OPINION: Don’t cut aid to Alaska’s seniors

Alaska has the fastest-growing senior population per capita of all 50 states for the tenth consecutive year. Yet, the governor’s budget reflects a $2.7 million cut to senior community-based grants for fiscal year 2024-2025. Community-based grants from the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services are by far the least costly of senior services and the most effective in helping the nearly 20,000 older Alaskans continue to live independently in their own homes and communities. Without question, the cut of $2.7 million in the governor’s budget will result in reduced services including critical meals and transportation, increased waitlists, and potentially even program closures in some communities. That in turn could unnecessarily drive our seniors into more costly facility-based care.

A vast majority of us desire to remain in our own homes and communities as we age. We prefer a home setting over a nursing home or other institutional setting, and that is what’s best for the state and society as well. Senior community grants help provide supportive services such as Meals on Wheels, congregate meals, transportation, light housekeeping, chore services, adult day programs, and education and respite for family caregivers to help older Alaskans stay in their own homes as long as possible. This is especially important for those whose incomes or assets are too high to qualify for Medicaid home and community-based services, but too low to be able to afford private services. It is also important for those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias who don’t typically qualify for Medicaid waiver services.

Cuts to senior community grantees could result in programs shifting from serving meals to seniors every day to only once every other day. For some seniors, their lunch at the senior center or Meals on Wheels delivery is the only meal they eat daily. Other programs would have to reduce or even cut out transportation services, leaving the 1 in 5 seniors who don’t drive with diminished or no transportation options for grocery shopping, medical appointments, and senior center activities.

We urge the Alaska Legislature to make the fiscally responsible choice to restore $2.7 million to senior community-based grants for FY2025, which will keep senior services providers from having to cut current services already stretched by growing numbers of seniors and increased food insecurity. As the Finance Committee members contemplate the many budget choices they have before them, this small fund restoration would be both the right thing to do for seniors and the right financial choice for Alaska.

Teresa Holt is the state director for AARP. Darlene Supplee is the Fairbanks Senior Center’s executive director and a member of the Alaska Commission on Aging.

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