The number of Alaskans who are nearing retirement age is growi rapidly, but are services, especially for specific needs, keeping pace?

We found that the was a gap in care for elders wh have dementia, who also have th complex type behaviors and ther really wasn't any place for the go.

What's being done to addres increasing demand for elder car across the state?

We'll discuss right now on Alaska Insight.

Caring for someone with memory loss can be exhausting, both physically and emotionally.

And the number of people with Alzheimer's or dementia in Alaska is set to almost double by 2030.

Reporters Anne Hillman and Jeff Chen spoke with people who are trying to support elders with memory loss.

When Peggy Gallie first met her husband, Pete, more than twenty years ago, he was always trying to help other people and make them laugh.

Many things are different now th he's in the later stages of Alzheimer's disease.

but some things have stayed the same.

He was a public speaker, you know, there are all kinds of things like that.

He still tries to be the speaker and it gets garbled and sometimes you just don't have a clue what he's saying.

It's get much worse.

It's frustrating for him because he knows he's working to say something and he can't get it out.

Now, Peggy still cares for Pete in their home.

He goes to services during the week and in-home care workers help every morning.

Some moments together are sweet wants me to sit with him.

Just sit next, hold his hand.

He doe to lose that closeness.

I think he's afraid things are slipping away somehow.

Maybe he there's some knowledge of that and he's still trying to grab hold of it.

Pete, who is 74, started developing symptoms thirteen years ago.

And Peggy, who is 69 and still working full time is exhausted.

Peggy knows the situation needs to change.

He's probably at the point wher should be somewhere safe.

last night in fact, he fell out of bed.

I have a guard kind of at my head, but he fell out of the bed and it took me over two hours to get him up.

Peggy is still considering what their next steps should be, but it's a hard decision to make.

We want to make him feel like he's still doing something.

Each facility offers different types of care and memory care facility, that doesn't mean they provide special facilities or care.

Memory care isn't a licensed designation, but Alaska now has one facility designated specifically for people who hav both memory loss and behavioral issues.

It's a new floor at the Pioneer Home in Anchorage and the only program like it in the state.

Come on in here.

The state run Pioneer home began developing the program about five years ago.

They researched other programs around the country but couldn't find anything specifically catering to this population.

We found that there was a gap in care for elders who have dementia, who also have these complex type behaviors and ther really wasn't any place for them to go.

The staff to resident ratio in the new community is double that of other parts of the home.

Staff also receive additional training on working with people with memory loss and de-escalating situations.

They have space for nine elders, but don't have the staff to run at capacity.

Yet the space is designed with dementia patients in mind as well.

Peggy is still searching for a place where Pete will be comfortable and where she will be OK with the care he's receiving.

Until then she doesn't have many options.

I keep going because I need to take care of him.

You can find other resources for caring with people with memory loss through Alzheimer's resource of Alaska.

For Alaska Public Media I'm Anne Hillman.

Joining me tonight to help us better understand what's available to help aging Alaskans for both in-home and assisted living care is Jessica Parks.

The hous operations and development dire for Rural Cap, and David Washbu the executive director for the Persons Action Group and the ed of Senior Voice, a monthly publication for Alaska seniors.

Welcome both of you.

Thanks so for being in studio.

It's great have guests again, Jessica, I w to start with you.

For people w aren't familiar with rural cap services, describe how you help especially elderly Alaskans.

Su Rural cap is a social services nonprofit.

We operate statewide throughout the entire state of Alaska and have multiple progra where we serve clients that are the age of 50 five, as well as providing services.

So here in Anchorage, we have a well, we h multiple permanent supportive housing and affordable housing rental units.

We also have an e mentor program that is the Alas version of the foster grandpare program.

that places elders int classrooms working with kids th and in our home improvement div we also have programs where we home accessibility, modifying stations which go in and help p be able to age in place longer.

they don't have to access those types of assisted living facili So really quite I'm impressed b broad range of services.

