 500 of 1931
This may be jumping the gun a bit for more northern latitudes, but Alaska gardens will soon give us plenty of vegetables for making crisp, brined pickles or tangy fermentations. Some may be wrinkling their noses at the very suggestion of these sour condiments and as a nutritionist, I can only cautiously promote pickles on the plate. At the same time, I love pickles and fermented foods. I love classic dills, I love sweet and sour, I love the complex salty, tangy flavors of fermented vegetables. C...
Our Medicare benefits were established under the Social Security Amendment of 1965, reflecting the restrictions and limitations of most health insurance at that time. This law excluded coverage for certain things, like dental care and routine vision services. Long-term care is also excluded because these services do not meet the definition of health care services in the law. Just because something is not covered by Medicare, though, does not mean that it isn’t needed. As I discuss some types o...
Many of you have been out catching fish this summer, one of the healthiest foods that is found in our wonderful state. Others might have been catching up on household or honey-do projects, sleep, sunshine, family, vacations and more. Now, we want you to focus on catching up on your health needs, which might be considered a rare catch, indeed. We offer dozens of community events and a number of office events that are open to the public each health fair season. The fall 2022 community and office draw schedules are now posted on our website at www...
Walking away from knee pain It may be possible to combat knee pain with just a few walks around the block. A new study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology is suggesting that walking for exercise can reduce new frequent knee pain among adults age 50 and older diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis is the most common form of arthritis. The study found that walking for exercise may be an effective treatment to slow the damage that occurs within the joint. “Until this f...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program office is located at 35477 Kenai Spur Highway, Suite 205 (located in the 4D Professional Building). You can call them at 907-262-1280 or email kpfcsp@soldotnaseniors.comkpfcsp@soldotnaseniors.com. The program will hold caregiver trainings and support group meetings in August at the locations below. Support meetings 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...
Dissolving implant to replace drugs For the first time, researchers have come up with a dissolving implantable device that relieves pain without drugs. The new device has the potential to provide an alternative to opioids and other highly addictive drugs. Researchers in Chicago, Illinois, have developed a small, soft, flexible implant that relieves pain on demand and without the use of drugs. The biocompatible, water-soluble device works by softly wrapping around nerves to deliver precise, targeted cooling, which numbs nerves and blocks pain...
The government has launched a new initiative to expand the availability of at-home tests that are more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. The tests work with a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone/tablet app to provide users with audible instructions, and audible test results. Order online at https://special.usps.com/testkits/accessible or by calling 1-800-232-0233. Each order will include two rapid-antigen tests that are more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. Orders will ship free, while supplies last....
Dear Savvy Senior: What types of financial resources are available to help seniors pay for long-term care? My 86-year-old mother will need either an assisted living facility or nursing home care in the near future, but she doesn’t have long-term care insurance and her savings are minimal. - Searching Daughter Dear Searching: The cost of assisted living and nursing home care in the U.S is very expensive. According to the Genworth cost of care survey tool, the national median cost for an assisted living facility today is over $4,600 per month, w...
Q. Is it possible to block a website from view? A. Yes, but like so many questions, the how-to part of the answer begins with “it depends.” There are many different apps that filter website content. They use various methods behind the scenes and sometimes provide unexpected results. The different methods include apps that block specific sites and apps that filter certain types of content. For example, in one case you may only see a “page not available” message, in another case you might be forwarded to a different page. Other utilities can rew...
Editor’s note: This press statement was received June 9, 2022. Congressman Peter DeFazio and Senator Bernie Sanders today introduced joint legislation, the Social Security Expansion Act (SSEA), to strengthen and expand Social Security for current and future generations. “As a trained gerontologist, I have devoted my career to protecting and expanding programs that are vital to seniors. One of my highest priorities is protecting Social Security, which millions of Americans rely on, including hundreds of thousands of Oregonians” said Rep. DeFaz...
Q: Due to a change in my health and physical capabilities, I moved to assisted living away from close friends. I’m not happy about this new situation. I feel lost and alone. A: Starting a new phase of life can be stressful. I understand and empathize. Coping with changes big or small, planned or unplanned, takes adjustment time. At first, we yearn for the ‘way our life was before’. We pine for friends and identifiable faces. There’s a sense of security, safety and confidence with recogni...
Note: This story was updated after the printed version went to press. AARP Alaska advocates for public policies that matter most to Alaskans age 50 and older and their families. During the 2021-22 legislative session, we passed 15 of our 22 budget and bill priorities benefiting older Alaskans. We saw successful passage of policies that support family caregivers, improve healthcare access and promote health. With wins ranging from dementia awareness and telehealth to expanded scopes of practice for Physician Assistants, Advanced Practice...
Everyone has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new study by researchers at the University of Groningen, Netherlands has found that some individuals weathered the stress of the pandemic better than others, in part, due to their genetics. How a person perceives their quality of life depends on a combination of factors that include the genes they inherited from their parents and their environment (a mix of nature and nurture). Studying genes related to quality of life can be complicated, but the COVID-19 pandemic allowed the...
