Sorted by date Results 852 - 876 of 967
Alaskans are struggling with high energy costs throughout the state. Seniors and others on fixed incomes are particularly burdened when heating oil and gas rates rise. Even in Anchorage, which has ready access to natural gas, rising heating rates hit hard. On July 1 Enstar ratepayers across Southcentral Alaska saw their rates shoot up by over 48 percent. But more troubling than the rate hike itself is how the Regulatory Commission of Alaska rubber stamped Enstar’s requested increase. We give public utilities a government sanctioned monopoly i...
Gather unneeded and outdated personal documents and old cellular phones for Better Business Bureau’s biannual BBB Secure your ID Day, Oct. 18 in Fairbanks. Take advantage of free document shredding and cell phone recycling. Mobile shredding trucks will be on site, accepting up to three bags or boxes of unwanted documents per person. Please note that cardboard and three-ring binders cannot be accepted. Recycled phones will be donated to Verizon’s HopeLine, a nationwide program that wipes data and allocates phones to victims of domestic abu...
The six senior centers in Mat-Su are exploring opportunities to minimize administrative costs and maximize available public and private resources to provide a wider variety of services to the seniors they serve. The Coalition of Mat-Su Senior Centers serve a geographically broad area, with some centers serving more densely populated areas, such as in Wasilla and Palmer, which both have large senior living campuses, and others where the population is more spread out and fewer services are...
Sovaldi, a new drug, which has been hailed as a breakthrough treatment for the 3.2 million Americans infected with hepatitis C, costs $1,000 a pill. While it is highly effective and has fewer side effects and takes less time than older therapies, it costs $84,000 for a typical patient. But lawmakers want to know why the U.S. price is much higher than in other countries, as well as previously estimated in the U.S. In a letter sent recently, two U.S. senators, Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Ia., asked Gilead...
The Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) will hold its quarterly meeting Monday, Sept. 15, through Thursday, Sept. 18 in Fairbanks. The commission business meeting will be held at the Fairbanks North Star Council on Aging Senior Center from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15. The meeting will continue at the Raven Landing Senior Housing Community Center from 1 to 5 p.m. on September 16. Finally, the meeting will conclude at the Morris Thompson Cultural Center September 18 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. A public comment period will be held from 1 to 1:30...
September resource fairs will offer information about services for vulnerable adults, and celebrate dedicated advocates with a community service award. There will be fairs in three communities this year, the third year that Alaska’s Adult Protective Services has held the event. All the fairs will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 5 Anchorage BP Energy Center Sept. 19 Fairbanks Noel Wien Public Library Sept. 25 Juneau Mendenhall Mall & Library. The Juneau event will be broadcast by video conference to Cordova, Haines, Wrangell, Sitka, Hoonah a...
The Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission, as part of its Senior Needs Assessment, is hosting a forum to dialogue with interested community members and providers serving seniors about emerging and future trends vital to community health and behavioral health care for the elderly. Please join us! The forum will be held Wednesday, September 24 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Anchorage Public Library, Wilda Marston Auditorium. A panel of medical providers will be given five minutes to offer an overview presentation of how their organization...
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 September meeting is Sept. 10 and will be hosted by Hope Community Resources. Begins at 8 a.m. Call Older Persons Action Group to RSVP and get directions to the event, or for more...
Emergencies and disasters can strike quickly and without warning. Hurricane Katrina and Super Storm Sandy are stark reminders for older adults how quickly a disaster can disrupt your normal living. What would you do if your basic services such as water, gas and electricity were cut off? What if you couldn’t get your necessary medications? In a large scale disaster, much like the 1964 Earthquake, first responders may not get to you in the first few days. That is why it is important for you to be your own first responder. By following these t...
In April I challenged the Parnell administration to explain to the public the steps it has taken to fix Alaska’s Medicaid reimbursement system. This system compensates health care providers (i.e., hospitals, clinics, physicians, therapists, etc.) for the services they provide to the needy. The Parnell administration has taken three years to develop its new reimbursement system which it finally brought online last October. Ironically as Governor Parnell railed against the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, his own system utterly f...
Sidejacking is a common term for man-in-the-middle “eavesdropping” attacks that occur through unsecured Wi-Fi connections. Coffee shops, college campuses, airports and hotels are breeding grounds for hackers who try to compromise personal information and place computers at risk for viruses. Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington warns users to be cautious when connecting to public hotspots and surfing on a non-secure Internet connection. Using public Wi-Fi is inherently risky; laptops, smartphones and tablets are...
SFairbanks will hold its 16th Annual Stand Down for Veterans event Aug. 15 and 16 in Pioneer Park. The event brings together a myriad of free services and resources for veterans: Free dental, medical and optometry screenings, info and assistance on veterans benefits, employment and vocational rehabilitation, Social Security, legal questions, taxes, more. Free massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, haircuts, clothing, food bags, door prizes, entertainment. Friday, Aug. 15, is designated for clothing distribution only, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All other...
