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Part one of a three-part series. In my experience you have not been able to find a book or even a website in the state of Alaska that comprehensively lays out the concerns, aspirations and plans for the future of Alaska seniors — but now you can. It is an extraordinary treasure trove of current information about seniors in Alaska. The document has the somewhat bureaucratic title “Alaska State Plan for Senior Services FY2020 –2023,” but don’t let that fool you. Much of it is very personal, at the center of our lives and the wellbeing of our 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 Jan. 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. This month’s topic is “Stand Up to Falls,” presented by Margy Hughes, Injury Prevention Specialist with Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Alaska Div. of Public Health. Falls are the leading cause of injury and the leading cause of death for Alaskans age 65 and older. Programs are in place to help medical pro...
It seems that whatever you do these days, you need to constantly be wary of scams and fraud—whether writing a check, shopping online, checking emails and social media, even answering your cell phone. If this is unnerving for you, imagine the confusion that a senior friend or relative may be experiencing. Scammers prey on vulnerable adults: they are targeted not only because they may have assets, but they may be lonely and welcome the phone calls and attention. There may also be cognitive problems which can cause confusion – something the sca...
Each new year is sure to bring changes and Medicare is no different. Here are some changes that you will want to know about. New Medicare cards. Medicare began mailing the new Medicare cards to beneficiaries in April 2018. Up until Dec. 31 of 2019, you could use either your old, Social Security number based card or the new card, which has an 11 character, alpha-numeric identification that is random and yet unique to each beneficiary. As of Jan. 1, 2020, only your new card can be used. So pull...
Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Hosted by local agencies statewide, and 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. Teleconferences are scheduled 9:30 to 11 a.m. every other Thursday and weekly duri...
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 (formerly known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The January meeting is January 8, hosted by Baxter Senior Living. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on...
Starting on Jan. 8, 2020, Social Security offices nationwide will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoons, Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security, announced in a Dec. 2 press announcement. This change restores Wednesday public service hours that were last in place in late 2012. “I don’t want someone to come to our office at 2:30 on a Wednesday only to find our doors closed,” commissioner Saul said. In another move to improve service to the public, Commissioner Saul announced in his Open Letter to the Public at www.s...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times in January: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Jan. 8 and 22), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Jan. 1 and 15), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s Southeast communities can cal...
Dear Savvy Senior: A couple months back I read that the IRS will be offering a new senior-friendly tax form this tax season that will be easier to use. What can you tell me about this? - Paper Filer Dear Filer: It’s true. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has created a new federal income-tax form specifically designed for senior taxpayers, age 65 and older, that should make filing a little easier this year, particularly those who don’t file electronically. Here’s what you should know. Form 1040-SR Created by the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act,...
“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. 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. This month’s presentation is “The Holiday Season Survival Guide,” by Patrick Curtis, the Anchorage Senior Activity Center Wellness and Programs Director. As winter advances and we gather frequently with friends and family to share the joys of the season, many of us also experience anxiety over some common stressors tha...
The Trump administration has proposed to overhaul decades-old Medicare rules that were originally meant to counter self-dealing and financial kickbacks among medical providers such as hospitals, clinics and doctors. But the administration says these anti-kickback rules are now serving as a roadblock to coordinating better care for patients. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants to encourage primary care physicians and other clinicians to spend more time coordinating care for their patients including social issues, patients...
It will have a huge impact on your life. Maybe it’s a few years away, and maybe it’s just around the corner. No matter when you anticipate retirement, it can be overwhelming. Ease into it with a checklist. Here are a few suggestions. Retirement bucket list What would you like to do when you retire? What is on your bucket list? How will you spend your time so that it gives you joy, pleasure and satisfaction? You can start thinking about this years before you retire, or as you are easing into it. Perhaps you could discuss these ideas with friends...
Alaska Health Fair staff want to wish you a wonderful, happy and safe holiday season, and a great start to 2020. Thank you for providing generous support for our non-profit during a very busy 2019. We ask that you help us to greet an amazing (and fast approaching) new year, as we celebrate Alaska Health Fair’s 40th Anniversary in 2020. We are now at the end of our Fall 2019 season and want to express our appreciation for your wonderful support whether you attended an event as a participant, worked as a volunteer, screener or exhibitor, or g...
