This Week's Updates

Alaska Department of Health sent this bulletin at 09/11/2026 02:20 PM AKDT

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Summit on Aging Early Bird Savings Ends Tuesday 

Summit on Aging Event Flyer

Statewide Summit on Aging this October: Register Now!

You're invited! Please join us this fall, either virtually or in-person at Turnagain Social Club in Anchorage for the Statewide Summit on Aging October 15-17th. We have combined forces with the Aging and Disability Summit traditionally held at Special Olympics to bring you this Summit on Aging. Continuing education credits have now been approved. Attendees can receive up to 21 CE hours at the Summit.

View all Summit details, including the complete agenda, and register here.

Summit attendees have the opportunity to sign up for 15-minute one-on-one office hour segments with Alaska Department of Health leadership on Friday, October 16th between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Bring your questions, ideas, concerns, or feedback and connect directly with DOH leaders about issues affecting older Alaskans, people with disabilities, caregivers, providers, and communities across the state. Space is limited. Please email yasmin.radbod@alaska.gov to reserve your time: first come, first served.

Our early bird discount of $250/3 days full Summit is available through September 15, 2026.

Alaskans ages 65+ and individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) have waived in-person registration fees. These spaces are limited, and registration is required. We are not accepting walk-ins at this time. We kindly request that you only register for the day(s) you plan to actively attend and participate in sessions. This helps make the Summit more accessible to all interested Alaskans. If registering online is not possible, please call 907-230-0871 to register. If you prefer to attend virtually instead, please contact us to complete registration.

Senior centers and organizations are welcome to contact yasmin.radbod@alaska.gov to coordinate their community member registrations and/or communal watch gatherings.

Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Review our Sponsorship Prospectus here. To register as a sponsor and/or exhibitor, click here. Sponsorships are critical to ensuring rural voices are represented. Thank you for your support! 

We are in the process of following up with all scholarship applicants. Thank you!

Our Summit hotel block is Homewood Suites by Hilton Anchorage at 101 W 48th Ave. If you are purchasing tickets to the Summit from out of town and wish to use our negotiated hotel rate for your stay, please use this link.

Flying to the Summit? Use this Alaska Airlines code for a 7% discount: ECMQ426. To use the Code, go online to www.AlaskaAir.com and input the Discount Code when searching for flights. The discount will be applied to any flights meeting the contract parameters. By clicking the “?” next to the discount code box after entering the code you may view a detailed description of the rules. 

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Elder & Professional Listening Sessions on Medicare Benefits Enrollment Sept 16 in Anchorage

The National Council on Aging, Anchorage’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, and Southcentral Foundation are collaborating to host two listening sessions focused on benefits enrollment for American Indian and Alaska Native Elders. Kauffman and Associates, Inc. is supporting this effort. The sessions, scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, 2026, will take place at the Southcentral Foundation Nuka Learning & Wellness Center at 4085 Tudor Centre Drive in Anchorage, in Rooms Nuka Delta 130K and Nuka Fjord 130L. The elder listening session will run from 10:30 to 11 a.m., followed by a professional listening session from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The professional session is designed for navigators, caseworkers, Tribal administrators, and other staff to discuss practice-based challenges and solutions related to Medicare, Medicare Part D Extra Help, and Medicare Savings Programs for AI/AN communities. The elder session will center on experiences and needs related to Medicare enrollment and benefits. Jeanne Larson, a MIPPA specialist based in Anchorage, will attend both sessions to answer participant questions. The first 30 attendees at each session will receive a $50 gift card. Event organizers are seeking assistance in sharing the information and connecting with individuals who may wish to participate. 

Safe Alaskans Free CarFit Program

CarFit is a free program to help adults ages 50+ adjust their vehicle for safety and comfort. Small adjustments to vehicle setup can make a big difference in driving safety and comfort. CarFit offers free, personalized checks that help Alaska drivers adjust their seat position, mirrors, headrests, and more. It’s designed to keep you safe and comfortable behind the wheel.

A 20-minute CarFit check can help you drive more safely for years to come. Schedule yours: Contact Safe Alaskans at info@safealaskans.org or (907) 929-3939. Find out more about CarFit by clicking this link.

Help Safe Alaskans connect aging Alaskans with CarFit: Safe Alaskans is also looking for partners to help them reach Alaskans. Contact them if your organization wants to host an event or would like to learn more about offering the program directly. 

Red Cross of Alaska: Home Fire Alarm Program 

The Home Fire Campaign by the Alaska Chapter of the American Red Cross helps save lives by installing free smoke alarms in homes that don't have them, and by educating people about home fire safety. Home fires claim seven lives every day, but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half.

That’s why the American Red Cross is rallying volunteers to install free smoke alarms nationwide, as part of their Sound the Alarm events. This year they will install free smoke alarms, create escape plans and share fire safety information. 

