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When Alaska Native elders talk about Alaska's traditional foods they often say, "real foods feed our bodies and our spirits." Eating traditional foods like moose, fish and berries often is easy as long as seniors remain at home, but is more challenging if they participate in senior meal programs or move into urban areas, long-term care, nursing homes or hospital settings. The National Resource Center for Alaska Native Elders (NRC) listened to Alaska Native elders and senior Alaskans express thei...
The Alaska Medical Care Advisory Committee will meet Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 and 7, in Anchorage at the State Dept. of Health and Social Services Health Care Services Conference Room, 450 Business Park Blvd., Building L. The meeting hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 6 and 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 7. The public is invited to attend. The purpose of the committee is to serve as the primary advisory body to the Dept. of Health and Social Services under federal Medicaid provisions requiring that each state have an advisory committee. The...
Alaskan seniors are being targeted with unwelcomed calls from telemarketers pitching unneeded medical devices. Better Business Bureau and the Alaska Medicare Information Office say the callers will trick seniors into parting with personal information and agreeing to medical devices that may be lesser quality than claimed. Alaska health officials say the practice has been rampant in the state. The callers often times will offer Medicare recipients free or discounted wrist splints, back braces and diabetic supplies, even though they may not need...
Our lead story in last month’s edition on the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly’s decision to end the senior sales tax exemption left out a lot of information. This was largely due to the last-minute deadline we were dealing with: we wanted to be sure to highlight this action, since it could have ramifications for other areas of the state. But we need now to flesh out particulars we’ve learned about that may or may not mitigate the impact of this action to seniors. Here are a few of them, as gleaned from stories in the Juneau Empire and c...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Interagency Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all of the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The November meeting is Nov. 18, hosted by Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group for more information on these events or to be added to our e-mail reminder list, 2...
The Alaska Railroad (ARRC) will release its 2016 annual poster/print at three public sale-and-signing events featuring artist Jason Vukovich, who will sign prints and posters. • Houston, Saturday, Nov. 14 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Houston High School Library (12501 Hawk Owl Circle) • Anchorage, Saturday, Nov. 21 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Anchorage Historic Depot (411 W. 1st Avenue) • Fairbanks, Friday, Dec. 4 4 to 7:30 p.m., as part of Fairbanks First Friday event), at the Fairbanks Depot (1745...
The goal of the Sterling Christmas Angel Tree program, says program chairman Shirley Lowe, is that no child in Sterling be without a present to open on Christmas morning. The Sterling Senior Center has headed the program for the last few years after local churches that usually front the program were no longer able to be as directly involved. "I kind of just took it over when they said they needed someone to run it," says Lowe. "And it's been a privilege and a delight to be involved with the...
Everyone deserves to enjoy the warmth of the holiday season, and this year, Anchorage-area seniors who are alone or impoverished will be able to do just that. Sponsored by the Home Instead Senior Care® office serving Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley, the Be a Santa to a Senior® program provides gifts and companionship for lonely and isolated seniors. The program is made possible by the generous support of area nonprofit organizations, retailers, numerous volunteers and members of the community. “There are so many seniors, right here in Anc...
Medicare’s open enrollment, the time you can keep or switch your Medicare coverage, runs from October 15 until December 7. To Medicare scammers, open enrollment means open season on seniors. The best advice to prevent yourself from being taken advantage of by these con artists and scammers is jarring but to the point: be rude and just hang up the phone. If a solicitation comes via email or on a website, don’t click on the link, as it may open you up to a computer virus. You may also need to watch out for predatory insurance agents, who som...
Coping with grief during the holidays can be especially challenging. Relatives, friends, social gatherings, spiritual and family traditions, shopping, decorating—all can be overwhelming. Planning can help, which is why Anchorage hospice organizations are presenting a grief support workshop, “Navigating the Holidays,” on Nov. 17 at the First Congregational Church, on Northern Lights Blvd. just east of Lake Otis. The time is 7 to 9 p.m. This workshop will offer gentle suggestions for handling grief during the holidays and making plans that are r...
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will sponsor its annual noon lecture series to celebrate Native American Heritage Month and Walter Soboleff Day in November. This year's lineup includes some of the world's most distinguished Northwest Coast and Alutiiq artists and will conclude in early December with a panel discussion by young Native artists on the future of Northwest Coast art. SHI also will host a panel discussion,"Retrospective View of Dr. Walter Soboleff," to commemorate the state's...
This year, AARP Foundation is again providing free tax assistance and preparation for taxpayers with low to moderate income through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. This program, in its 46th year, is the largest free tax assistance and preparation service in the nation. You do not need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use this service. Tax-Aide has grown tremendously since its first team of four volunteers in 1968. In 2014, 35,000 volunteers at over 5,000 sites provided 2.6 million people with free tax help. Taxpayers who used AARP...
