Pioneers' Home may switch to state veterans home

By JEN RANSOM-Frontiersman reporter

PALMER -- A study conducted by the McDowell Group suggests switching the Palmer Pioneers' Home to a 78-bed state veterans home as a way to provide long-term elderly care to veterans across the state. The study was done at the request of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee.

"There has been a lot of discussion over the past few years regarding Alaska veterans' desire for a veterans home," Rep. Ralph Samuels, R-Anchorage, chairman of the committee, said in a recent press release. "A number of proposals have been suggested from designating beds in the Pioneers' Homes to building a new facility, but no one really knew what veterans wanted or what the cost to the state would be for each option."

McDowell outlined the following three options:

Convert the Palmer Pioneers' Home into a state veterans home. This option requires $1.4 million in capital cost but will save the state $247,000 each year.

Convert 60 beds in the Anchorage Pioneers' Home and 19 beds in the Fairbanks Pioneers' Home. This will require $5.3 million in capital dollars but will save the state $255,000 each year.

Build a new 60-bed state veterans home in or near Anchorage. This option will require $9.4 million in capital dollars and cost the state $2.8 million each year to operate.

Along with researching the state's options in term of financial feasibility, the McDowell Group surveyed veterans across the state to determine the type of long-term care they wanted.

No decision as to which, if any, option will be chosen has been made. Mary Ann Harmon, the administrator at the Palmer Pioneers' Home, said she is not worried about which way the state will decide.

"In the past we have always taken care of people, our mission has not and will not change," Harmon said.

Samuels said the report will be reviewed and decisions will be made.

"This report will give the Legislature and the administration the information we need to decide how to proceed in providing long-term care for our veterans," Samuels said.