Sorted by date Results 908 - 932 of 2084
Flu season is just getting started, but misinformation about influenza and the coronavirus is already swirling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it's likely that the viruses that cause the flu and the viruses that cause COVID-19 will both be circulating this fall and winter. But viruses aren't the only ill running rampant – misinformation exacerbates the situation. Online misinformation may be new, but the way it spreads is much like the way disease spreads across people. A...
The first fully approved COVID-19 vaccine will be shipped to Alaska for distribution perhaps as soon as the end of this year or early next year. Since it will be new, there won’t be much of it, so you will be assigned a priority. You will be vaccinated when the state of Alaska tells you it is your turn. Will you be in the top priority? The answer is a developing story with a few twists and turns. Late in August the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerted public health officials in Alaska and across the nation to prepare to d...
December is full of holidays and celebrations. It is a time of traditions. A time for family and friends. A time for decorations and festive scents. A joyfully busy time of shopping and preparations. However, holidays can also be stressful and lonely, especially for those caring for a loved one with any kind of dementia. The current pandemic makes these challenges even more difficult. COVID safety precautions necessitate that we all think about new ways to safely and creatively find joy this season. Many caregivers have the added concern of a...
Alaska Health Fair is closing out our fall season, so please check our website for remaining appointment openings and changes to the schedule, www.alaskahealthfair.org. Our offices statewide will be closed from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1. We plan to post Spring 2021 office draw dates on our website before the holidays. We will reopen all offices on Jan. 4 to start preparing for our spring season. We are available for community and worksite events -- arrangements must be determined on an individual basis. Call Anchorage (907) 278-0234 or Fairbanks...
According to grief.com, holidays mark the passage of time in our lives. They are part of the milestones we share, and they generally represent time spent with family. But since holidays are for being with those we love the most, how on earth can anyone be expected to cope with them when a loved one has died? This is the hardest part of grieving for many people, when we miss our loved ones even more than usual. How can we celebrate togetherness when there is none? When you lose someone special, your world lacks its celebratory qualities....
Everyone talks about masks. I like them and wear them but that is external protection only. While important and useful, I will be totally honest with you about them. The way we respond from a pathogen has more to do with our internal protection, as in our immune system. So ask yourself if it’s up to par. If it’s not, then you need to start fertilizing your garden of microflora (i.e., probiotics) and also avoid or minimize anything that weakens your immune system. In no special order, here are the most common factors that suppress your imm...
With senior centers still closed for most activities, the Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold all December peer support meetings on Tuesdays, 1 p.m., at its office at 44539 Sterling Highway, Suite 202 in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna. Social distancing will be respected, and masks will be worn 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 one-on-one a...
COVID-19 infection rates low among older adults with rheumatic diseases Texas researchers are happy to report some reassuring news for older adults living with rheumatic diseases. A new study is showing that the COVID-19 infection incidence has been low among adults with rheumatic diseases, and most of those infected only have a mild course of illness. Additionally, deaths have been low among rheumatic disease patients infected with COVID-19. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge...
When someone becomes seriously ill from COVID-19 and gets hospitalized or dies, there’s a tendency to wonder if that person had other ongoing health problems that made the outcome more likely. Then there’s the tendency to think those types of health problems affect only other people, not you or your family. But a new analysis in Alaska shows they affect most of us: Two out of three Alaska adults have an underlying health condition that can make COVID-19 more serious. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states strong evi...
Have lunch with Assistive Technology of Alaska (ATLA) and learn about assistive technology. Join each day at noon during the week of Dec. 7 for a variety of topics; see the schedule below. To learn more about ATLA, the webinars and how to register, visit www.tinyurl.com/ATLAwinterWebinars. Dec. 7: Navigating ATLA Programs Did you know that ATLA manages six programs and partners with other agencies on four additional programs? Learn about each one, what is provided, and how to qualify. Monday, Dec. 7 at noon. Dec. 8: Assistive technology for...
Congress has released funding for the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), granting Alaska a total of $17.4 million to award assistance to low income households struggling with utility bills for the 2020-2021 season. LIHEAP is designed to safeguard the health and well-being of Alaskans by offsetting the cost of home heating for eligible Alaskan residents. LIHEAP assists households with income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines. The benefit is a one-time payment to the household’s vendor, sen...
I recall a joke from the last millennium where pranksters would call a senior on the phone, pretending to be from the phone company. “We’re working in your neighborhood and have some extra phone line. If you’ll yank hard on your phone cord you can have some extra line for free.” Supposedly the unsuspecting victim would yank on the cord and their line would go dead. Seniors can be the disproportionate butt of jokes. Some are funny and others are hurtful. Today’s scams are considerably more damaging than the jokes and pranks of old. Our best...
