Sorted by date Results 777 - 801 of 1990
Dear Savvy Senior: What can you tell me about balance exercises? I’ve fallen a few times over the past year and have read that balance exercises can help me regain my steadiness, but I’m not exactly sure what to do. — Unsteady at 70 Dear Unsteady: Most people don’t think much about practicing their balance, but they need to. As we age, our balance declines if it isn’t practiced, which can lead to falls that often result in a broken bone. Every year more than one in four people age 65 and older fall, and the risk increases with age. Here’s what...
With senior centers still closed for most activities, the Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold all March peer support meetings on Tuesdays, 1 to 2:30 p.m., at its office at 44539 Sterling Highway, Suite 202 in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna. Social distancing will be respected, masks worn and hand sanitizer provided at the meetings, and virtual attendance via Zoom can be arranged for those who can’t make it in person. Different topics will be discussed at each meeting. Bring your questions and ideas. You may also schedule o...
"Move today and you'll love moving tomorrow." - Ruthy Alon, Feldenkrais Method© Practitioner and movement trainer. We have endless options to move, to go place to place, up and down, side to side, but can you feel the pleasure, the efficiency in your movement? As children we're curious. Reaching for a toy, we roll over for our first time, we crawl to fetch, walk to explore a new place. Yet, as the years go by, many folks find it challenging to get enough exercise. Health benefits of...
Are you caring for someone who is seriously ill? We can help. Hospice of Anchorage understands that being a caregiver is an important job. You shoulder many responsibilities caring for a friend or relative who is seriously ill. You may also have strong feelings arise as you watch your loved one coping with the difficulties of poor health. We are here to help with: Educational articles Caregiving tips Connections to local services Links to national resources A family blog tool A monthly newsletter You don’t have to do this alone. We are happy t...
Newly discovered benefits of tea and coffee Adding more tea and coffee drinking to your daily routine may reap some important hidden health benefits. Stroke and heart attack survivors can reduce multiple causes of death and prevent further cardiovascular events by drinking green tea, according to a new Japanese study. Researchers also found daily coffee consumption benefited heart attack survivors by lowering their risk of death after a heart attack and can prevent heart attacks or strokes in...
Having an autoimmune condition, or a thyroid condition can make you more susceptible to coronavirus complications. Think of autoimmune conditions in the same manner you would other immunosuppressive disorders (cancer, organ transplantation, history of radiation treatment or chemotherapy). As it pertains to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves disease or hypothyroidism, you need to be extra vigilant while you’re out in public because your immunity is compromised. The right dose of thyroid medication, and the right kind are critical because you may...
Every five years since 1980, the U.S. government has released a new version of the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans”. These reports are thorough reviews of up-to-date diet and health research, focused on population-wide health promotion and chronic disease prevention. If one looks at the earliest guidelines through to the present, in some ways they don’t appear terribly different. But, the small and subtle changes in each version are the result of exhaustive consideration of the evidence and expert scientific thought. The earliest versi...
Friends of Seniors, Catholic Community Service (CCS) Juneau's latest volunteer program, addresses gaps in community care. The program matches senior participants age 60 and older with local volunteers to assist with non-medical, advocacy and daily support care. Friends of Seniors supports seniors with a variety of needs, and the only requirement is the age limit: anyone needing support can participate. Before the COVID-19 pandemic settled in last March, Jennifer Carson, Director of Home and...
Recently I came in from my afternoon snowshoe laps and quickly removed all my winter gear. While waiting for my tea water to heat, I pondered my enjoyment of my favorite winter exercise. I hadn't gone out the previous day because of a 6-degree temperature along with our famous Mat-Valley winds, which were blowing snow sideways. But, my recent session had been exhilarating. Fresh moose, snowshoe hare, and mouse tracks all showed that I wasn't the only one to venture out once the "blizzard" let up...
Before Alaska International Senior Games Athlete Carol Johnson even had a bicycle, her ten-year old adventurous self was drawn to biking, learning from her grade school friends on their bikes. Fast forward 60-plus years to an April spring day in 2020. Carol was on one of her regular outings riding around Fairbanks when she noticed her bike skipping gears, so she stopped by the local bike shop. While checking it in for service, she remembered a conversation she had in 2019 with another cyclist...
Some significant changes affecting seniors on health care issues may have gotten lost in the tumultuous whirlwind changes between the end of the Trump administration and the start of the Biden administration. Amid the increasing intensity of the pandemic, the violent turbulence at the U.S. Capitol, and the slower than expected rollout of the first vaccines, Congress actually got some important things done affecting seniors that went unnoticed, buried in the massive spending package. Congress passed a $900 billion pandemic relief package and...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast (formerly known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, the monthly event is being continued virtually online via Zoom. The February meeting is Feb. 10, hosted by Ancora Home Health & Hospice. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons...