Alzheimer's Association Alaska: Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act in Congress
The Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act (S. 3267) is currently under review in the US Senate. It would establish Medicare coverage for FDA‑cleared early detection tests for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias beginning in 2028. These tests include blood‑based genomic and biomarker technologies designed to identify the disease in its pre‑symptomatic or early stages. By adding these screenings to Medicare’s covered services, the legislation would remove significant financial barriers to accessing newer diagnostic tools, allowing earlier identification of Alzheimer’s than is currently available to most beneficiaries. Early detection can offer individuals and families more time to plan for care, pursue treatment options, and consider participation in clinical research. The bill marks a notable policy shift because it requires Medicare to treat these early‑stage diagnostic tests as covered items, enabling broader and more consistent access as technologies continue to advance. Currently the bill is not cosponsored by Alaska's congressional delegation. 
Alaska Transportation Funding for Seniors & People with Disabilities: Submit by Sept 18
The Alaska Community Transit Office (ACT) is pleased to announce that the SFY2028 Human Services Transportation Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been published. Thank you for your interest in improving mobility and transportation options for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and Alaska Mental Health Trust beneficiaries. 
The SFY2028 NOFO and related application materials are available on the ACT website homepage at: https://dot.alaska.gov/stwdplng/transit/
The Intent to Apply period for ACT administered funding opportunities opened on August 10 and closes on September 18, 2026, at 4:30 PM AKT. All applicants planning to apply for funding are encouraged to submit an Intent to Apply during this period. 
If you have any questions regarding the SFY2028 HST NOFO or the application process, please contact the ACT Office: dot.alaska.transit@alaska.gov 
National Employ Older Works Week Sept 20-26 

“Employ Older Workers Week” is a national observance in the U.S. each September aimed at celebrating and supporting older workers through inclusive hiring, strength-based workforce strategies, and programs like Alaska's Mature Adults Seeking Skills Training (MASST) Program. This year the dates are September 20-26, 2026.

2025 Senior Snapshot excerpt, data provided by Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development: 

Alaskans ages 65+ Share of Resident Workforce Increasing Steadily (bar graph) 2003-2023

Did you know? Alaska has consistently had a higher share of seniors participating in the labor force compared with the national average, with 20 percent of seniors working in 1980 versus 13 percent nationally, 14 percent versus 12 percent in 1990, 15 percent versus 13 percent in 2000, and 22 percent versus 16 percent in 2010. By 2023, seniors made up 22 percent of Alaska’s labor force, compared with 19 percent across the United States. Data from 2022 to 2024 show that Alaska’s resident workers aged 65 and older remained engaged throughout the year, with 13,967 seniors working all four quarters in 2024 and more than 20,000 working at least one quarter that year. Over the period from 2003 to 2023, the share of Alaska’s workforce aged 65 and older steadily increased (from around 3 percent in the early 2000s to 6.2 percent in 2023) even as the overall number of workers fluctuated.

September 21 is World Alzheimer's Day: Webinar & New Global Report

Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) is launching the 2026 World Alzheimer Report with a webinar focused on a new era in dementia clinical trials on September 21, World Alzheimer's Day. The organization highlights that meaningful progress in dementia diagnosis and treatment depends on research, noting that 158 drugs are currently in 192 trials worldwide. To advance these treatments, ADI emphasizes the need for broad participation from people living with dementia at all stages.

The upcoming report centers on clinical trials as the essential pathway for emerging breakthroughs. Experts and contributors will discuss the complexities of dementia clinical trials, what participation involves for individuals living with dementia, and how these studies may shape the future of diagnosis, treatment, and care. ADI underscores the growing importance of involving people in the early stages of dementia, as early diagnosis can expand access to developing therapies, research opportunities, and timely support.

The webinar invites healthcare professionals, researchers, advocates, policymakers, caregivers, and people living with dementia to join the discussion. Panellists include Chris Lynch, Paul Gallagher, Julie Moore, Dr. Emer MacSweeney, Prof. Zul Merarli, and Jeff Pohlig. AI translation will be available in more than 60 languages, and the event will later be accessible on ADI’s YouTube channel. Please note the webinar is at 5:00 AM AKT.

Alaska Training Cooperative: Free Trainings in Homer Sept 21-22 

Two no-cost training opportunities are available in Homer Sept 21 & 22 including a Dementia Skills Training, and Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults Training. These training events are sponsored by the Alaska Statewide Dementia Training Project. Registration is covered by the grant and learners will receive continuing education hours that meet Senior and Disabilities Services (SDS Division of Alaska Department of Health) Provider Continuing Education (CE) requirements, knowledge & skills to respond to the mental health needs of Older Alaskans. Learners will also practice new skills of interaction and intervention for working with Older Alaskans experiencing brain changes and have the opportunity of participating in the Alzheimer's Resource Alaska's (ARA) Dementia Live! experience. 

If this training is not in your area and you would like to have dementia care training in your community please reach out to Riki to discuss hosting options: racook@alaska.edu.

Alzheimer's Resource Alaska: "One Voice, Many Lifetimes" Intergenerational Concert October 18 in Anchorage 

On October 18, Alzheimer’s Resource Alaska and Keys to Life are presenting One Voice, Many Lifetimes at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. This is the first event of its kind in Anchorage, bringing together ASD elementary, middle, and high school students with older Alaskans, including individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, for an intergenerational concert centered around music, memory, and connection.
The concert will benefit both Keys to Life and Alzheimer’s Resource Alaska, but it is also an opportunity to create greater awareness and understanding of dementia in our community. We hope it will showcase what is possible when we focus on connection, inclusion, and the abilities of people living with dementia.

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