hellobeautifulcreatures

FAIRBANKS — Many older people want to stay in the house they built or raised their kids in as long as they can. Yet, in Alaska it can be difficult to find housing stocked with the types of modifications needed for elders, such as wide doors and hallways, low doorway thresholds , deep stair treads and ramps for walkers or wheelchairs. In the past, many older Alaskans would move to the Lower 48 after retiring to find more accessible homes and communities. The Alaska Commission on Aging said that Alaska has one of the fastest growing populations of seniors in the country and more of them are now wanting to stay in the state. Older Alaskans need to know what to do in the event of a natural disaster. Hong Kong recently surveyed elderly residents to see how prepared they were. According to a 2012 study in “Geriatrics and Gerontology International,” less than a quarter of elderly people in Hong Kong were prepared to deal with a natural disaster, even though almost nine...

T ankless water heaters have been in use all over the world for fifty years, largely because of smaller homes and higher energy costs outside the United States. In fact, tank water heaters are only used in the U.S. As natural gas and LP prices rise (as they have for the past decade) it will cost consumers more to heat water. Imagine cutting water heating costs by 50 to 70 percent – think tankless water heaters . Tankless water heaters – often called “on demand” water heaters – only heat water when needed. Tank water heaters , on the other hand, keep the water hot all of the time and, when on standby, loose about 6 degrees an hour. Heat in the form of Btu’s also escapes up through the flue pipe constantly . Tank water heaters are incredibly inefficient and yet are used in the majority of American homes. Tank water heaters have a life expectancy of around 10 years, depending on incoming water quality . Tankless water heaters , on the other hand have a life expectancy of 20 plus ye...