SCR 13: Supporting senior caregivers and encouraging the Department of Health and Social Services to provide additional education on the effects of aging and the importance of senior caregivers.
00 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 13 01 Supporting senior caregivers and encouraging the Department of Health and Social 02 Services to provide additional education on the effects of aging and the importance of 03 senior caregivers. 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 WHEREAS, every day, 17 people in Alaska turn 60; and 06 WHEREAS an estimated 79,847 people, or 11 percent of the state's population, are 65 07 years of age or older; and 08 WHEREAS the population in the state that is 65 years of age or older is expected to 09 increase by 59 percent in the next 20 years to 134,391 in 2030; and 10 WHEREAS the population in the state that is 85 years of age or older is projected to 11 reach 12,476 in 2030 and double to 24,952 by 2050; and 12 WHEREAS approximately 6,364 people in the state have Alzheimer's disease or a 13 related disorder, and it is estimated that 14,170 people will have Alzheimer's disease or a 14 related disorder by 2030; and 15 WHEREAS 70 percent of people with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder live at
01 home and need assistance with activities of daily living; and 02 WHEREAS more than 25 percent of all seniors need some level of assistance with 03 activities of daily living; and 04 WHEREAS, in order to address the surging population of seniors who have 05 significant needs for in-home care, the field of senior caregiving will continue to grow; and 06 WHEREAS an estimated 96,800 adults in the state provide care to adult relatives or 07 friends, and an estimated 1,595 adults provide paid senior care to nonrelatives; and 08 WHEREAS the longer seniors are able to provide for themselves, the less the public 09 payment systems supported by state and federal governments are burdened; 10 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature 11 (1) recognizes senior caregiving as a profession; 12 (2) supports the private home care industry and the efforts of family caregivers 13 statewide by encouraging individuals to provide care to family, friends, and neighbors; 14 (3) encourages accessible and affordable care for seniors; 15 (4) will review state policies and support current state programs that address 16 the needs of seniors and senior caregivers; 17 (5) encourages the Department of Health and Social Services to continue to 18 provide additional education on the effects of aging and the importance and availability of 19 senior caregivers to meet personal needs.