Alaska
Family Caregiver Support
Facts at a Glance
|
Facts in Brief |
Alaska |
United States |
| Older Population |
| Population age 60+ |
53,000 |
45,797,200 |
| Population age 65+ |
5,700 |
34,991,800 |
| Population age 85+ |
2,600 |
4,239,600 |
| Proportion age 65+ (National rank) |
51st |
N/A |
| Proportion age 85+ (National rank) |
51st |
N/A |
| Adults with Disabilities |
| Percent of population age 21 to 64 with a disability |
15.6% |
19.2% |
| Percent of population age 65+ with a disability |
46.2% |
41.9% |
| Children Raised by Grandparents |
| Number of grandparents raising grandchildren |
5,412 |
2.4 million |
| Number of children being raised by grandparents |
8,188 (4.3% of children under age 18) |
4.5 million (6.3% of children under age 18) |
| Informal Caregiving |
| Number of informal caregivers in the state |
.1 million |
27.2 million |
| Caregiving hours per year |
60.6 million |
29 billion |
| Market value of informal care |
$533.8 million |
$257 billion |
ALASKA’S SUPPORT NETWORK
- Family Caregiver Support Program
Offers: Adult day and in-home respite options, with no cap on services; other services include information and assistance, education, case management, counseling/support groups, caregiver training, and legal/financial consultation.
Funded by: National Family Caregiver Support Program under Older Americans Act Title III E; administered by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Senior and Disabilities Service, and locally by its grantees.
Eligibility: No minimum age for caregivers; care receivers must be age 60 or older. Care recipients must have impairment in two or more activities of daily living for respite/supplemental services and a diagnosis of dementia or related disorder and/or require supervision.
Offers: Respite and extended respite services; other services include case management and chore.
Funded by: State general funds; administered by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Senior and Disabilities, and locally by its grantees.
Eligibility: No minimum age for caregivers; care recipients must be age 60 or older.
- ADRD Education and Support
Offers: Educational materials, referrals and support groups for anyone needing information and education about Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.
Funded by: State general funds; administered by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Seniors and Disabilities Services and locally by the Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Agency in four locations throughout the state.
Eligibility: No minimum age for caregivers or care receivers.
- Adult Day Services Program
Offers: Adult day respite care; other services include meals and personal care.
Funded by: State general funds; administered by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Senior and Disabilities Services and locally by providers in 12 communities throughout the state.
Eligibility: No minimum age for caregivers; care receivers must be age 60 or older and be at risk of institutionalization, need assistance with at least two activities of daily living, have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or related disorder, and benefit from adult day services.
- Grandparent and Other Relative Caregiver
Support Programs
Offer: Respite care and other support services designed to address the needs of grandparent and other relative caregivers of children. See www.gu.org/factsheets.asp for details on Alaska programs.
Funded by: Older Americans Act Title III E, state general revenues, and other sources. The Family Caregiver Support Program is administered by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Senior and Disabilities Services and locally by its grantees.
Eligibility: Grandparent and other relative caregivers must be a minimum of age 60 and caring for a child age 18 or younger to receive services in the Family Caregiver Support Program.
CONSUMER DIRECTION
Consumer direction is a philosophy that accommodates people’s needs and preferences by offering them maximum choice and control over services they use. One Alaska caregiver support program offers some level of consumer direction:
- Family Caregiver Support Program gives family members the choice of respite providers.
LEGISLATION
None related to caregiving.
Sources: National Association of State Units on Aging, e-mail survey of State Family Caregiver Support Program contacts, Washington, D.C., June 2005; National Center on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren at Georgia State University, Research—Fact Sheets, Atlanta, Ga., 2005; Feinberg, Lynn Friss, et al., The State of the States in Family Caregiver Support: A 50-State Study, Washington, D.C.: Family Caregiver Alliance, National Center on Caregiving, 2004; Generations United, National Center on Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children, State Fact Sheets, Washington, D.C., October 2003; National Family Caregivers Association, Prevalence and Economic Value of Family Caregiving: State-by-State Analysis, Kensington, Md., 2000; U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000.
Contact
Lisa Morley
Commission on Aging
P.O. Box 110209
Juneau, Alaska 99811
(907) 465-4669
lisa_morley@health.state.ak.us
www.hss.state.ak.us/dsds
For More Information
National Association of State Units on Aging
1201 15th Street, N.W., Suite 350
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 898-2578
www.nasua.org
National Conference of State Legislatures
444 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 515
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 624-5400
www.ncsl.org
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