To the dismay of many, the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Assembly voted at its Sept. 20 meeting to severely curtail the city’s senior citizens sales tax exemption. The vote was 7 to 2. The sales tax exemption will no longer apply to purchases other than essentials – food, electricity, heating fuel and CBJ water and sewer utilities. For everything else, all citizens regardless of age or income are required to pay the 5 percent sales tax upon purchase. Citizens below the poverty line must pay the tax throughout the year and prove they are low...
Here is some Medicare bad news, disguised as good news. Congress has finally moved to change the laws about observation care, a problem that’s been vexing seniors for years because the laws are unclear. This has forced millions of seniors to face huge unexpected medical bills when they get home from short hospital stays. Congress has supposedly “fixed” the problem – with the House and Senate approving legislation, but the fix appears to be a step in the right direction, without fixing the actual problem. Under legislation that passed the Sen...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc., earned honors for its monthly, statewide publication “Senior Voice” in the 24th 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. Senior Voice received both Gold and Silver awards in the Local/State media division, Newsletter/Newspaper category. The entries were judged by a pan...
I am writing this article for three reasons. First, in response to a statement made by Jonathan J. David in his article, “Deed helps avoid costly trusts, probate” in the June 2015 Senior Voice, which states “However, in the event your daughter predeceases you, then the TOD (Transfer on Death) designations will fail you because there will not be a beneficiary alive to receive those assets.” In fact, under the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act, which Alaska adopted in 2014, one can designate more than one primary beneficiary (all of...
Homer Senior Citizens, Inc. presents the Second Annual Southern Peninsula Senior Summit, Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Homer Senior Center. This year the event focuses on Alzheimer’s disease education, with presentations by leading professionals from private and government agencies. The format includes brief presentations followed by question-answer sessions. The list of speakers and agenda will be posted to www.homerseniors.com. Or call 235-7655 for information....
In 2013, RurAL CAP weatherized the home of Lucky and Amy Ivey in Anchorage. They received a new furnace, hot water heater, a sump pump, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, vent for their kitchen stove. Their attic, doors, windows and pipes were re-insulated. Their gutters were repaired, they received more energy efficient light bulbs. The Iveys estimate they saved about $140 per month on heating and electricity costs after their home was weatherized. Rhonda McBride of KTVA Channel 11 interviewe...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Oct. 13 and 27), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Oct. 7 and 21), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s southeast communities can call the Jun...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Interagency Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all of the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The October meeting is October 14, hosted by Providence Hospice. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group for more information on these events or to be added to our e-mail reminder list, 2...
Editor’s note: Staying on top of breaking news can be challenging in a monthly newspaper. Here’s the most recent information available when this edition went to press. The Alaska Legislature announced Aug. 18 it will sue the governor to block Medicaid expansion, calling the decision the Legislature’s to make. Legislators also said they want more time to study the issue. Governor Walker has said he plans to expand Medicaid in September for two main reasons: 1) to meet the health care needs of Alaskans without coverage, and 2) to bring milli...
This year’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is set for September 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. nationwide. The DEA-sponsored program has collected hundreds of pounds of leftover medications from Alaskans alone since the program’s premier in 2010. “By 2014, we were collecting between 800 and 1,000 pounds a year,” says Jim Penor, Solid Waste Coordinator for Juneau Borough. However in 2014, the DEA declared that funding for the popular program would be cut. “We didn’t like that,” Penor says. “The program was doing so well that we decided to s...
The Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) will hold a quarterly meeting September 15 and 17, 2015, in the Kenai area and in Girdwood. The meeting will start in the Soldotna Senior Center, September 15 from 1 to 4 p.m. and will continue on Sept. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. in Girdwood at the Public Library Conference Room. Public comment is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, from 2:30 to 3 p.m. at the Soldotna Senior Center. You can provide public comment in person or by teleconference by calling 1-800-315-6338 using code 53250#. ACoA’s business m...
Heroin is killing Alaskan children and grandchildren at alarming rates, and unless we do something to address the problem now, it will only get worse. Heroin-related deaths in Alaska tripled between 2008 and 2013. In 2012, the rate of heroin overdose deaths was 42 percent higher than the national rate. Alaskans are no strangers to the heroin and opiate abuse crisis killing Alaskan’s children and grandchildren. We read reports weekly of heroin seizures, ruined lives, overdose deaths and grieving families. Recently, we read that heroin is t...
Typical estate planning techniques involve bequeathing wealth and valuables from one generation to the next. Many people, however, view wealth as something more than money and possessions. Their view is that some of the most valuable items one can pass on can not be measured financially. Wealth, for them, includes passing on guiding principles, blessings, spiritual beliefs, and family stories. If this is true for you, consider the benefits of writing an ethical will in addition to a traditional will of inheritance. Ethical wills have a long...
