A Quality of Life Assessment

Project TeamProject Consultant: Amy Flowers, Ph.D.Project Manage: Kathryn Dodge, Ph.D.Project Advocate: Torie Foote

Advisory Committee Hank Bartos Denise Daniello Wendy Dominique Jennifer Jolis Banarsi Lal Karen Parr Bella Jean Savino Freda M. Williams Vickie L. Wilson Allison K. Wing Karen Wood

The Question

What services and characteristics of Fairbanks encourage seniors and baby boomers to stay – or leave – the FNSB?

What actions can the FNSB, community, and service providers take to strengthen these services or characteristics?

Methodology 414 early input survey participants 35 qualitative and in-person

interviews 11 community forums with 78

participants Phone/on-line/paper survey

251 seniors250 baby boomers49 internet / paper

Gender of All Respondents

Age of All Respondents

Race/Ethnicity of All Participants

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 90 91 93 94 95108

Perc

enta

ge

Age

"Age Distribution"

$19,999 or less

$20,000 to 29,000

$30,000 to

$39,999

$40,000 to

$49,000

$50,000 to

$59,999

$60,000 to

$74,999

$75,000 to

$99,999

$100,000 or more

5.5%3.7%

6.9%

9.2%

14.3% 14.3%

20.7%

25.3%

6.0%

13.3%15.1%

10.2%

13.3%

17.5%

10.2%

14.5%

Income and Future vs. Current Seniors

45-64 years of age 65 and over

n=383Significant at .05

Common Complaints Not enough Medicare doctors Door to door transportation should be

readily available – wherever the door is in the borough

Don’t want to ask people for help Don’t know who or where to ask for

help Energy too expensive Limited housing options

Common Misconceptions

Borough has social service powers Tax dollars pay to deliver

transportation services I can move when I need to Boomers will never be seniors No jobs available for seniors

Proposed Service Delivery Model

Centralized Service Delivery

North Pole

Chena Ridge

SalchaEster

Two Rivers

Fox

Importance of Services to Boomers and Seniors

1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00

Job training and career development

*Job opportunities

Continuing education and learning

Recreational opportunities

Public transportation

Mental Health services

Sense of community

Availability of assisted living facilities

Caregiver support services

Affordable senior housing

Services to help seniors stay in homes

Doctors specializing in older people

Doctors that take Medicare

2.32

2.54

2.78

2.86

3.04

3.07

3.20

3.29

3.33

3.42

3.52

3.57

3.78

2.45

2.80

2.76

2.96

3.04

2.99

3.11

3.24

3.29

3.41

3.52

3.55

3.69

45-64 65+

Not at all Important Very important* Significant at .05

Satisfaction with service

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Crime prevention or safety

Local job opportunities

Long term care: Availability of facilities

Parks and recreation

Healthcare: Physicians refusing to take …

Availability of services for caregivers

Assisted living: Availability of facilities

Inflation

Public transportation

Healthcare: General Affordability

Healthcare: Availability of doctors

Taxes

Housing: Availability of affordable …

Cost of heating oil and fuel

0.4%

0.0%

1.3%

0.4%

4.0%

0.0%

2.6%

5.7%

3.1%

4.8%

7.0%

3.5%

14.5%

47.6%

0%

0%

0%

1%

2%

3%

3%

3%

4%

5%

6%7%

8%

54%

What do you feel is the single most important issue facing older residents and seniors in the Borough?

45-64 years of age 65 and over

n= 501

Issues Sorted by Importance to Seniors

-0.1 -0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3

-0.09

-0.09

-0.09

-0.05

-0.04

-0.02

-0.01

-0.01

0.01

0.01

0.10

0.12

0.27

Difference between Boomer and Senior Importance Ratings

Gaps in Importance

Attitudes towards Health Related Issues

Comparison of Senior and Boomers on Health-Related Issues

* Beta scores in multiple regression analysis indicate the relative impact of each variable on the program’s overall effectiveness score.

R2=.586Significance of the

model=.000

Q55 I would like to work part-time in my retirement years (.346)

Q42 I recognize most of the people who live in my community (.761)

Q53 Growing older has limited the kinds of activities I can do (-.344)

Q58 I have lost out on a promotion raise or other benefit at work because of age

(-.502)

Q56 I know someone who has experienced elder abuse (.460)

How important are mental health services to the

quality of life for seniors and future seniors in the

Borough?

Q57 “I have the information I need regarding retirement and financial

planning for old age” (-.535)

Why Do People Stay?

Having family and friends nearby Friendliness of community Willingness of community to help others Strong sense of community Recreational and continuing education

activities

Nice place to live or raise

children

Having friends and family

nearby

Friendly neighborhood or community

Familiarity with places

Small town feel

Lived here since

childhood

Affordable living

Ability to make a positive

contribution to the

community

Nice house

21.6%

14.0%10.8%

10.0% 9.6%8.0%

4.0% 2.0%1.2%

15.6%

30.8%

13.6%

9.6%

6.4% 6.0%

2.4% 1.6%4.4%

What is the main reason you choose to live in the Fairbanks North Star Borough?

45-64 years of age 65 and over

n=501

Why Do People Leave?

Harsh climate Family elsewhere Lack of job opportunities Cost of housing Cost of heat

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Lack of transportation

Need for caregiver support or services

Healthcare needs

Cost of heat

Cost of housing

Lack of job opportunities

Family elsewhere

Harsh climate

1%

2%

3%

10%

11%

13%

17%34%

Q39 “What was the primary reason you considered leaving?”

n=232

Why are Seniors Important to Our Community? Investors Voters Opinion influencers Volunteers Mentors Part of the family Caregivers Active historians

How Should We Invest in our Seniors? Investing in:

Transportation helps seniors stay in their homes

Coordinating service delivery improves quality of life and reduces expense of service

Providing senior housing reduces injuries and cost of service delivery

What Can We Do?

Things We Can Change or InfluenceFriendly communityJob opportunities for seniors & baby boomers Cost of energyAffordable housingCoordination of service deliveryPeople friendly winter environments Advocate for improvements in whole person

healthcare

Things We Can’t ChangePresence of familyHarsh climate

What Can Our Community Do? Develop:

Aging and Disability Resource CenterImproved transportation system System to coordinate volunteers and part-time

senior home care/rehab workers Additional affordable senior housing Workforce development services

Resolve health and social services powers issue within borough

Strengthen FNSB Senior Commission

Next Steps Make final results available to service providers,

local and state government Establish Aging and Disability Resource Center Explore establishing transportation and service

delivery system for outlying areas Review FNSB Senior Commission placement,

charter, and funding Inform Alaska State Strategy for Senior Services Develop local Strategy for Senior Services Strengthen relationship with Alaska Commission

on Aging

Questions?

Copy of Presentation or Final Report

kdodge@fnsb.us

http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/MayorsOffice/EconomicDevelopment/default.htm