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School is about to start, and I'm thinking about what it means to be a senior. Wearing the label "senior" makes you think about who you are and the kind of role you serve. Whether you're graduating high school or nearing your 80s, you serve as a role model to those younger than you. To me, the senior in my life who has inspired me the most is my Oma. Growing up spending time with her every Thursday was by far the highlight of the week. Not just because she is my Oma, but because of how...
Dear Savvy Senior, My husband and I are in our 50s and would like to know what resources you recommend for locating senior discounts, and what age do they kick in? - Frugal Fay Dear Fay, One of the great perks of growing older in America is the many discounts that are available. There are literally thousands of senior discounts on a wide variety of products and services including restaurants, travel and lodging, entertainment, retail, health, grocery stores, automotive services and much more....
Q: Have you heard about TikTok Shop? It is fascinating how my 72-year-old cousin has successfully sold her personally designed sweatshirts online through this platform. How does it work? A: TikTok Shop is part of the popular TikTok app, serving as an online marketplace where users can shop for various products and showcase their own creations. This platform enhances the shopping experience by making product discovery and transactions seamless and easy. TikTok is just one of the many pathways...
August is a month rich with family traditions-reunions, barbecues, road trips, and multigenerational gatherings that bring kids, parents, and grandparents together. For families with a loved one living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia (ADRD), these visits can be both precious and challenging. Grandchildren may be visiting from out of town, eager to connect with grandparents they don't see often. For those living with memory loss, these visits can be a source of joy-but also...
It is a dangerous thing to try to summarize a complex piece of legislation. As I’m sure you know, Congress recently passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which runs close to 1,000 pages. Reading something that long would be difficult, even if it was a well-written, enjoyable book. “Les Miserables” is longer at about 1,500 pages, but a congressional bill will include a lot of secondary references, so it will say something like “8 US Code section 347(a)(4) is repealed” and if you want to unders...
Only about three out of every 10,000 Americans will reach the age of 100. Included in that rare longevity category is actress June Lockhart who tipped the century mark on June 25 this year. "I can't believe it either!" she told me recently. And no, it's not merely coincidence she shares a name with her birth month. Parents Gene and Kathleen Lockhart were both actors who married in June 1924 in Chicago. The following year, their only child was born – also in June. "They were expecting a boy w...
Q. How difficult is it to check out eBooks from the public library? A. There are a number of different methods to access library books on a device. One of the most commonly used is also one of the easiest to use: Libby. Not every library system supports Libby, so check your local branch before you move forward. Install the Libby app from your device’s App Store. Enter your library credentials, usually a card number and PIN number. If you need help with this step, ask someone at your local library for assistance. The Libby app allows you to b...
The Forget-Me-Not-Chorus is a musical gathering of people with dementia. They performed at the Anchorage Senior Activities Center June 6. This testimonial is from Jeanne Bussey, who is the caregiver for her partner, Ken Cassity. It was provided by Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska. I'm here today, accompanied by Ken, my forever partner, and Elaine, our good friend. Today I'm going to talk about the wonders of music. Ken and I were both lucky to grow up in families enriched by music, so we learned...
Dear Savvy Senior, What kinds of legal documents do I need to help my family take care of me in my elder years? I would like to get my affairs in order but could use some help. - Approaching 80 Dear Approaching, All adults, especially an older adult like yourself, should have at least five legal documents to protect yourself and your family. These documents will make sure your wishes regarding your estate are legal and clear and will help minimize any conflicts and confusion with your family...
With the rising popularity of peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps like PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, Google Pay, and Apple Pay, it's crucial to protect yourself from fraud on these platforms. While these apps make transferring funds from one person to another quick and easy, they also increase the risk of scams. According to Forbes, P2P fraud losses reached an estimated $1.7 billion in 2022, and that number has only risen since. Transactions are instantaneous and usually irreversible, so knowing...
Q: Why do I feel like TV or online ads are trying to trick me into a certain way of thinking? A: Media has a significant and often subtle influence on our unconscious thoughts and actions, shaping our perceptions of reality, social norms and self-identity. Our unconscious mind holds a vast reservoir of thoughts, memories, emotions, and instincts that function outside our conscious awareness, continuously affecting our behavior. While the unconscious mind serves as the foundation, the conscious...
Our state brings us stunning scenery and the joy of wide-open spaces, but it also gives us harsh weather and natural disasters. Earthquakes, winter storms, wildfires, and flooding are all things to think about. Most of us have plans in place for our own safety, but what about our beloved pets? Dogs, cats, or other animals live with us, and it's just as important to plan for their safety, too. In an emergency, pets depend on us. Having a pet-friendly plan can make a big difference. If you have...
Released 60 years ago this year, "The Sons of Katie Elder" is often cited as a favorite amongst John Wayne fans. In addition to the delightful screen chemistry between Wayne and co-star Dean Martin as lead actors, the cast is a who's who of beloved classic film character actors including Paul Fix, James Gregory, Strother Martin, Rhys Williams, and John Qualen. And John Doucette. With his deep, rich, distinctive voice and rugged features, Doucette was a prolific supporting actor in more than 140...
