ALASKA
Grant Information
- Name of Grantee
- Department of Administration, Division of Senior Services
- Title of Grant
- Alaska's Nursing Facility Transitions Project
- Type of Grant
- Nursing Facility Transitions, State Program
- Amount of Grant
- $800,000
- Year Original Funding Received
- 2001
Contact Information
Patrick Reinhart, Executive Director
Alaska Statewide Independent Living Council
1016 W. 6th Ave, Suite 105
Anchorage, AK 99501
907–269–3571
Patrick_Reinhart@labor.state.ak.us
Subcontractor(s)
Kenai Peninsula Independent Living Center
Alzheimers Resource Agency
Center for Human Development
Target Population(s)
Medicaid eligible individuals or those determined to be within six months of Medicaid eligibility who want to make the transition from a nursing facility to the community.
Goals
- Provide services to enable people to transition from nursing facilities to the community.
- Develop an enduring system to transition and divert people from nursing facilities to the community to the extent they desire.
- Evaluate project activities and outcomes and develop recommendations to further improve the transition/diversion program.
Activities
- Identify and develop partnerships to facilitate the nursing facility transition grant.
- Work with nursing facility staff to identify targeted individuals.
- Assess each individual's transition/community needs and, once placed in the community, monitor the individual's situation to determine if his or her needs are met, and arrange resources and supports as needed.
- Work in conjunction with existing housing initiatives, AHFC, and other housing resources to develop a variety of strategies to increase the availability of accessible, affordable housing stock.
- Work in conjunction with other initiatives and activities to increase the availability of services and supports that will support transitions and diversion (e.g., accessible and affordable transportation and front line workers).
Abstract
The NFT project staff will help identify individuals who want to make the transition from nursing facilities to the community, and to ensure there is a system in place to provide supports and services needed for the transitions or diversion.
The State Independent Living Council (SILC), under supervision of the Division of Senior Services, will manage the project and employ a project coordinator responsible for education, information dissemination, outreach, and coordination of the transition process. The project coordinator will also work with nursing facility staff to identify targeted individuals. Once individuals are identified, the project coordinator will assess each individual's transition/ community needs, provide care counseling, and arrange for peer counseling if desired by the individual. The project coordinator will then convene a planning team to assist the consumer to determine needed services and resources.
In order to develop the infrastructure and programs to support the transition and ongoing support needs of participants, activities will be coordinated with Division of Senior Services staff. We are fortunate that the Rural Long Term Care Development staff members are located within the Division. These two staff persons are knowledgeable about housing efforts going on statewide and are a resource to staff.
Rural Long Term Care Development staff are part of a number of statewide committees looking at housing options. Feedback to the other organizations listed in the grant to partner and coordinate efforts will be a priority. The Division of Senior Services (DSS), as well as the other participating stakeholder organizations, such as the Governors' Council on Disabilities and Special Education, will be able to make policy recommendations to DSS, who in turn will work with the Department of Health and Social Services and, specifically, the Division of Medical Assistance (Medicaid single state agency), to develop a strategy for policy change, including how to fund and how to implement new policies and/or benefits.