I didn realize that you also actually housing units we do into retrofitting people's homes.

We here in Anchorage.

We do have a primary focus on permanent supportive housing for people, experience homelessness with me health or substance use disorde But one of the things that we d offer is ADA accessible units.

we have someone who is older an needs those types of accommodat we have units that can assist w that.

You're the chair of the Homeless Prevention and Respons we have someone who is older an needs those types of accommodat System.

I was startled by the n that across the state, 744 Alas over sixty five are within the homeless prevention system.

and of them are in emergency shelte right now over 65 in emergency shelter.

Tell us about what's b done to help these vulnerable e You know, it's really difficult population of a Alaskans that a over that age is just over 20 percent.

And we see that same population transfer to the peop experiencing homelessness.

So t is some pretty intensive outrea that we do to try to connect pe to the appropriate services, oftentime I think everyone knows the wait lists are really long for assis living or nursing home care her what rural cap offers with perm supportive housing ÁDER units w we might be able to help with s of those daily living aids in t unit themselves and then work w the case management staff to co them with in-home care or other types of assistance that they might qual for.

Be able to afford.

Well, t you so much for getting us star David.

I want to turn to you no Tell us about the older person' action group.

It's been around more than 50 years and how do you work to help older Alaskan's older persons action called?

Yeah, it started the la 60s, primarily to apply for a b grant for some senior housing a that time.

was a group of peopl that there was a big need.

So t they went to that and then they And over the years, they've bee grant for some senior housing a that time.

was a group of peopl very instrumental in different sorts of different activities.

were really involved with getti the Anchorage and the Chugach s centers started when I started there over twent years ago.

They had building wi computer lab, which at that tim fairly cutting edge and for com training senior employment specialists to help people find CNR they had their own certifie nursing assistant lab where the would instruct people for train along with a PCAs.

The other th that's been a constant througho that is they published a senior voice newspaper, which started as a newsletter for their membe and then transformed to a more general circulation publication yer forty years.

Monthly astounding ithen you think about how many papers gone away, in the last couple o decades and here the small but mighty senior voice has continu for years.

Unfortunately, still under a lot of people's radar, awareness has been a challenge, ity delivery to we do provide Passe paall over the state who ask for that do get grant money to cover the costs for those things.

We also delivery people with racks in Anchorage and Amatzia to delive papers out in that area.

Well, you.

Going back to this disturb information about elders and emergency care.

How do those nu and this is for both of you, ho those numbers compare to past y rise?

Are you seeing more peopl falling into that?

I think what when we see people leaving Alas they're typically the more midd lower and middle aged.

And so i really contributing to rapid ag of Alaska's population, which t in turn just makes them a highe percentage of the overall peopl experiencing homelessness.

I th that when we see things like th cost of housing rise really commiserate increases in Social Security or pension income, you out or unable to afford theirou exponentially that we've seen i past few years with housing at a much higher rate.

know and often hear about Alaska being m expensive than other places.

Ho does costs differ for older fol especially compared to other st I was just looking at some information from a couple of different reports.

One was from Alaska Commission on Aging.

The what they call a seniors snapsh where they study these type of things and compile all sorts of different demographic informati housing and nursing care.

Care costs here are four times the average of national.

We have th highest nursing home care in th nation.

Our assisted living is fourth highest.

But you're stil talking over eighty thousand do a year for for our level of ass assistance, health care, as wel anybody who's worked in a compa fourth highest.

But you're stil talking over eighty thousand do that offers health benefits has that's had a need, has been presented.

This situation where the insurance company would pre toput you up in a place down there to your procedures done.

It's expe your procedures done.

It's expe that's much the cost difference toput you up in a place down there to great.

Hm.

Well, that's certain problematic as people age and h more restrictions on their inco Jessica, you talked about a ver personal case, the difficulty i helping your dad that couldn't placement and you had to actual have and put the hospital to ge referral.

