Sorted by date Results 781 - 805 of 959
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 (June 9 and 23), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (June 3 and 17), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (June 4, 11, 18 and 25), 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...
After 17 temporary fixes over the past 11 years, Congress has approved legislation permanently blocking perennial cuts in physicians’ Medicare fees. In a rare show of genuine bipartisanship, the House and Senate both overwhelmingly passed the bill. It should become easier for doctors to make a living while taking Medicare patients and help seniors keep their doctors who accept Medicare. In a 1997 budget agreement, Congress set up a formula, known as the Sustainable Growth Rate, or the SGR, which called for annual cuts in Medicare physician p...
Health care and the ways we find health information have changed drastically over the years. New technologies in and out of the doctor's office have allowed us access to information like never before. It's incredibly easy to pull out your smartphone or tablet and search "diabetes symptoms" or "home treatments for the flu." But should we trust everything we read online? The National Library of Medicine (NLM) and Linda Shepard, registered health ministry and community outreach nurse at Providence...
About 90 percent of long-term, informal health care in the United States is provided by unpaid caregivers, typically women, who spend more than $5,000 annually in out-of-pocket expenses. A survey from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Fairbanks Memorial Hospital seeks to better identify the strengths and needs of Alaska’s informal caregivers and to ultimately help them. “These unpaid caregivers are the backbone of our health-care system,” said Ellen Lopez, project leader and public health researcher at the University of Alaska Fairb...
As of this writing it is difficult to wrap-up the legislative session, as they are still in session (day 4 past the regular 90 day period). Legislators have not yet come to agreement on the state’s budget, which they must pass, according to the state constitution. Nevertheless, it has, to this point, been an interesting, if not altogether productive session. There are many reasons for this. This is the first year of the 29th Legislature, with many new faces in the House and Senate, as well as a new administration. After an election, there is a...
Chickaloon Village Traditional Council (CVTC) celebrated construction of its new health and wellness building – Ahtnahwt’aene’ Nay’dini’aa den (Aht-nah Hwĭ-tănnă Nie-dĭnny-ah den) Gathering Place, meaning “Ahtna People Chickaloon Place,” – with a large group of elders, tribal leaders, community members, funders and partners at its groundbreaking early April in Sutton. The new 8,100 square foot facility will be located at 21117 E. Myers Avenue and will house an expanded C’eyiits’ Hwnax (kie-eetz haw-nah) Life House Community Health Center...
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 for business and agency representatives. The May meeting is May 13 and will be hosted by the Anchorage Aging and Disability Resource Center. Begins at 8 a.m. Call Older Persons Action Group to RSVP and get directions to the...
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 (May 12 and 26), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (May 6 and 20), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (May 7, 14, 21 and 28), 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 Juneau Soc...
We read a piece in Market Watch recently about the state of retirees today and the problems they won’t tell us about. If Market Watch is correct, and we have no reason to doubt it, then we would like to share some of our solutions to these listed difficulties. (Read the Market Watch article at http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-things-retirees-wont-tell-you-2014-09-19) ‘Retirees are broke.’ According to the Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure, the article notes, roughly 15 percent of people over age 65 live in poverty. Also, nearly...
Twice a year, Better Business Bureaus across the country sponsor free, local shredding events called “Secure Your ID Day,” in order to bring public awareness of the risks of identity theft. One of the events will be held in Anchorage on April 18 at The Mall at Sears, 600 E. Northern Lights Blvd., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shred Alaska will have shred trucks in the parking lot by Carr’s and will provide free shredding of up to 3 boxes. There will also be recycling for old cell phones. The Financial Fitness Fair will take place inside the Mall with...
A currently airing commercial proclaims that if you have Medicare Part A & B, you are eligible for Vision, Dental, and Prescription Drug plans because of Medicare Healthcare Reform. This commercial gives a 1-800-number that when called tries to sell you a Life Alert type monitoring system or they may be collecting information to sell to Medicare Supplement Brokers or Medicare Advantage Plan Brokers. Be on the lookout and share this information with your friends, neighbors, and relatives. The more people who are warned, the better the chances...
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, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates across Alaska to share information about issues and specific bills of concern. Teleconferences are scheduled 9:30 to 11 a.m. on April 9, 16 and 23. To participate, visit a host site, which offers a reasonably quiet location with a speaker or teleconference phone system, is ADA compliant and able...
The White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA), a special event held once a decade that began in 1961, is designed to generate ideas and discussion regarding policy development for senior programs and elder care to improve the quality of life for older people in the upcoming decade. The 2015 WHCoA is planned for July in Washington DC and will build on the work from a series of five regional forums, including one planned for Seattle on Thursday, April 2. The first regional forum was held in Florida on February 19 and can be viewed at this link http...
