Legislature(2007 - 2008)
02/19/2008 03:01 PM Senate L&C
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB209 | |
| SB149 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SB 209-EXTEND ALASKA COMMISSION ON AGING
3:03:02 PM
CHAIR ELLIS announced SB 209 to be up for consideration.
3:03:21 PM
TOM OBERMEYER, staff to Senator Davis, sponsor of SB 209, said
this bill extends the Alaska Commission on Aging. The purpose of
the Alaska Commission on Aging is to improve the quality of
life, services and support for seniors as they age. Objectives
include helping seniors attain and maintain personal and
financial independence at the highest level for as long as
possible and promoting their physical, mental, spiritual, and
emotional health. In addition, the commission tries to help
seniors remain in their own homes or chosen communities in the
least restrictive settings while keeping them connected to their
families and informed and helpful in their communities.
He pointed out the fiscal note describes the fact that continued
funding is extended through 2016 and the attached Governor's
bill analysis indicates without this continuation, the Section
306 AD of the Older Americans Act of 1965 requires that this
type of agency be continued in order to make $6 million of
federal funding available.
MR. OBERMEYER also noted a brief summary of a booklet of the
State Plan for Senior Services FY 2008-2011." He also attached a
letter from the assistant secretary for the Department of Aging,
Department of Health and Social Services informing them that it
had approved this four-year plan.
He urged them to review information on the attached executive
summary. For instance, it says Alaska has the highest proportion
of baby boomers at 32 percent and that Alaska's senior
population is growing faster than in almost any other state. By
2030 the proportion of seniors over 65 will double to 13 percent
of the population; people over 60 will make up 17 percent. The
summary also indicates that people in their 80s have many more
problems getting around and their needs increase. The
University's Institute for Social and Economic Research also
says that retired Alaskans age 60 and older contributed almost
$1.5 billion to the state's economy in 2004, primarily from
retirement income and health care spending - roughly 10 times
the total cost of state programs targeting seniors.
3:07:27 PM
The summary indicates that this state plan focuses on six goals
- keeping seniors healthy, active, involved in their
communities, insuring access to an integrated array of health
and social supports along the continuum of care, supporting
families in their efforts to care for loved ones at home and in
the community, providing a range of adequate, accessible, secure
and affordable housing options for seniors, supporting a stable
senior services and health care workforce as well as a range of
attractive work opportunities for seniors and insuring that
older Alaskans are safe from catastrophic events and protected
from personal exploitation, neglect and abuse.
For each item covered by the plan, an annual implementation plan
will be created by all interested senior organizations, each
committing to work on specific strategies outlined in the plan.
3:08:52 PM
PAT SIDMORE, Policy Manager, Senior and Disabilities Services,
Department of Health and Social Services (HESS), supported SB
209.
3:10:17 PM
DENISE DANIELLO, Executive Director, Alaska Commission on Aging,
Department of Health and Social Services, supported SB 209. She
said the mission of the commission is to ensure the dignity and
independence of all older Alaskans and to assist them through
planning, advocacy, community education and interagency
cooperation to lead useful and meaningful lives. It was
established in 1982 and satisfies the federal requirement under
the Older Americans Act for states to have an advisory counsel
to the state unit on aging (Department of Health and Social
Services) comprised of people who are of age to receive services
under the Older Americans Act. These services include home
delivered meals, transportation, congregate meals served at
senior centers, chore, respite, adult day services and so forth.
She said the Commission is responsible for formulating the state
plan for senior services and submitting it to the department.
They do this in collaboration with about 20 other agencies that
develop services for seniors. The Commission also provides
recommendations to the department and to the Alaska Mental
Health Trust Authority concerning the integrated comprehensive
mental health program regarding the use of monies from the
Mental Health Trust Settlement, the income account for persons
with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia, and seniors who
suffer from other behavioral health conditions. They also make
recommendations directly to the governor and legislature with
respect to legislation regulations and appropriations for
programs and services that benefit older Alaskans. With their
advocacy partners they have supported successful legislation
such as the new senior benefits program, establishment of the
Office of Elder Fraud and Assistance, strengthened the penalties
for identity theft, added dental coverage for Medicaid eligible
adults including doubling the number of slots for WWAMI students
to address Alaska's prospective physicians shortage, and secured
base funding for flexible long-term supports for people with
Alzheimer's disease and related dementia and other programs.
Pending passage of this legislation, she plans to continue to
advocate for services that promote healthy life styles of
Alaska's seniors.
3:14:52 PM
CHAIR ELLIS asked what the trends are for elder abuse.
MS. DANIELLO answered that at least it's starting to be talked
about. Years ago this was a taboo subject, but now the number of
reported cases is increasing. She noted in the last couple of
years that the Commission along with the Division of Seniors and
Disabilities Services advocated for increased funding for adult
protective services to add two staff members. One of the trends
they hadn't seen in previous years is the reporting of elder
mistreatment coming from rural areas of Alaska. She has heard
they need to enhance reporting because a lot of places are
collecting information regarding elder mistreatment and there
isn't one centralized place to report harm.
3:16:54 PM
She also explained that in Alaska elder mistreatment looks a lot
different than in other places. For example, it might be
somebody taking on somebody else's subsistence fishing rights or
fishing permits.
3:17:12 PM
SENATOR STEVENS said clearly there are going to be a lot more
older Alaskans in Alaska in the future and asked why the 65 - 74
age group is expanding so quickly, asking if that would be the
baby boomers.
MS. DANIELLO said the baby boomers were born between 1946 and
1964 and aren't on the chart. She said the 85-plus group is
showing the greatest increase in the senior population - and
that is the population most in need of services.
SENATOR STEVENS related that Senator Ted Stevens remarked in his
address today that Medicare is not solving the problem. Also, he
said when he first moved to Kodiak years ago it didn't have many
seniors, but now it's a real community with all ages. He thought
it was probably in large part due to what the commission had
done.
MS. DANIELLO responded that she observed that as well; another
factor might be that older people in the 1970s didn't have as
many children here, and more people who have children continue
to live here.
3:19:40 PM
PAT DAVIDSON, Division of Legislative Audit, supported SB 209.
She said the extension comported with her recommendations. She
explained that the audit did notice when the commission moved
from the Department of Administration to the Department of
Health and Social Services (DHSS) it dropped the granting aspect
to focus its efforts on planning, education and advocating for
senior services. The audit noted some statutory language clean
up needed to happen to recognize that change; the granting
should now show in statute as a responsibility of the department
rather than the commission.
3:21:40 PM
SENATOR DAVIS noted that legislation is going through both
houses to make the correction.
3:22:32 PM
CHAIR ELLIS announced the bill would be held to make sure it was
technically correct before moving it on.
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