Jim Irsay died recently, age 65. If you don’t know who Jim Irsay was, he was the owner of the Indianapolis Colts football team. His father bought the team and moved it from Baltimore. Jim inherited the franchise and ran it for most of his life. Irsay had an estate which has been estimated at $4.8 billion, the Colts being the bulk of that at an estimated $4.4 billion. He was divorced and left his entire estate to his three daughters. This is going to be a problem for them. Under current law, e...
Q. Is there a quick way to open your most used app on an iPhone? A. Siri, the sometimes-maligned voice assistant, is generally fast at opening a named app. Skip the “Hey Siri” phrase and use the hot key to invoke Siri. The hot key is different on different iPhone models, but it’s usually the home button or the power button. On my phone, tapping the power button and saying “open camera” is faster than finding and tapping the camera icon. As long as I use the same name that appears under the app’s icon, it works nearly every time. If you just ins...
As our beautiful Alaska spring turns to summer, many people sneeze and sniffle more than their normal. Pesky seasonal allergies can make enjoying our gorgeous outdoors difficult. Let's go over helpful information about recognizing allergic reactions, treating them, and minimizing seasonal allergies. First, let's talk about how to know if you're having an allergic reaction. Mild to moderate symptoms include sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, watery or itchy eyes, and itchy throat. You might also...
Dear Savvy Senior, Q. My husband and I, who are retired, have accumulated about $7,000 in credit card debt over the past few years and need some help paying it off. What can you tell us? - Living Underwater A. Dear Living, I’m sorry to hear about your financial woes but know that you’re not alone. Credit card debt has become a big problem in this country for millions of older Americans. According to a recent AARP report, 52 percent of adults ages 50 to 64 have credit card debt, along with 42 percent of those ages 65 to 74. Rising costs of bas...
Jury duty scams are on the rise in Alaska, and it's crucial to know how they work so you can avoid them. One common scam involves an email that claims you missed jury service and includes a calendar to select a week when you'll be available. The email may threaten fines or imprisonment if you don't respond. This email is not from the Alaska Court System or the U.S. District Court...It's from a scammer! Do not click any links in this email. In another version of this scam, a caller claims to be...
Alaska’s summer solstice season offers long hours of light, warmer days, and a strong pull for Alaskans to enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us. For individuals living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), June is a great time to embrace the outdoors. Summer’s sunshine brings plenty of chances for fun and connection, but it also comes with a few extra things for caregivers to keep in mind. Whether it’s a gentle walk on a local trail or time spent gardening on a porch, outdoor activities can support emotional well-be...
“Can you write up some instructions for my heirs, telling them everything they need to do when I’m gone?” I get asked this question periodically and the answer is always no. There are so many things a person has to do when their loved one has passed that I would have to write up more than just a few pages. In fact, given that circumstances may have changed by the time the client is deceased, in order to cover all the possibilities, I would basically have to write a book. I suppose I could write...
Q. Which is best for home use, an inkjet or laser printer? A. The answer depends a great deal on what you want to print. There are tradeoffs that will narrow down your options quickly. If you want to print in color, inkjet is a clear winner. But color printing can be expensive. This reality will reveal itself slowly, around the time you discover the price for replacement ink cartridges. If you regularly print high-quality photo images, you’ll find ink costs probably surpass the cost of a photo lab. It is a balance between cost and c...
Creamy, tangy ranch dressing, a beloved condiment that has become a staple in American households, has a fascinating origin story rooted in the rugged wilderness of Alaska. Its creation can be traced to the early 1950s when a plumber-turned-cowboy found himself cooking for hungry work crews in the remote Alaska bush. In 1949, Nebraska-born Steve Henson arrived in Anchorage to pursue a career as a plumbing contractor. While working on remote job sites, he took on the additional role of camp...
How many Alaska seniors have wings? Hmm, perhaps that's not the best way to phrase it. How about, "How many Alaska seniors are snowbirds?" Better. It's an interesting question because we all know at least a couple of snowbirds. Heck, maybe even you are a snowbird, but that doesn't really tell us much about the big picture. Turns out that counting snowbirds is a bit of a sticky wicket. "Snowbirds are hard to measure because they either remain residents and therefore aren't counted as...
The Social Security Administration (SSA) scrapped a service change in April that would have exacerbated their customer service challenges by forcing Alaskans to have to go in-person to a Social Security office in Anchorage, Juneau, or Fairbanks for routine services that have been handled over the phone. As a result of AARP’s strong advocacy, applying by phone at 800-772- 1213 and confirming your identity in the process remains an option for people claiming all types of benefits. Once you're receiving benefits, you don't have to prove your i...
Government imposter scams, where criminals pose as government employees, are one of the most common scams. Pretending to be from Social Security is one of the top government imposter scams. In 2023, Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) received 73,626 reports of Social Security impersonators and related scams, a 13.7% increase from 2022. Here is what a Social Security imposter scam looks like: You receive a call, text, or email from someone claiming to be from Social Security. The phone number may be spoofed to look like i...
