Nearly 40 agencies across the state are members of AGENet. Our members provide services for seniors in local communities and in seniors’ homes to help them maintain their independent living and improve their health and quality of life. Services we offer include nutritious meals, adult day centers, transportation, exercise classes, in-home care, case management, and meaningful support for their unpaid family caregivers. We serve over 20,000 Older Alaskans every year.
Legislative Priorities for 2025
AGEnet members urge you to take the following action during the 2025 Session of the Alaska Legislature:
- Increase Senior Community-Based Grant Funds by 15% for FY26.
Alaska’s senior centers provide the bulk of non-Medicaid senior grant services, which provide critical supports for older Alaskan’s 60 and over throughout the state. Grant funds provide meals, transportation, homemaker, chore, health promotion, adult day programs, and other services that allow individuals to remain in their homes and communities. Federal Older Americans’ Act funds are matched with state and local funds in an investment in the health, safety, and independence of seniors statewide. Senior Community Grant Services provide the lowest level of service and cost on the State of Alaska’s Senior Services Continuum of Care. The Adults Living Independently Medicaid waiver cost is more than 50 times than community grants per participant, and the Medicaid cost for nursing home care is more than 160 times than community grants per participant.
Alaska Commission on Aging recently informally surveyed Alaska’s senior centers. 75% of Alaska senior centers surveyed reported they have critical staffing shortages due to non-competitive wages. In addition to stagnant wages driving turnover, senior centers are facing food cost increases of more than 25% and critical infrastructure needs resulting in 90% of senior centers facing critical funding shortages. Unsustainable or inadequate services at the lowest level of care drive older Alaskans into higher levels of care with much higher costs.
- Support $1 Million for Human Services Transportation Match Funding.
This addition of GF to the FY26 Capital budget would help community transportation providers pay for replacement vans and operating assistance. Older Alaskans depend on local transportation providers to access the senior center for lunch, the adult day program, the store, the doctor, church, etc. We also support AMC’s priority of putting Public and Community Transit into Statute.
AGEnet stands for the Alaska Geriatric Exchange Network, primarily made up of private, local non-profit organizations founded in Alaska. Our membership association strives to include senior service providers in every area of the state so that older Alaskans statewide receive the community-based services they need.