Is your “lifestyle” correlated to your health? Although the intuitively obvious answer is a resounding “yes”, very little credence is given in the standard of care to the powerful impact of your day-to-day choices on your wellbeing. It’s not just about living longer, folks. It’s about living longer with energy, grace and satisfaction. Our health care system, unfortunately, is mostly monetized to support illness, not wellness. Therefore, we are largely on our own to promote and maintain good health. Fortunately, there is increasing awareness,...
Hospice is a program of comfort care and end-of-life pain management for those with a terminal illness. In this month’s review of Medicare-covered hospice, we speak directly to patients as if they are the ones taking these actions or making these decisions. However, discussions about hospice often involve caregivers and family members as well. If you are a caregiver, family member, or a patient’s appointed representative, you may be leading these conversations or decisions, rather than the patient. You are also encouraged to call one of our...
In 2020, nearly one in five Americans was providing unpaid caregiving to an adult with health or functional needs. That’s 53 million caregiving nationwide. This number is expected to continue to grow as the senior population increases through the middle of the century. Nearly a quarter of those providing care are providing care for two or more people, while simultaneously working full or part time jobs. The fact is, caregiving can be an emotional rollercoaster, rewarding in its demonstration of love and commitment and also exhausting, overwhelm...
We continue to offer traditional community and worksite health fairs where we need staff support. Volunteers come from all walks of life, age groups, backgrounds and interests. Volunteer opportunities include: Office volunteers: client support, phones, mail, evaluations, tallies, supplies, pack/unpack events and more. Meet and greet: Welcome people at events, share how to do paperwork. Registration: Calculate/receive cash, card, checks; record on logs. Blood pressure: Stethoscope/pressure cuffs or auto-cuffs (no experience needed). Blood draw:...
Eggs pack important health benefit Researchers now are reporting that moderate egg consumption can increase the amount of heart-healthy metabolites in the blood, and eating up to one egg per day may help lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Eggs are a rich source of dietary cholesterol, but they also contain a variety of essential nutrients. There is conflicting evidence as to whether egg consumption is beneficial or harmful to heart health. A 2018 study published in the journal...
Anchorage Senior Activity Center will offer free vision and hearing screenings on Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is sponsored and coordinated by the senior center and the Anchorage Municipal Senior Citizens Advisory Commission, in conjunction with Alaska Hearing and Tinnitus Center and Makar Eyecare. For more information, call the senior center at 907-770-2000 or the office of Emily McMahan, 907-522-4357 or www.AllEarsAlaska.com....
Alaska has the fastest-growing older adult population of any state in the country, and their health and well-being are at risk. As obesity rates among older adults continue to increase nationwide, so does their susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, early mortality, decreased physical functioning, and quality of life. One UAA research team is on a mission to improve the quality of life of older adults through an innovative hope-based education program aimed at fostering positive behaviors that fight obesity at its most c...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program office is located at 35477 Kenai Spur Highway, Suite 205 (located in the 4D Professional Building). You can call them at 907-262-1280 or email kpfcsp@soldotnaseniors.comkpfcsp@soldotnaseniors.com. The program will hold caregiver support group meetings in July at the locations below. Training is from 1 to 2 p.m., with support group meetings following, 2 to 3 p.m. Unless otherwise noted, this month’s training features a presentation and discussion on “Assisted Living Questions,” with Melis...
The following selections were published in Alaska newspapers July 1922. Nonstandard spelling and punctuation are presented as found in the original articles. Glorious Fourth Nome Nugget, July 8, 1922: At one o'clock, notwithstanding the various handicaps [bad weather and a flu epidemic], the Square presented a lively appearance, many adults braved the inclement weather while the children formed the majority, the enthusiastic element of the days celebration. Taking it all in all the day was...
In June, Arctic Slope Community Foundation (ASCF) announced its language learning website www.inupiaqonline.com, which combines Iñupiaq language preservation with modern technology. Funded by the Dept. of Health and Human Services and administered by ASCF, the website was built by Alaska Native web developers Christopher Egalaaq Liu (Yup’ik) and Lonny Alaskuk Strunk (Yup’ik) in conjunction with acclaimed Iñupiaq academic administrator, linguist, anthropologist and educator Edna Ahgeak Paniattaaq MacLean, Ph.D. The site references the North...
A long time ago, in a land far, far away (well, Juneau is pretty far away) there was a group of legislators who tried to do the right thing. They wanted to update and improve the laws about what happens when someone can’t make their own decisions about medical care. And as part of that change, they wanted to offer a form people could use, so that people could say for themselves who would make those decisions for them. They wrestled with this for four long years. And finally, one day, they had i...
Editor’s note: This press statement was received May 19, 2022. The telehealth access Alaskans relied on during the pandemic is on the path to becoming permanent after Rep. Ivy Spohnholz’s House Bill 265 passed the Senate floor by a vote of 17-0. The bill would increase Alaskans’ access to health care by making permanent some of the flexibilities that were crucial to patients and providers during the pandemic. Without HB 265, Alaskans would risk losing expanded telehealth access when the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) expires this July....