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 (formerly known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The December meeting is Dec. 11, hosted by Special Olympics of Alaska. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on...
I am so bummed. I’ve prided myself in how little we toss into the trash compared to our recycling bin, following the rules on the lid. We pack cloth grocery bags, reuse and recycle plastic bags, and often remember to bring our own reusable plastic containers for restaurant leftovers. Our pantry contains more glass than plastic food containers, and we use bar soap to spare the earth yet one more source of plastic. I figure it’s a win-win: I save money buying less packaging material, and the earth is saved a little plastic. My pride took a maj...
If you’re changing your name, it’s important to let Social Security know so we can update the information we maintain, send you an updated Social Security card, and ultimately ensure we pay you accurate benefits when you retire or if you become disabled. To change your name in our records, you must provide Social Security with documents proving your legal name change and identity. If you are a U.S. citizen, you also must provide our agency with documentation proving your U.S. citizenship. You must present original documents or copies cer...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times in December: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Dec. 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Dec. 4 and 18), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Dec. 5, 12, 19 and 26), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s Southeast communities can cal...
The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Commission on Aging recently started its fourth decennial senior survey for the Juneau area. Local residents age 55 and older are encouraged to participate, as the survey is conducted only once every 10 years and provides information that planners can use to ensure “seniors remain safe, fulfilled and productive in our community,” according to a CBJ brochure. The survey can be completed online at www.tinyurl.com/2020seniorsurvey or visit www.JEDC.org and click the “survey” link. To receive a hard copy su...
The Alaska Commission on Aging quarterly board meeting will be held on Dec. 11 and will be accessible by videoconference and teleconference. Topics that will be included during the meeting will be program reports from the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services, Alaska Housing Finance Corp., Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, legislative issues, and a status update on recruiting a new commission executive director and more. Three new commission members will be introduced, and there will be discussion about past and future meetings of th...
The numbers are simply staggering. People 85 and older – who usually have multiple chronic illnesses or have difficulty performing some daily tasks – will mushroom to 14.6 million in 2040, up from about 6 million now. So who is going to take care of these seniors? Right now, since Medicare does not pay for long-term care services or non-medical services in the home, there are 3.3 million paid personal care and home health aides and more than 34 million unpaid family caregivers doing that job. Already, around the U.S., many caregivers, sen...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Nov. 12, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. This month’s presentation focuses on travel. There is likely no activity that has as much allure to retired persons as travel. Whether to see grandkids, to get away from cold winters, to explore the other ’48, or even to cross the seas to exotic places far away -- racking up those frequent flyer miles is very popular for...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc., earned honors for its monthly, statewide publication Senior Voice recently in two national awards contests: the 28th Annual National Mature Media Awards Program and the annual awards contest of the North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA). Mature Media Awards OPAG earned a Merit Award for its Senior Voice publication in the Mature Media Awards. Presented by the Mature Market Resource Center, a national clearinghouse for the senior market, the contest recognizes the nation’s finest marketing, c...
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 (formerly known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The November meeting is Nov. 13, hosted by Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more i...
What was the worst piece of legislation enacted in Alaska in the last quarter century? Well, OK, there have been some doozies. However, I would suggest that it was legislation enacted in 2005 that destroyed the traditional pension plan for teachers and public employees and replaced it with a grossly insufficient savings account for new employees. At the time, the elimination of the traditional pension plan was explained by the governor and supportive legislators as a way to retard the growth of the “unfunded liability” -- the red-inked dif...
The woman across from volunteer tax preparer Jan Watson was scared. She couldn't afford to owe money on her tax return, which Watson was preparing free through the Tax Aide program. When Watson told her that instead she would be getting a refund, the woman broke into tears and shared that she would finally be able to buy her children winter clothing. Last year 120 AARP Foundation volunteers helped 6,124 Alaskans file their federal tax returns, saving them an estimated $1.2 million in tax...
