Rumors of closure land on Palmer Pioneer Home

PALMER — Rumors are flying over the possibility of the Palmer Pioneer Home being closed as a result of budget cuts as state legislators continue wrangling over a balanced budget. At this point in the Juneau budget process, it appears these fears might be the result of political scare tactics.

The latest out of the state capital has the senate calling for an approximate $6.5 million reduction in Alaska's Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) budget. More specifically, the Senate Finance Committee reduces Pioneer Home funding from $51 million to $44 million. Late last week, the Senate finance committee nixed 5.7 percent from the state-wide Pioneer Homes budget but did so through an unallocated reduction process. With that, lawmakers reduced the budget allocation without stipulating where the cuts should be made.

Governor Bill Walker is on record stating it is not his office's responsibility to decide where those cuts should be made. However, a story posted by mustreadalaska.com stated the Walker administration had circulated a memo to get ready for closure.

The state operates six Pioneer homes which provides housing for not only senior citizens in general, but also many of Alaska's aging veterans, some of whom can trace their service back to World War II.

In addition to Palmer, other locations include Fairbanks, Anchorage, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. The flurry of social media and emails began making the rounds over the weekend. According to one Pioneer Home employee, they received the following email from Alaska Pioneer Homes director Vickie Wilson:

"Following the Senate's action this week to reduce funding for the Pioneer Homes...the department sent word to its administrators that closure of homes was the only realistic way to meet this proposed budget target. The Palmer Home would be the most likely home to be closed because the community has other resources that could be available to residents, and the Anchorage Home could be able to take those who had no other options. Be aware that closure of one Home will not be enough to meet the budget target, so the department is analyzing the savings that would be achieved by closing the Juneau Pioneer Home as well," the email stated.

It went on to say that "In calculating state fund savings from closing Homes, we recognize that a number of residents are on payment assistance, not eligible for home and community-based waivers, and would not be able to afford placement in a private home...if this reduction remains in the budget when it goes into effect on July 1, we would establish a transition plan for residents to vacate the home by Aug. 31, 2017, and then for limited staff to prepare the Home for closure by Oct. 15, 2017. The department will begin working on a closure plan and it its utmost to work closely with families and residents to help them make a smooth transition to another situation."

Even though the Palmer and Juneau homes are mentioned in the email, rumors are also making the rounds in Ketchikan. According to a post by KRBD, community radio for the city, Ketchikan city council member Bob Sivertsen, also a member of the state Pioneer Homes Advisory Board, said the six homes are already holding vacant beds because of previous state cuts which led to staffing shortages.

"The Pioneer Home in Ketchikan employs 70 people and it has about 45 residents,” he said. “There’s nothing in the community that’s available to take those displaced residents if they decide to close that facility, and I don’t know how they would do that.”

According to DHSS, as of March 31, 2017, the Palmer facility had 68 residents and 101 employees. Palmer Home administrator Joshua Shaver is out of the office and will not return until April 26, his office said. District F state senator Shelley Hughes is on record with the following statement.

"Our seniors deserve respect and care, and it was troubling to me to learn on Friday that the administration had unnecessarily caused tremendous anxiety among seniors by informing residents of the Veterans and Pioneers Home in Palmer that closure of their facility is looming this summer. A $6.5 million reduction can be moved and absorbed elsewhere in the (DHHS) one-plus billion budget at the governor's and his commissioner's discretion. In fact, the DHSS Commissioner has been granted the unusual authority to move up to $25 million from one appropriation to another for situations just as this.," Hughes stated.

She said other department heads typically do not have that kind of leeway. Hughes said another important point to consider is that $6.5 million isn't a final number.

"The budget work will continue in the House and Senate conference committee this week. The bottom line is that our precious elderly should not be used as a political football in an attempt to pressure lawmakers to pass taxes. I and the Mat-Su delegation as well as other legislators are working on this issue," Hughes stated.

The proposal is far from written in stone. Both branches of state legislature are hammering out their own versions of a balanced budget. Differences must be settled in conference committees. The House proposal left the Pioneer Homes' budget unchanged.

Calls to the governor's and Wilson's office, as well as to Wilson were made Monday morning. The Frontiersman was told by both each would return a call when they had press releases ready. Those were not issued.

A group of Valley residents aren't taking the political infighting lying down. Carol Ryan Aube said even though it's short notice, a support rally for the Palmer facility is planned for this Saturday at the Pioneer Home. She said phone calls and social media posts have been going out since late this weekend and she's hoping to see a large crowd on-hand.

The event is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.