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This year’s Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition program check (formerly coupon) booklets are now available, distributed through local senior centers and other agencies. Each booklet includes $35 worth of checks that can be used to buy fresh produce and other items at local farmer’s markets, authorized roadside stands and other select locations. Applicants must be at least 60 years old and meet low-income eligibility guidelines. Links to program information and a downloadable application are at https://bit.ly/38GnBU0. Or call your local senio...
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 currently meets virtually online via Zoom. The June meeting is June 8, hosted by the Chugiak-Eagle River Senior Center. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on...
Low-income Alaskans now qualify for discounted or free internet access, thanks to an expanded federal program announced by the White House May 16. The White House estimates the program will cover 48 million households, or 40 percent of the country. The Affordable Connectivity Program grants up to $30 a month to pay for high-speed internet for households who qualify under certain programs and income levels. Do you qualify for this program? There are two main ways to qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program: Your household income, which...
The $41.5 million provided by the federal Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program will make fast internet more affordable so rural residents can access telehealth appointments, and provide access for economic growth and remote learning. As is usual with federal spending, Alaska is getting more than other states. The Alaska Federation of Natives will receive $35.1 million to subsidize internet service, provide computer packages, help tribal communities access telehealth and offer digital skills training, according to a press release from the U.S....
The mission of the Alaska Long-Term Care Ombudsman program is to provide resident-centered advocacy designed to protect the rights, health, safety and welfare of Alaskans living in long-term care facilities. In 2021, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program investigated nearly 300 complaints in long term care settings. One of the top five complaints identified in long-term care settings was abuse, neglect and exploitation of residents. The COVID-19 pandemic has been exceptionally challenging to seniors, many who were socially isolated from their lo...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk,” the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns May 10, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s presentation topic is “Everything Has Changed: How do I Make Sure My Vote Counts?” Gail Fenumiai from the Division of Elections will explain the changes to Alaska’s voting system including an overview of the new open primary system, how ranked choice voting works and changes to camp...
From May through October, AARP Tax Aide volunteers will assist people of all ages in filing their 2021 taxes. Appointments will be at available for noon, 1 and 2 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at the Alaska Literacy Program, 1345 Rudakof Circle, Suite 104. The appointment will include a short interview and the tax preparer will complete the return. You will pick up the return from 3 to 3:30 p.m. If you are filing with a spouse, both of you must be present. Once the return is complete, it will be reviewed with you, signed and...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns April, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s presentation is from AARP Alaska, focusing on making Anchorage an “Age Friendly” city. Learn about what seniors are saying they need as they age in the city, and ideas for improvements in ways that will benefit seniors and the community at large. The “Age Smart – Let’s Talk” series is a m...
Ride sharing and van service for older adults in Alaska has taken a terrible beating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many transportation services in much of the state were cut back or eliminated. Now, as the pandemic is winding down, ride services are returning. Fairbanks Senior Center Executive Director Darlene Supplee, executive director said the pandemic changed the center’s operations and how ride requests were handled. Many older adults were unable to go to and from their medical appointments. “Now, we are moving back to congregate mea...
The approaching spring is bringing changes not only to Alaskan landscapes, but also to the public benefits many elderly and disabled Alaskans receive. Some of these changes have already occurred, creating substantial impact on the benefits’ recipients. Others will take place with the end of the public health emergency, currently anticipated in mid-April. More people are entitled to SNAP (Food Stamps) than those currently receiving the benefit Many elderly and disabled live with their relatives, which, in turn, has a substantial impact on t...
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 currently meets virtually online via Zoom. The April meeting is April 13, hosted by AARP Alaska. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on these events or to be...
Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates across Alaska to share information about issues and specific bills of concern, including Medicaid, state budget and funding, senior assistance, retirement, Pioneer Homes and more. Zoom conferences are scheduled every Thursday through the remainder of the session: April 7, 14 and 21. Note, the start...
Update, March 24, 2022: The time for the teleconferences has been changed to afternoons, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Here's is the link for the March 24 legislative teleconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9672806987?pwd=TFFudFRpRittWTF1VDNaWDUxeDVaZz09 Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates across Alaska to share information about issues and specific...