The Senior Access Program, administered by RuralCAP, provides grants to seniors 55+ for accessibility modifications to their principal residence. In 2014 nearly $600,000 was available statewide. Grants to more than 30 people have ranged between $7,000 to $15,000. Once an application is received and approved, RuralCap staff assists with planning and oversight of the actual construction. The program is expected to continue in 2015. For updated information, RuralCap staff may be reached at...
Mabel T. Caverly Senior Services in Anchorage is seeking donations for its annual Parcel Post Party, one of its biggest fundraisers and takes place Sept. 25 this year at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, inside the Athabascan Ceremonial House. The event includes bidding on donated gift packages. If you are traveling, even inside the state, buy a few things from that area in the $25 to $30 price range that you think would make a good gift and drop them off at Mabel T. Caverly’s downtown office, 911 W. 8th Avenue, Suite 104. This is also a g...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will hold its quarterly meeting September 15 - 18 in Fairbanks. In addition to the usual business meeting and updates from senior service agencies, commissioners will attend site visits to local senior housing facilities, health care providers in and around the Fairbanks area on Sept. 17. There also will be an Elder-Senior Community Forum, to help assess activities and needs related to the Alaska State Plan for Senior Services, FY2016-2019. More information will be available on the commission’s website at w...
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 August meeting is Aug. 13 and will be hosted by Day Break Adult Day Services. Begins at 8 a.m. Call Older Persons Action Group to RSVP and get directions to the event, or for more...
If you are 65 or older, 70 percent physically disabled or blind, you are eligible for a fishing proxy. This means you may have someone else fish for you for most fish and shellfish, though proxy fishing for halibut is not allowed. For more information or to pick up a form, visit your local senior center or Dept. of Fish and Game office. Or visit the website www.adfg.alaska.gov. The Proxy Fishing Information Form can be downloaded, printed, then filled out, but it has to be brought in, faxed, or scanned and then e-mailed to an Alaska Fish and...
It’s one of the “Dirty Dozen” tax scams and it’s making its way across the Pacific Northwest again. Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington has received several reports of IRS impersonators. The Internal Revenue Service issued the initial alert in February 2014, as did the Federal Trade Commission. Callers pretend to be from the IRS in hopes of stealing money or identities. Here are some examples of how the scammers attempt to swindle taxpayers. • Victims are told they owe money to the IRS or are entitled to a huge...
According to a new, state-by-state, long-term care scorecard from AARP, Alaska ranks fifth in the nation overall when it comes to meeting the long-term care needs of older residents. But AARP cautions against too much optimism since improvements must be made when it comes to meeting the long-term care needs of older residents, especially the support provided for family caregivers. “Raising Expectations 2014: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers,” was pro...
July 20 Deadline for voters to register to vote or to update their registration. Aug. 4 First date for Absentee In Person; Early Voting; Electronic Transmission; and Special Needs Voting to begin. Aug. 19 Primary Election Day, Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Contacts • Online registration; apply for absentee ballot; Look-up your voter registration: https//www.elections.alaska.gov/ot/php • Division of Elections Director’s Office contact: https//www.elections.alaska.gov/csm.php Or call 1-866-952-8683 or 465-4611...
Seniors are often the target of fraud aimed at obtaining money or personal information from them which will make it possible to obtain money using the identifying information. About one-third of the victims of identity theft are over the age of 50, according Michelle Tabler, Alaska Regional Manager of the Better Business Bureau. Tabler says the individuals in this age range are a popular target because many will be too embarrassed to talk about money which they have lost to a trick. In addition, she notes that some people may be easier to take...
Dying patients may find it more difficult to get certain medications under new rules Medicare has recently put in place. Meanwhile, another set of rules could make it easier for seniors to get Medicare to pay for home health care services. Medicare has recently issued different sets of rules for payments involving hospice care and home health care services, as a result of a lawsuit settlement. But both of the rules changes are complicated and confusing and seniors may need some help in working their way through the changes. In an effort to crac...
To sum up the 2014 session: It was a good news, bad news session for Alaskans. I had the honor of serving as the Democratic leader in the state Senate, so what follows is a report from our caucus on some issues of importance to Alaska’s fast growing senior population. Established in 2007, the Senior Benefits Program pays cash benefits to Alaskan seniors with low or moderate incomes. The program faced an approaching sunset date, and Democrats offered a bill in 2013 to keep the program running indefinitely. This session the legislature voted t...
From July 1 to Sept. 30, 2013, the participants in Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training (MASST) performed 25,545 hours in community service statewide while learning skills that helped them find unsubsidized employment. In the program, qualifying participants are matched with agencies, located all around the state, that are able to train in skills the participant needs to find a job. Participants are trained on how to get a resume ready to apply for a job, where to look for jobs, and how to...
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 June meeting is June 11 and will be hosted by the Municipality of Office of Emergency Management. Begins at 8 a.m. Call Older Persons Action Group to RSVP and get directions to the...