You have the advantage over me, Dear Reader. You know how the election turned out. Oh, I have a general idea. As I write this, it is November 4, the day after the election. At this point it looks like Biden is going to edge out Trump, the Senate will remain in Republican hands, and the Democrats will hang onto the House. I was waiting until today, when I thought I would know who won, to write my Senior Voice column. I expected that the Democrats would most likely control both houses of...
Cabin fever came early this year for sure. With a vaccine coming available within the next couple of months, once we can go outside with some safety it'll be like the gift of an early spring. Meanwhile, consider getting some fresh air and sunlight by watching or participating in upcoming ski, skidoo and snowshoe races. It'll help with the blues and possible depression caused by the enormity of the pandemic's effect on our mental health. The calendar is out for races across Alaska. Visit...
Older Persons Action Group will hold its 2020 annual membership meeting virtually on Thursday, Nov. 19, at noon. The board business meeting starts at 11:15 a.m., followed immediately by the membership meeting. Due to COVID concerns, meetings will be conducted online via the Zoom web platform. Attendance will require a Zoom log-in link, provided by email to those who RSVP no later than Nov. 17. To RSVP, call 276-1059 or 1-800-478-1059, or email admin@opagak.com. Senior Voice wins awards Senior...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns virtually online Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This month’s focus is on the Anchorage Museum. Museums house collections of the histories of civilizations and culture. The study of our past gives us a look at what we have been and what we still can be. The Anchorage Museum has developed ways to stay connected to our community as we age. Join us to find out how art/creativity is beneficia...
Enormous drug company profits are the primary driver of soaring prescription drug prices in America, according to an investigation that Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released recently. The report, based on an 18-month investigation which produced more than a million documents, was started by former committee chairperson Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md.., who died last year. But it was largely overlooked, with the nation focused on COVID-19 and the presidential elections – despite a congressional hearing with verbal fireworks i...
Some call a booming economy a “rising tide that lifts all boats.” We’re experiencing the flip side of that now: a sinking tide that is wreaking havoc unequally. Age, income and circumstance have affected all Americans in the tsunami of this pandemic. Seniors are bearing the brunt of the crisis as it relates to serious infection and death, but the financial picture for most “boomers and beyond” has been a mixed bag. Short term, our age group is faring better financially than others. Most seniors are beyond the tethers of salary needs and depen...
As we conclude our celebration of LGBT History Month, we must recognize how LGBT history has been told. For decades, the trailblazing work of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) LGBT pioneers has been eclipsed by white and cisgender narratives. Names like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera have not always been at the forefront of our history. Far too often, we see the practice of whitewashing affect how history is told. This leaves the BIPOC community with the task of undoing this flawed storytelling. They cannot and should not do it...
November is here, which means the holidays are right around the corner. It also means that it is “Alzheimer’s Awareness” month. During the month of November our agency, Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska (ARA) doubles efforts to raise awareness about the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. We believe that education is empowering. The more people know about and understand the disease, the more they are able to help people living with cognitive challenges at home and in their communities. Americans are living longer than ever...
4 has been an ever-evolving season of change. As we turn our calendars to the holiday season, I believe this will continue to be the case. For many, traditions will be modified or skipped for a year and I find myself with a heavy heart when I think about what is to come. However, it helps me to focus on the things that will never change and to embrace some positive aspects of things that have changed. A well-loved tradition every November here at Hospice of Anchorage is to partner together...
The Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) Open Enrollment Period is now in full swing. (See page 7 for details - Editor.) For those who don’t know, from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year, Medicare provides an opportunity for beneficiaries who have Part A (Hospital) coverage and/or Part B (Medical) coverage to: join a Medicare Part D plan, change their Medicare Part D plan or dis-enroll from Medicare Part D. Enrollment, disenrollment, and plan changes can also be made to Medicare Advantage (...
At-home testing for COVID infection Researchers have developed a new type of multiplexed test with a low-cost sensor that may enable the at-home diagnosis of a COVID-19 infection through rapid analysis of small volumes of saliva or blood, without the involvement of a medical professional, in less than 10 minutes. One feature of the COVID-19 virus that makes it so difficult to contain is that it can be easily spread to others by a person who has yet to show any signs of infection. The carrier of...
With senior centers still closed, the Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold all November peer support meetings on Tuesdays, 1 p.m., at its office at 44539 Sterling Highway, Suite 202 in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna. Social distancing will be respected, and masks will be worn 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 one-on-one appointments and if you have q...
Alaska Health Fair is almost at the end of the fall season. During November, we will offer services on certain dates in Anchorage and Fairbanks, and will continue to provide services until the second week of December. Our offices will be closed for some days in late November for Thanksgiving, and from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1, for the holidays. We will reopen on Jan. 4 to start preparing for an active spring 2021 season. We continue to work through COVID, providing Alaskans affordable, comprehensive, private blood tests, as safely as possible....