Then he ended up in a based facility.

Tell us about w happened there.

Yeah, so my dad advanced Parkinson's disease.

A when he he moved in with me abo fifteen years ago, and had been cared for by myself, my family personal care attendants coming But the mobility challenge got point where we needed either fu time in-home care or needed to him to an assisted living or nu home facility.

And calling arou the waitlists are just and ther sometimes years long, especiall the skilled nursing facilities we did finally end up finding h placement.

But it was after he been hospitalized for a procedu They just kept him over until t were able to because the hospit their case managers have a litt bit more flexibility poll somet in getting getting patients pla and we did.

Finally, we were ab get in place in an assisted liv home in-home care here in Ancho But it is almost ten thousand dollars a month.

And what goes that cost What do you know about the fact either assisted living or nursi home facilities here are betwee five to fifteen thousand and hi per month?

How does that cost get justifie know a lot of the cost is relat medication management.

so you h to have definitely.

But you hav have certified nurses on staff able to administer medications.

if someone is not able to self administer their medications, t cost is going to go up very qui We also have here in Alaska rig now a health care worker shorta like that really feeds into tha well, that if it's hard to get staffing at a rate that keeps t cost affordable.

Well, in an ea conversation, you mentioned the difficulty in trying to find a and calling around and intervie who helps elders that don't hav super savvy daughter such as yourself.

to help them navigate of this.

Is that something that older persons action group assi with?

There are official resour There are six office around the state of aging and disability resource centers.

They do not provide hands on care themselve but they're on the front lines referrals and hooking people up services.

And they do.

They do people who can really help you through the pro But as far as finding a person would be like a planner or a personal advocate, that's harde come by.

And a lot of times it' learn as you go for a family me you know, a I have a friend who father developed serious.

I can remember it as Alzheimer's comb with health issues.

But she jus ended getting a crash course in finding out about all these different things.

And you kind of reach out for in any directi you can where you think you're to get.

Yeah, Jessica, you had mentioned that Medicare doesn't for assisted living Medicaid mi but they're our income considerations.

Talk about, I t a lot of people maybe confused the disconnect there between Medicare and Medicaid.

Well, an think the the biggest challenge again, that layperson's understanding of it as well, navigate getting health care an insurance is really difficult.

but, yes, Medicare has some ver limited areas where they're abl pay for either personal care attendants or assisted living.

But it's it ha be related to an incident, you some type of medical need for t And it's usually pretty timely, limited Medicaid does have some provisions that pay for assiste living.

But you have to be inco qualified.

And there's also som look back on assets.

And so if have someone who might own thei home, but not have the cash available to be able to pay for care, that can be really challe going through the Medicaid hoop have those have those assets protected while you can still qualify based on income to to protect your home and other thi because otherwise Medicaid requ that you exhaust all of your resources.

Typically, before yo There's a whole industry out th to teach people and guide them through the spend down process they basic divest themselves fr ownership of their different as so they can qualify for Medicai the services that can offer Dav Years ago, there were incentive try to keep people in Alaska as age there was.

The longevity bo program started in the seventie that was 250 per month per elde And that was defunded in 2013. was after that the senior assis and senior care programs that followed.

But those of also sun today, there's a senior benefit program.

What does that provide does that help seniors?

It is i based strictly.

And there's thr levels, depending, again, on yo income and it's cash assistance highest level is two hundred fi dollars a month.

And I can't te you what the the income it's ba calculate on the federal povert level.

There's a middle tier th I believe, one hundred and fift dollars and there's a lower tie that is I think seventy six dol per month.

That's that program You know, the other long runnin programs is there's a property assistance program.

The senior disabled veteran property tax exemption which is a statewide wide mandate, requires currentl require municipalities to exempt homeow from paying any taxes on the fi one hundred and fifty thousand dollars of their homes.

Apprais value which that is that based on inc as well, or is that based on ag It's based on age.

Interesting.

