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Recently, I accompanied a 75-year-old woman from my building to the emergency room. On a Friday, I was alerted by another resident that she looked "bad." Certainly, her sheet-white face indicated something was not right. I went downstairs to the lobby where she always hung out and asked if I could take her oxygen level -it was 85, a level that indicated she was beginning to have insufficient oxygen for her organs to function. She refused to go to the hospital, but would on Monday if it was...
For those of us enrolled into Original Medicare (Parts A & B), most of us have also enrolled into one of Medicare’s Part D Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs). Each year, we may make changes to this prescription coverage during Medicare’s Open Enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, for changes which will then go into effect from Jan. 1 onward. Leading up to this open enrollment, you will start to receive notices with information relating to any changes in your plan for the coming...
Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled devices are significantly changing how older adults are receiving medical care. Doctors and nurses are finding that AI can save time, improve workflows, and support faster decisions. This may allow your health team to care for more patients on a daily basis. Adults 50 and older are part of this sea change in medicine. AI is reshaping how individuals prepare for and participate in their care. Researchers at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School have...
Providence St. Elias Specialty Hospital was recently reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International. This means its stroke specialty program and brain injury specialty program were recognized for their excellence in specialized rehabilitation services. Providence St. Elias Specialty Hospital was also recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as Alaska’s top rehabilitation hospital and among the top 50 nationally among the 1,131 rehabilitation hospitals evaluated. Alaska has one of the h...
If you're looking for ways to improve your brain health, it's important to pay attention to your diet. But how do you know which diet is best? "The MIND diet is one that I focus on because it has been shown in research studies to lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Sandra Darling, a preventive medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The MIND diet emphasizes plant-based foods like berries, leafy greens, whole grains, beans and nuts. The diet also favors fish and poultry...
Independent living in Alaska brings beauty and adventure, but it also brings risks that can lead to injuries right in your own home. A simple fall or a cut in the kitchen can turn serious with a quickness. Knowing how to stop bleeding and when to call for help can save your life. First, let's talk about when bleeding needs emergency care. If blood is spurting or pouring out and does not slow down after a few minutes, call 911 right away. If you feel dizzy, weak, or confused while bleeding, that...
Fall prevention is key to retaining independence for older adults. Falls are a significant contributor to premature morbidity (lack of wellness) and mortality (death) in seniors. Loss of mobility, self-confidence and independence due to falls creates an enormous financial and emotional burden on seniors. Sobering statistics One-third of adults aged 65 years and older experience a fall each year and the risk increases proportionally with age. Non-fatal falls continue to pose a significant social...
There are almost too many things to remember when you change residences. This month’s article will help with how to manage your Medicare coverage before, during and after a move. The Medicare Information Office provides a checklist of items to complete, helping your move be free from additional aggravation and frustration. Moving into or out of Alaska If you have Original Medicare (Parts A and B), you will not need to make changes to your Medicare when moving within the U.S. since Original M...
Domestic pets have gone through changes over the years from being a part of the family to actually being family. Now, ads on television and in print highlight dogs saying "Mom, I like this food best!" In a world in turmoil, especially dogs and cats, become our children who don't talk back or beg for expensive toys, and do provide companionship, love and exercise. Like human health insurance, pets now need insurance for routine visits and specialized treatment as they age-just like us. Common...
A new study has found that older adults entering skilled-nursing facilities may have a hidden health benefit from the shingles vaccine. Researchers found that those who received the recombinant shingles vaccine (RZV) had a lower risk of developing dementia over the following four years compared with those who were not vaccinated. Older adults admitted to skilled nursing facilities are at higher risk for both dementia and shingles. The findings, which were published in the Annals of Internal...
From icy walkways to long distances between towns, our state presents unique challenges. One of the most important tools for protecting yourself and your loved ones is a figurative jumper box for the heart. It is called an AED, which stands for automated external defibrillator. This small device can save a life during a heart emergency, and knowing how to use one could make you a hero in your community. An AED is a portable machine that helps a person whose heart has suddenly stopped beating cor...
Medicare and Medicaid are sometimes hard to understand, especially if you are eligible for both insurance programs. This month’s article will discuss how the two programs work together and how to apply for both. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the agency which provides regulatory oversight over both programs. Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people age 65 or older. People younger than age 65 with certain disabilities, permanent kidney failure, or a...
