Sorted by date Results 582 - 606 of 2047
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. 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 help is available. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend. Call with...
Update: Anchorage and Mat-Su showings for this film have been postponed to early 2023. A new documentary film, “All the Lonely People,” with a significant portion filmed in Alaska, addresses the growing public health concerns of social isolation and loneliness, and it offers solutions to help reduce the harmful effects. The groundbreaking film will have its Alaska premier showings this winter. We all know what social isolation is like. COVID-19 lockdowns showed us that. But for millions of Americans, social isolation and loneliness are all too...
A friend of mine recently sent me an excerpt from "Open: An Autobiography," by Andre Agassi, the retired tennis professional. In it he talks about the mental battle he learned to fight after finding a new coach who helped propel him to do remarkable things in tennis. My friend saw parallels in my own thought process: "The tyranny of perfection". Growing up playing tennis with a father who (most of the time) gently taught my brother and me the needed skills, I was still subconsciously motivated...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will hold a quarterly meeting Oct. 3-6 in the Anchorage area. Items of discussion will include updates on dementia programs, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, veterans issues, senior housing, Alaska Pioneer Homes and other topics pertaining to Alaska seniors. Public attendance is encouraged. Meeting hours are Monday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 4 and 5, commissioners will hold listening sessions around Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley....
The Anchorage Age-Friendly leadership team will be conducting a pilot ‘Walk Audit’ later this month. What is a Walk Audit and why are we conducting one in Anchorage? A Walk Audit is a structured method to assess an area’s walkability by observing how pedestrians and drivers use a particular street or intersection, recording information about that use and determining if improvements should be made. If changes are needed to make the area more walkable, the next step is sharing the information and making a case to the community and local leade...
The VA Caregiver Support Program is hosting a free virtual resource fair on Wednesday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This event is open to all caregivers – they do not have to be enrolled in the VA Caregiver Support Program to participate. Presentations will be on various topics from multiple service agencies: Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program (IPVAP); VA Mental Health Panel/Services; VA Neuropsychology Services (Dr. Swan); Alaska Legal Services, with attorney Eva Khadjinova; Advanced Care Planning (VA and State of Alaska forms)...
It is advisable for people who have recently been diagnosed with a serious illness that will result in declining mental or physical health to discuss and update their financial and health care affairs as soon as possible. People with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia often have trouble managing their money, but the person may not realize that they are losing the ability to manage their money. Here are some signs that may indicate that a person with Alzheimer’s is not managing his or her money well or is the victim of a scam: The per...
Alaska has the fastest growing senior population in the nation, which means an increasing number of Alaskans are living with dementia. Our state needs to be prepared to address the needs of aging Alaskans, and the passage of House Bill 308 was a big step in the right direction. HB 308 and its companion, Senate Bill 216, were introduced to create a statewide dementia awareness and healthcare capacity campaign and to direct the Department of Health to educate clinicians, health care professionals, and the public on the early warning signs of Alzh...
Anchorage, Alaska is officially the 678th community to enroll in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities (NAFSC). An AARP Age-Friendly Community is one where a city’s elected leadership has made a commitment to actively work with residents and local advocates to make their city a safe and fulfilling place to live for people of all ages. As an NAFSC member, Anchorage is now publicly recognized for its commitment to becoming age-friendly and will receive access to resources for identifying and assessing community needs, as well a...
I’ve been writing about the chance to participate in medical research by applying for clinical trials that could not only help oneself, but countless others. Being in the Chicago area, there are plenty of medical trials to choose from, so I decided on the osteoarthritis knee study at Northwestern University. For years, I’ve growled that we can put a man the moon but can’t make cartilage regrow or even replace it with another material. This study would involve a regular injection of a drug to do just that (or you get a placebo). I took the overh...
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...
