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On a chilly Tuesday evening, Nov. 1, the beautifully renovated Anchorage Senior Activity Center was abuzz with chatter and activity as residents of Anchorage shared input on Anchorage as an Age-Friendly Community. The Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities (NAFSC), an international initiative, began in 2006 to encourage cities to be ready for rapidly aging populations by helping people thrive in their homes and communities as they age. The recent listening session was the program for the November gathering for Age Smart, a monthly...
If you love visiting with seniors and want to speak up for them, join the dedicated volunteer advocates of the Alaska Long Term Care Ombudsman program. Volunteer ombudsmen are needed to advocate for seniors living in assisted living homes and skilled nursing facilities. Volunteers are needed statewide, including Anchorage, Bethel, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Galena, Haines, Homer, Juneau, Kenai, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, North Pole, Palmer, Petersburg, Sitka, Soldotna, Tanana, Valdez, Seward, Wasilla and Wrangell. Training and supervision...
Alaskan winters provide a great opportunity to contemplate our driving as we take our time navigating darkness and snow. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) observes Older Driver Safety Awareness Week on the first week of December. According to the Centers for Disease Control, older drivers are more likely to be injured in a crash. Fortunately, most injuries can be prevented through simple adjustments you can make to the driver's seat. For Older Driver Safety Awareness Week,...
Anchorage’s Opportunities for Lifelong Education program, OLÉ!, begins its winter term registration Dec. 15. Class descriptions and schedules will be posted to the OLÉ! website around Dec. 5, and classes for the term begin the third week of January, according to OLÉ! staff. Some 35 new classes are expected to be offered. OLÉ! is a non-profit, volunteer-led organization that provides courses aimed to people 50+ years of age – classes for the curious, no tests or grades required. Become a member and you may take as many classes as you like fo...
"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning." - Diane Ackerman Looking for some fun games as gifts or to play when grandkids come to visit that also serve a purpose? Math is one of kids' least-loved subjects because it's often an unpleasant experience of boring lessons, memorization, and testing that isn't always conducive to learning authentic information and understanding important concepts. But it doesn't have to be that way. The following board games make learning math and money concepts...
Editor’s note: This press statement was received Nov. 28, 2022. On Nov. 13, 2022, the Alaska Office of Elder Fraud and Assistance won a $1.47 million judgment against defendants James Vernon and Carla Sigler, formerly of Yakutat, now living in Bosque County, Texas, for the financial exploitation of Yakutat resident Neva Ogle. The Siglers took $700,000 in funds from Mrs. Ogle over the course of two years. They used $380,000 of the funds to fund a cash purchase of a five-bedroom home with a swimming pool for themselves in Texas and spent the r...
Dear Savvy Senior: What are the most common scams today that target elderly seniors? My 75-year-old mother has been swindled several times over the past year, so I’m being extra cautious. –Paranoid Patty Dear Patty: Great question. While many scams today are universal, there are certain types of fraud that specifically target older adults or affects them disproportionately. And unfortunately, these senior targeted scams are on the rise. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in 2021 there were 92,371 older victims of fraud resu...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk,” the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Anchorage Senior Activity Center and Older Persons Action Group, returns Nov. 1, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This free event will be in-person at the senior center, with appetizers and refreshments provided. This month’s program is a listening session with AARP Alaska on the Age Friendly Livable Communities initiative. Share your thoughts on what makes Anchorage inclusive for seniors and community members of all ages and abilities. Prior to the forum, there will be a presentati...
The Division of Banking and Securities’ mission is to protect consumers of financial services and promote safe and sound financial systems. We have seen multiple instances of elder fraud and scams involving different approaches: Purchasing investments – gold and silver; online shopping; business impostors; tech support; government impersonation; romance scams. Most recently, the financial circumstances of some older Alaskans have been negatively impacted by a scam involving precious metal trading. The Division of Banking and Securities adv...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk,” the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Anchorage Senior Activity Center and Older Persons Action Group, returns Oct. 11, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This free event will be in-person at the senior center, with appetizers and refreshments provided, and also streamed live via Zoom. This month’s program is a gubernatorial forum, with candidates answering questions, including those from attendees. Prior to the forum, there will be a presentation about ranked choice voting at 5 p.m., followed by a light dinner at 6 p.m....