Sitting in a circle holding hands and praying may have some hidden health benefits, even for non-believers. A randomized controlled trial conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has found that a five-minute session of proximal intercessory prayer (PIP) significantly reduced pain and anxiety in primary care patients compared to a music control group. The PIP approach involves an in-person prayer offered by a trained volunteer. The findings, published in The Annals of Family...
A major component of both physical and psychological well-being is to have a happy, functioning digestive system. This means your appetite is good and you stop eating when about 80% full, to not over-eat, which prematurely ages our bodies over time. Also, you have a bowel movement every day (nothing better than pooping before having to get out the door!), and nothing hurts after eating. One component of having a happy belly (thus setting yourself up for living your best life) is to eat...
The average Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace deductible saw the steepest increase in history-growing by 37% or more than $1,000, from $2,759 in 2025 to $3,786 in 2026 as enhanced premium tax credits expired, according to an analysis by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy organization which also runs a health-related news service. The full analysis is available here. Between 2021 and 2025, Americans searching for healthcare coverage in the ACA Marketplace 2010 benefited from premium tax...
Medicare’s telehealth coverage has been expanded across Alaska to allow more people to access care at home. Let’s learn about what you can expect now and into the future with Medicare’s telehealth coverage. What is telehealth? Telehealth includes certain services that you receive from a healthcare provider outside of an in-person office visit. A telehealth service is a full visit with a provider using telephone or video technology that allows for both audio and video communication. It is diffe...
If you're like me and walk more than drive, consider solidly built walking shoes to be your best to avoiding any injury or sores and blisters. You've seen the ads all over touting slip-on sneakers and shoes, but this seems counter-intuitive. If sustaining flexibility is a goal for later years, what does lifting your foot onto a chair to lace them do to you instead of bending over and lacing them? Makes you less flexible. Also, walking shoes or sneakers that must be laced add an additional solid...
New tools for combatting breast cancer Immunotherapy has become a standard of care in treating high-risk, early-stage breast cancers, yet it has had limited success in shrinking tumors, so new biomarkers that can improve outcomes for patients are urgently needed. Now, researchers at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, have found that repeated blood sampling (liquid biopsy) can assess and predict the evolving antitumor immune response to therapy. This minimally invasive...
Living in Alaska means sharing our beautiful state with wildlife and the pets we love at home. Dogs and cats bring comfort and joy, but even gentle animals can cause accidental injuries. Knowing how to respond can prevent serious problems, especially when medical help may be far away. Animal bites and scratches happen more often than people think. A dog might nip during play. A cat might scratch while jumping off a lap. These injuries can lead to infection if they are not treated quickly and...
You never know when a medical emergency will arise, but you can be prepared, both for yourself and for a loved one. Emergency services and urgently needed care Emergency care is needed to evaluate or treat emergency medical conditions. An emergency medical condition is severe enough that someone with an average knowledge of health and medicine could reasonably expect your health to be in danger if you don’t get medical attention right away. If you’re pregnant, this could also mean that the hea...
Dear Savvy Senior, I’ll be 65 in a few months and could sure use some help sorting through all the confusing Medicare options that are available to me. Where can I get help with my Medicare decisions? - Baffled Bob Dear Bob, With around 11,400 Baby Boomers turning 65 every day in 2026, you’re asking a very timely question. Many people approaching Medicare are confused by all the choices available today. In addition to original Medicare (Part A and B) that has been around for more than 60 years, you also have the option of enrolling in a Part D...
Low vitamin D levels associated with higher risk of dementia A new study published in the journal Neurology is suggesting that vitamin D may be good for brain health and possibly lower the risk for dementia in older adults. Having higher levels of vitamin D in the blood in middle age was found to be associated with lower levels of tau protein in the brain, which is a sign of dementia. “These results suggests that higher vitamin D levels in midlife may offer protection against developing these t...
Anchorage and Juneau will both host events in May to connect members of the community with resources about Parkinson's disease that are organized by the American Parkinson Disease Association. The event in Juneau is May 6 and it's an afternoon of information. The event in Anchorage is May 9 and it's all day. Both events are titled "Parkinson's today: A conversation on care, treatment and living well." There is also a Parkinson's Care Partner Education Day in Juneau on May 7. It's from 9:30 to...
With everything it takes to stay healthy-primarily making good choices about food and attitude every day-contemplating the molecules that facilitate our mind-body connection may seem academic. Hopefully, some readers will derive pleasure and awe thinking about how human cognition and physiology evolved over the millennia. This column will feature an essential triad of sophisticated chemical structures generated within our bodies, without which we would not be able to live the lives we enjoy (and...