The Social Security Administration encourages you not to carry your Social Security card with you every day. The best way to “Guard Your Card” is to keep it in a safe place and share it only when required. In fact, in most cases, just knowing the Social Security number should be enough. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, a Social Security card isn’t required to request a Real ID. Only Pennsylvania requires it. Please be careful about sharing your number when asked for it. You should always ask why your number is needed, how it will...
A couple of years ago we had a normal life. Since then, we’ve had a pandemic. No matter what our life was like then, it is now more isolated, more lonely, more expensive, more fearful. When do we get back to normal? I have wishful thinking, but that is a far cry from an informed discussion. For that, we’ll have to turn to some public health folks who do not offer hard and fast recipes to make a determination, but do offer some interesting ways to think about the question. Anne Zink, MD, is Chief Medical Officer for the Alaska Department of Hea...
The Alaska Legislature began the second of a two-year session on January 18, 2022, hitting the ground running since members were already seated in their committees and leadership positions (unlike the 2021 delay in getting organized into majority and minority caucuses). Bills introduced last session are still potentially in play, in addition to this year’s crop of bills, both pre-filed before session and introduced since the start. AARP Alaska advocacy staff and volunteers have spent the interim since last session watching and participating i...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Feb. 8, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s presentation is “Intimacy As We Age.” How does intimacy change as we age? Do we ever outgrow this need? What happens if we end up alone? Where do we meet new people, especially during a pandemic? How do we keep ourselves safe from predators, especially in online relationships...
Senior Voice Staff Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates across Alaska to share information about issues and specific bills of concern, including Medicaid, state budget and funding, senior assistance, retirement, Pioneer Homes and more. Zoom conferences are scheduled 9:30 to 11 a.m. every other Thursday and weekly during the last month...
Dear Savvy Senior: What is the IRS standard tax deduction for 2021? I didn’t file a tax return last tax year (2020) because I lost my job and my income in March due to COVID. But I got a part-time job in 2021 and am wondering if I made enough money that requires me to file this year. - Part-Time Retiree Dear Retiree: Whether or not you are required to file a federal income tax return this year depends not only on how much you earned last year (in 2021), but also the source of that income, as well as your age and your filing status. Here’s a r...
The Alaska Commission on Aging met with partners December 8 for a day long summit to discuss priorities for the upcoming year. Denali Daniels facilitated the meeting with Jordan Marshall providing support as well as his expertise about the ‘lay of the land’ for the upcoming legislative session. The morning session was dedicated to hearing from partners, but the main theme was consistent: Older Alaskans do better when they are able to remain in their homes and communities, but Alaska’s infrastructure to support seniors is lacking. The need...
Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates across Alaska to share information about issues and specific bills of concern, including Medicaid, state budget and funding, senior assistance, retirement, Pioneer Homes and more. Zoom conferences are scheduled 9:30 to 11 a.m. every other Thursday and weekly during the last month of session. The 2022...
Editor’s note: This press release was received on Dec. 8, 2021. If the annual Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) did a better job of keeping pace with Medicare Part B premiums, benefits over the past decade would be 42 percent higher in 2022, according to a new analysis by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). “Medicare Part B premiums are the fastest growing cost that most older Americans face in retirement, but those costs aren’t fairly accounted for by the method used to adjust Social Security benefits for inflation,” says Ma...
I grouse about how my husband loses things, but he’s also a great finder. He uncovers his keys, his glasses, and his wallet nearly every week. Recently, though, he found a 25-year-old retirement account. It wouldn’t have changed our retirement, but any more money in the bank is nice as we check the last boxes for retirement. We began our final financial review with our online Social Security statements. We had checked them periodically, of course, but this time were a little more thoughtful. My husband remembered a small 401(k) his con...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Dec. 14, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s presentation features the “Wish of a Lifetime” program, whose mission is to shift the way society views and values our oldest generations by fulfilling seniors’ dreams and sharing their stories to inspire those of all ages. The “Age Smart – Let’s Talk” series is a monthly forum on a topi...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc. (OPAG) held its annual membership meeting on Nov. 18 and the following board officers were elected: Dylan Webb, president; Gail Opalinski, vice president; Joan Haig, treasurer; Yvonne Chase, secretary. Other board members include Leonard T. Kelley, Sharon White-Wheeler (Emeritus), Robert Bracco, Pam Yeargan, Beth Goldstein, Hollis Mickey, Eileen Lally. Provider Breakfast, Dec. 8 Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the...