COVID testing time reduced to less than five minutes A new COVID-19 test that reduces testing time from 30 minutes to less than five and delivers accurate results has been developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham in England. The researchers believe their method could deliver a test that is not only fast but also sufficiently sensitive. The test does not require samples to be treated at high temperatures, and it can be performed using standard laboratory equipment, making it readily deployable. Professor Tim Dafforn from the...
On Dec. 23, 2020, Congress passed a new provision called the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act of 2020, or “BENES Act” of 2020 as part of the $900 billion pandemic aid package. This bill had wide bipartisan support in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The bill also had strong support from more than 85 national and state organizations that support older adults and people with disabilities. The BENES Act is the first update to Original Medicare (Me...
Alaska Health Fair’s spring schedule is now online, with most events already posted at www.alaskahealthfair.org. Check back frequently, as the spring season is fluid. We continue to add new dates as they come available and/or remove some. During spring 2021, we are following our 2020 model of “by appointment only.” To make a blood test appointment, follow these easy steps: Find the program that serves your region; pick a date you’re interested in, select the “Make Appointment” button on that line. The system will walk you through a simple proce...
A good way to lose weight is to exercise more. It is by far the healthiest way to tone up and shrink your waistline. The problem is that some of you cannot work out, or your gym is closed, or you don’t feel well enough to due to some health issue, or injury. So if you’re more sedentary than you used to be, and the pounds are piling up, then the next best thing is to eat smaller portions at each meal. Try cutting back on your portions by 10% each meal until you’re eating a healthy amount, and no longer over-eating. Also, try closing your kitch...
Cancer drug repurposed may help protect against hearing loss According to the World Health Organization, around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss, a number the organization projects will double by 2050 to affect 1 in 10 people. However, a new study out of Creighton University School of Medicine has identified a drug that has the potential to protect against or treat hearing loss. The findings are significant because no such FDA-approved drug currently exists, and the drug...
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." An insightful quote from artist Pablo Picasso, and a great reminder that each of us has the potential for artistic expression. There is no doubt that creativity is good for us at any age and especially as we age. Studies have shown that older adults who participate in creative activities have a better quality of life and maintain independence more easily. Renowned geriatric psychiatrist Gene Cohen conducted "The...
Sexual intimacy among “horny old broads and dirty old men” is a subject people don’t talk about much. Especially around the grandkids. There’s a widespread misconception that seniors lose interest. Oo-la-la, au contraire. Unclench please, we’re all adults. Don’t get uptight and mentally censor or deem sinful the urges that come naturally. A University of Michigan/AARP survey finds 40 percent of people ages 65 to 80 are sexually active. Nearly 72 percent of individuals in that age range have a romantic partner and of those, 54 percent are...
In March 2020, Alaska International Senior Games athlete Goldie Southwood made a decision that had a huge impact on her life. Goldie's big heart has led her to be an awesome volunteer in her North Pole community. However, she spent so much of her day helping others that she ignored herself and her health was declining. With COVID shutting her community down, Goldie was fighting depression. Using her time to think about herself for a change, she decided that her health was important to her. So sh...
AARP Alaska has appointed Madeline Holdorf, a lifetime community activist, to the top volunteer position in Alaska. As the new State President for Alaska, Holdorf will chair the AARP Alaska Executive Council, a volunteer leadership committee that helps set AARP's state agenda and programs for its 77,000 members and volunteers. "I am honored to accept this appointment and to advocate on behalf of Alaskans 50 and older," said Holdorf. "As a long-time AARP member and volunteer, I am committed to...
Dear Savvy Senior: I will turn 65 in a few months and plan to keep working for several more years. I have good health insurance from my employer now. Do I have to sign up for Medicare when I reach 65? — Looking Ahead Dear Looking: Whether you need to enroll in Medicare at 65 if you continue to work and have health insurance through your job depends on how large your employer is. The same rules apply if your health insurance comes from your spouse’s job. But first, let’s review the basics. Remember that original Medicare has two parts: Part...
Air travel requires spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring you in close contact with other people and frequently touched surfaces. Social distancing is difficult in busy airports and on crowded flights, and sitting within 6 feet of others, sometimes for hours, may increase your risk of getting COVID-19. How you get to and from the airport, such as with public transportation and ridesharing, can also increase your chances of being exposed to the virus. Testing before and after travel can reduce the risk of spreadi...
President-elect Joe Biden will not get a traditional honeymoon from Congressional lawmakers to start off his new administration in January. It will severely limit what he can accomplish on his ambitious health care agenda. With sharp divides in both houses of Congress, where a few votes one way or the other could determine success or failure, Biden may even have trouble getting his Cabinet nominations through. Without a doubt, Biden's two-prong agenda – to solve the coronavirus pandemic and patc...
My name is Katie Dougherty, and I am excited to introduce myself as the new Associate State Director for Communications at our AARP state office. I am a lifetime Alaskan with years of experience in local and federal policy. I look forward to working with Alaskans 50 and older to improve quality of life for elders across the state. While 2020 was a crazy ride, we at AARP are gearing up with another great year of events and resources – and we’re prepared to bring you the same great programming virtually until it’s safe to gather once more. This...
