04/01/2010 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

              SCR 13-SUPPORTING SENIOR CAREGIVERS                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:05:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HERRON announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be CS  FOR SENATE CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION NO.  13(HSS), 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.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:06:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  CON  BUNDE,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  expressed  his                                                               
desire to  draw attention to  the escalating  senior demographics                                                               
in Alaska.   He pointed out  that Alaska had the  fastest growing                                                               
senior population  in the U.S. and  was projected to grow  by 150                                                               
percent  in the  next 20  years.   He directed  attention to  the                                                               
increased  need  for senior  caregiving,  and  predicted that  25                                                               
percent  of   all  seniors  would   need  some  level   of  daily                                                               
assistance.  He  noted that the longer a senior  can take care of                                                               
themselves at  home, the less of  an impact it would  have on the                                                               
public  systems.    He  stated  that  SCR  13  was  supported  by                                                               
Department of  Health and Social Services,  AARP, and Alzheimer's                                                               
Resource of Alaska.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:08:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON referred  to page 2, line 15,  and asked if                                                               
"recognizes  senior caregiving  as a  profession" indicated  that                                                               
this  would   become  a  profession  permitted   by  occupational                                                               
licensing.  He asked if there were criteria for this.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:08:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TREVOR  FULTON,   Staff  to  Senator  Con   Bunde,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, in  response to Representative Seaton,  stated that,                                                               
as a resolution, this had no  weight to change statute, and would                                                               
not  place  any  profession  under licensing  organization.    He                                                               
explained  that  the resolution  was  to  draw attention  to  the                                                               
importance of the profession.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:09:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KELLER  asked if it was  possible to resolve not  to get                                                               
older.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:09:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEVIN TURKINGTON,  President, Senior Care of  Alaska, stated that                                                               
he  was testifying  in  support of  SCR 13.    [Due to  technical                                                               
difficulties,  much  of  the  testimony  was  difficult  to  hear                                                               
clearly.]  He  stated his support for  SCR 13.  He  read [page 2,                                                               
lines 12 -  13], and pointed out the financial  impact of seniors                                                               
providing for themselves.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:14:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ANGELA  SALERNO,  Systems  Developer,   Division  of  Senior  and                                                               
Disabilities Services, Department of  Health and Social Services,                                                               
stated that  the administration  supported SCR  13.   She pointed                                                               
out the  value of senior  caregivers and voiced  appreciation for                                                               
their service.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:15:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARIANNE  MILLS,  President,   AgeNet,  Alaska's  Association  of                                                               
Senior Service Provider  Agencies, stated her support  of SCR 13.                                                               
She  acknowledged  the hard  work  of  unpaid family  caregivers,                                                               
which was valued at $140 million.   She directed attention to the                                                               
care  and support  of family  members in  providing for  seniors.                                                               
She pointed  out that  SCR 13 heightened  the awareness  of aging                                                               
issues and the need for planning ahead.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:17:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARIE DARLIN, AARP Capital City  Task Force, stated that AARP was                                                               
in  full  support  of  SCR   13.    She  confirmed  the  changing                                                               
demographics  that would  require  an increased  role for  family                                                               
care givers.  She emphasized that  SCR 13 was a necessary part of                                                               
the health care plan.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:19:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DENISE DANIELLO, Executive Director,  Alaska Commission on Aging,                                                               
Department  of Health  and Social  Services,  explained that  the                                                               
Commission  advocated  on  behalf   of  older  Alaskans  and  she                                                               
explained some of  its programs.  She stated support  for SCR 13.                                                               
She pointed out that Alaska was  a maturing state, with a quickly                                                               
growing senior population  that had resided here  for many years.                                                               
She noted  that seniors  were living longer.   She  mentioned the                                                               
importance  of  family caregivers.    She  referenced the  Senior                                                               
Snapshot,  contained in  the  FY 2009  Annual  Report, which  was                                                               
available on line.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:23:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked if  the Alaska Commission on Aging                                                               
would supply the  additional education that was  mentioned in SCR
.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. DANIELLO  replied that a  goal of  the state plan  for senior                                                               
services was for increased education.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON asked why a resolution was necessary.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. DANIELLO  offered her  belief that SCR  13 did  not authorize                                                               
the educational campaign.  She  deferred to Senator Bunde for his                                                               
reasons  to the  resolution,  but  she pointed  out  that it  had                                                               
heightened awareness toward the aging population.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:25:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA encouraged people to  go to the meetings of                                                               
the Alaska Commission on Aging.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  DANIELLO, in  response to  Representative Cissna,  said that                                                               
the commission  met quarterly,  and that  there was  currently an                                                               
educational series on  senior community forums.   She pointed out                                                               
that  family support  was  necessary for  senior  care, but  that                                                               
family  dynamics  were  changing,  with more  divorce  and  fewer                                                               
children.    She stressed  the  importance  of supporting  family                                                               
caregivers.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:27:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HERRON closed public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:27:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BUNDE,   in  response   to  Representative   T.  Wilson,                                                               
explained   that  SCR   13  offered   encouragement  for   family                                                               
caregivers, even though it lacked enforcement.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:27:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KELLER moved to report CS  SCR 13 (HSS) out of committee                                                               
with individual recommendations.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
There being no  objection, CS SCR 13 (HSS) was  reported from the                                                               
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.