Senior Voice has been recognized for excellence, winning four awards in the annual contest sponsored by the North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA), a nationwide network of publishers focusing on boomer and senior readers. Awards were announced Sept. 12, 2022, at the annual NAMPA conference, held this year in Las Vegas. Entries were independently judged by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri, who gave awards in categories based on the circulation size of the publication. Senior Voice entries...
Fairbanks Senior Center’s “Helping Hands Home Modifications” program is looking for veterans in need of home modifications. Improvements, even small ones, can make a substantial difference in household safety and quality of life: bathroom grab bars removable shower head enhanced lighting handrails for stairs and steps smoke and carbon detector installation If you know a veteran who could benefit from assistance like this, or other projects, contact Shawna Chastain with the Helping Hands program, 907-452-2562 or nscoa.admin@a...
For a variety of reasons, many older Americans won’t retire. According to a May 29, 2019 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30.2% of Americans ages 65 to 74 are projected to be in the workforce in 2026. While financial necessity is one big reason many people won’t retire, others are choosing to stay employed for as long as they can. According to Maurie Backman, in “3 Reasons to Work During Retirement,” generating extra income, saving on leisure costs, and warding off depression top the reasons many seniors choose to remain in the wo...
Update: The print edition lists Scott McMurren as one of the panelists, however he had to cancel and Jack Bonney from Visit Anchorage will join. “Age Smart – Let’s Talk,” the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Anchorage Senior Activity Center and Older Persons Action Group, returns Sept. 13, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This free event will be in-person at the senior center, with appretizers and refreshments provided, and also streamed via Zoom. This month’s presentation topic is “Travel: Here, Near and Beyond,” with guest speakers Gret...
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, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, the monthly event has been meeting virtually online via Zoom, but is resuming in-person meetings on site for some months. The September meeting is Sept. 14, hosted by Baxter Senior Living. Begins at 8 a.m. Call Older Persons Action...
Gayle Slentz has lived in Alaska for more than 30 years. Now, she is moving from Craig, Alaska to Tucson, Arizona, to live with her sister Kris and brother-in-law Ken Howell. Slentz, age 67, cannot manage her home on her own and the rental market in Craig is virtually nonexistent and has been steadily declining over the past 30 years, she said. “Craig is smaller than it used to be. It now lists 1,036 people, a drop from 1,200 just two years ago,” Slentz said. “When I was looking for a rental, there was nothing. The availability isn’t here. I...
I'm 73 years old, and after taking care of my five-year-old granddaughter Eliza for four hours, well, I'm ready for a nap. So I have nothing but deep respect and awe for grandparents raising their grandchildren full-time. And so does Volunteers of America, which provides Kinship Care Services for those grandparents statewide. A long history Volunteers of America, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1896 and provides affordable housing and other assistance services primarily to low-income...
September is National Preparedness Month. It is a reminder to take a few moments and organize those items that will reduce your stress when an emergency happens. For Alaskans, the first thought is often an earthquake and possible tsunami in coastal areas. Other emergencies can be fires or power outages that last for days due to storms. The best place to go is ‘National Preparedness Month’ at www.Ready.gov. Under that heading is a list of topics including “Build A Kit”. It is a detailed listed of things to have ready in case of an emergen...
Help your houseplants make a smooth transition from their outdoor summer home back inside for winter. The lower light and humidity indoors along with any insects that hitched a ride indoors make it difficult to keep these plants looking their best. Give them a shower before they move indoors. A gentle blast of water washes dust and dirt off the leaves and dislodges insects that might be feeding on the plants. Gradually prepare the plants for the lower light conditions indoors. Start by placing...
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...
Are you concerned about protecting your older relatives and friends from elder abuse? The pandemic highlighted the disproportionate impact of tragedy on underserved communities, including older adults, who face high rates of elder abuse, fraud and nursing homes deaths. It’s important to remember that elder abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or financial status. We are committed to helping and preventing further victimization – especially in underserved communities. Fraud A recent Federal Bureau of Inv...
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)...
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...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc., earned honors for its monthly, statewide publication Senior Voice in the 31st annual National Mature Media Awards Program. The program, presented by the Mature Market Resource Center, a national clearinghouse for the senior market, recognizes the nation's finest marketing, communications, educational materials and programs designed and produced for older adults. OPAG and Senior Voice won five awards: Merit Award in the Photograph category for photographer...