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 for business and agency representatives. The April meeting is April 8 and will be hosted by Mabel T. Caverly Senior Services at a site to be determined. Begins at 8 a.m. Call Older Persons Action Group to RSVP and get the...
The Fairbanks-North Star Borough Parks & Recreation Senior Recognition Day is being held at the Carlson Center on May 7. Call 459-1136 to RSVP. Nomination forms are still being accepted for Outstanding Senior Volunteer and Lifetime Fitness candidates. If you know a senior that has volunteered unselfishly for the good of the community or a senior that exemplifies healthy living and is leading a life of physical fitness, please fill out and submit a complete nomination form to honor this individual. Forms can be found at the Parks & Recreation...
Each May, the Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission celebrates Older Americans Month, recognizing older Americans and their contributions to the nation. This year, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act (OAA), we are focusing on how older adults are taking charge of their health, getting engaged in their communities, and making a positive impact in the lives of others. The theme for Older Americans Month 2015 is “Get into the Act.” When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, there were only 17 million Ame...
The Senior Benefits program, administered by the Division of Public Assistance, provides a critical safety net for older Alaskans age 65 and older who live on small fixed incomes to help pay for food, fuel, housing, prescribed medications and other necessities. The Governor’s amended budget proposes a 25.4 percent reduction to the Senior Benefits program that will result in a 20 percent reduction in benefit amounts for seniors who qualify for the program with incomes between 75 and 175 percent federal poverty level. The proposed reduction w...
For the second time in three years, the U.S. Supreme Court could determine the fate of the president’s health care law with a case coming up for oral arguments in March. While a limited number of seniors are covered under the health care law, a Court decision could have a big impact financially on your health care costs if the High Court rules the law unconstitutional. With President Obama controlling the veto pen over Congress, lawmakers and the White House will continue their health care legislative standoff. Two years ago, the Supreme Court...
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, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates across Alaska to share information about issues and specific bills of concern. Teleconferences are scheduled 9:30 to 11 a.m. every other Thursday and weekly during the last month of session. The remaining 2014 meeting dates are March 12 and 26; April 9, 16 and 23. To participate, visit a host...
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 for business and agency representatives. The March meeting is March 11 and will be hosted by the Cook Inlet Housing. Begins at 8 a.m. Call Older Persons Action Group to RSVP and get directions to the event, or for more...
Our granddaughter Olive is undergoing an excellent indoctrination into some of the finer films and television shows of years past. No, it’s not the work of her doting grandparents. We’re too far away to have enough time to indulge her in a quality cinematic education. But her uncle, who has half of my genetic makeup and all of my name, has been standing in nicely. He’s introduced his niece to the classics, movies and shows that celebrate the best of Western culture. Like “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” which is available to stream through Netflix. I...
Do you know an outstanding individual whose service, dedication and leadership have had a significant impact on the quality of life for seniors in Anchorage? May is Older Americans Month, and once again, the Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission will be presenting the Ron Hammett Award. Ron Hammett, a commissioner serving on the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission in 2004, was an extraordinary man who exemplified the spirit of outstanding service to seniors and their families. He worked tirelessly as an advocate for seniors in...
The Tax-Aide program is designed to prepare basic tax returns for most low and middle income taxpayers, with an emphasis on senior citizens and disabled taxpayers. Sites are staffed by volunteers who are trained and certified by Internal Revenue Service and AARP Foundation instructors to prepare basic tax returns. By using AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, these taxpayers also avoid tax preparation fees and pitches for high-interest tax credit or refund loans. And the service is free. Keep reading for the dates and hours for the sites throughout...
There are more than 88,000 family caregivers in Alaska at any given time, and more than 128,000 over the course of a year, according to a 2014 report on Long Term Services and Supports done by AARP’s Public Policy Institute (http://www.longtermscorecard.org). This number is growing along with Alaska’s rapidly increasing number of older people living in our state. These Alaskan caregivers (who might be a spouse, sibling, adult child or grandchild, or even a friend or neighbor) are not paid, but if they were, their worth would top a billion dol...
The AARP Juneau Community Council attended the Jan. 15, “Annual Elders and Caregivers Workshop,” hosted by the Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. The focus was “Medicaid Opportunities in Alaska, Juneau Senior Housing and Services Demand Study, and Advanced Planning for Long Term Care: A Checklist for Elders and their Caregivers.” There were several community organizations, all sharing and networking. The lively conversation around the AARP table was often about living independently: “My family tries to take care of me; th...