That's the minimum amount.

Ther a few communities that actually offer more.

The Sinai Peninsula bureau offers a higher amount o exemption.

I can't remember how higher in a few years ago.

the Matsue bureau voted to increase allowance out there.

I think it might be one hundred seventy fi thousand problem as is.

These h values just skyrocket on that.

Protection becomes, you know, l and less significant.

I mean, b is there it's also been under a constantly because the city's t reimburse the municipalities fo their costs and doing that.

And they've they pulled pulled the on that years ago.

And the poli are like we're covering the cos this is an unfunded mandate.

An you know, it's a burden.

Has an studied or do you have ideas ab what kind of a hardship ending earlier programs, the longevity bonus for I mean, two hundred f dollars a month for a five hund dollars a month.

That's a significant boost in your incom How much of a hardship has that caused for elders here?

Or do y know if people were sort of for to make decisions about having leave the state because of that of additional assistance?

I nev saw a study that actually dug i that closely about it.

One big difference was, was with that t longevity bonus, there was not based.

So any and everybody who of age and met the residency requirements qualified for you originally it went to was at fi or twenty year residency before qualified for that, similar to Permanent Fund.

Once they decid that wasn't allowable legally, to open that up to a much wider population at cost of the progr went up.

Jessica, you were talk about some of the homes that Ru provides.

What do you see on th horizon now for new facilities?

There's a place called Maple Sp It's out Palmer.

They're buildi least one new facility here tha slated to open soon in Anchorag There's Aspen Creek, Baxter Sen Living.

So there are places.

Bu what can you tell us about what of services they provide and ho they are helping to meet the ne Yeah, I think they're definitel helping to meet the need.

And I think that we've seen construct pick back up.

There was a perio time during the early pandemic materials and labor, we really didn't see a lot of new units b construct.

So we're starting to that pick back up again.

But ba twenty eighteen, there was an A Housing Finance Corporation stu that put forward that there nee to be over three hundred units to meet the existing gap in sen housing.

So every every year th don't chip away at that gap, it really just either maintains or bigger.

So I'm really I'm happy see that new facility are being constructed both public and pri But I do think that unless we s some real progress made on addressing a gap in the housing units, we're just going to see existing housing units start to out faster than we can build.

N ones.

All right.

Well, we'll ha keep watching that.

It's someth that we'll focus on again.

next season.

Onalaska, inside.

David our final minute here, you went AARP sponsored event this week new initiative called Senior Friendly Cities.

Tell about tha encourage one of them.

It's it' age friendly city.

that AARP is doing nationally.

And it's it's program to encourage cities and communities to make their citie more friendly to all ages and t just got, I think, the mayor si on in support of it, which is o the first requirements to to pr further.

It's a very big pictur encompasses all sorts of differ aspects, aspects of community l and it'll be exciting to see things starting to come together.

Is t procedes?

Right.

It'll be interesting to learn more and w bring you back next season.

Tha so much, both of you, for being us tonight.

This is our final episode for Season five of Alas INSIGHT.

We'll be back in Septe with a great lineup of new prog will feature candidates running statewide office.

We'll examine constitutional Convention ballo question and hear from Alaskans both sides.

of the vote.

We'll rural communities to highlight vibrant cultures and traditions our state.

And we won't shy awa from the challenges we face.

Pu safety, energy development, and technology environment protecti and emerging businesses will al sure to bring some fun topics t as well.

So thanks for being wi through this season.

I've appreciated hearing from so man you.

Keep the ideas coming.

And the meantime, be sure to tune i daily to your local public radi station for Alaska Morning News Alaska News Nightly every weekn be part of important conversati happening on talk of Alaska eve Tuesday morning and visit our website, Alaska Public Drag for breaking news and reports from across the state.

While you're please sign up for our free dai digest so you won't miss any of Alaska's top stories of the day Thanks for joining us.

I'm Lori Townsend.

Good night and have a great summer