Assessment of Fairbanks North Star Borough seniors' quality of life and what will keep them in the area.

1. A Quality of Life Assessment

2. Project Team
Project 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

3. 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?

4. Methodology
 414 early input survey participants
 35 qualitative and in-person
interviews
 11 community forums with 78
participants
 Phone/on-line/paper survey
 251 seniors
 250 baby boomers
 49 internet / paper

5. Gender of All Respondents
43%
Male
Female
57%

6. Age of All Respondents
5% 2%
16%
Under 45
45% 45-64
65-75
76-85
Over 85
32%

7. Race/Ethnicity of All Participants
3% 5%
3% 0%
African American
Alaska Native
Pacific Islander
White
Other
89%

8. Gender
Female Male
55% 45%
n=500

9. "Age Distribution"
8%
7%
6%
5%
Percentage
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
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
Age

10. Ethnicity
African
Other American Alaska Native
2% 2% 3%
White
92% Hispanic
1%
Asian American
1%
n=478

11. Employment Status
Medical Decline to
disability answer Employed Full
Retired time
52% 2% 1% 30%
Employed part
Stay-at-home time
parent 11%
homemaker or
caregiver Unemployed
2% 2%
n=496

12. Annual Household Income
$20,000 to 29,000
$0 to $19,999 6% $30,000 to
Decline to State 4% $39,999
23% 8%
$40,000 to
$49,000
7%
$50,000 to
$100,000 or more $59,999
16% $75,000 to 11%
$60,000 to
$99,999 $74,999
12% 12%
n=501

13. Income and Future vs. Current Seniors
45-64 years of age 65 and over
25.3%
20.7%
17.5%
15.1% 14.3% 14.5%
14.3%
13.3% 13.3%
10.2% 10.2%
9.2%
6.9%
5.5% 6.0%
3.7%
$19,999 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 $75,000 $100,000
or less to 29,000 to to to to to or more
$39,999 $49,000 $59,999 $74,999 $99,999
n=383
Significant at .05

14. Moved From
Another state
75% Lived here all
my life
2%
Another city
in Alaska
23%
n=500

15. How long have you lived in FNSB?
4 years or less 5 to 9 years
2% 3%
10 to 14 years
6%
15 years or
longer
89%
n=498

16. Home Ownership Status
Rent
10%
Own
90%
n=495

17. “Which of the following best describes where you live?“
Retirement Assisted Living
Community 1%
1%
Other
Apartment 1%
6%
House
91%
n=499

18. “Do you have immediate family in the Borough?”
Yes
74%
No
26%
n=499

19. 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

20. 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

21. Proposed Service Delivery Model
North
Pole
Ester
Salcha
Fox
Centralized
Service Delivery
Chena
Two Ridge
Rivers

22. Importance of Services to Boomers and Seniors
45-64 65+
Doctors that take Medicare 3.69
3.78
Doctors specializing in older people 3.55
3.57
Services to help seniors stay in homes 3.52
3.52
Affordable senior housing 3.41
3.42
Caregiver support services 3.29
3.33
Availability of assisted living facilities 3.24
3.29
Sense of community 3.11
3.20
Mental Health services 2.99
3.07
Public transportation 3.04
3.04
Recreational opportunities 2.96
2.86
Continuing education and learning 2.76
2.78
*Job opportunities 2.80
2.54
Job training and career development 2.45
2.32
1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00
* Significant at .05 Not at all Important Very important

23. Satisfaction with service
45-64 65+
Sense of community 3.24
3.12
Continuing education and learning 3.22
3.12
*Recreational opportunities 3.21
3.00
Job training and career development 2.93
2.75
*Caregiver support services 2.89
2.59
Job opportunities 2.82
2.84
Public transportation 2.80
2.68
Mental Health services 2.76
2.58
Services to help seniors stay in homes 2.63
2.47
*Doctors specializing in older people 2.51
2.29
Availability of assisted living facilities 2.44
2.29
*Affordable senior housing 2.43
2.20
Doctors that take Medicare 2.35
2.23
1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00
* Significant at .05 Very Somewhat Somewhat Very
Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Satisfied Satisfied

24. 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
Cost of heating oil and fuel 54%
47.6%
8%
Housing: Availability of affordable… 14.5%
Taxes 7%
3.5%
6%
Healthcare: Availability of doctors 7.0%
Healthcare: General Affordability 5%
4.8%
4%
Public transportation 3.1%
Inflation 3%
5.7%
Assisted living: Availability of facilities 3%
2.6%
Availability of services for caregivers 3%
0.0%
Healthcare: Physicians refusing to take … 2%
4.0%
Parks and recreation 1%
0.4%
Long term care: Availability of facilities 0%
1.3%
Local job opportunities 0%
0.0%
Crime prevention or safety 0%
0.4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
n= 501

25. Issues Sorted by Importance to Seniors
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
54%
Cost of Heating Oil and Fuel 47.6%
8%
Availability of Affordable Housing 14.5%
Availability of Doctors 6%
7.0%
Inflation 3%
5.7%
Affordable Healthcare 5%
4.8%
Physicians that don't take Medicare 2%
4.0%
Taxes
7%
3.5%
Public Transportation
4%
3.1%
Availability of Assisted Living Facilities
3%
Availability of Services for Caregivers 2.6%
3%
0.0%
-10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
n= 501

26. Gaps in Importance
Job opportunities 0.27
Job training /career development 0.12
Recreational opportunities 0.10
Services to help seniors stay in homes 0.01
Public transportation 0.01
-0.01 Affordable senior housing
-0.01 Doctors specializing in older people
-0.02 Continuing education and learning
-0.04 Caregiver support services
-0.05 Availability of assisted living facilities
-0.09 Mental Health services
-0.09 Sense of community
-0.09 Doctors that take Medicare
-0.1 -0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3
Difference between Boomer and Senior Importance Ratings

27. Attitudes towards Health Related Issues
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
When I need to see a doctor I can 28% 58% 10% 3%
* If memory problems become an issue I know where to go for help 17% 52% 21% 5%
*In the next 5 to 10 years I may need help with household chores like snow
shoveling or maintenance
16% 42% 32% 7%
*Growing older has limited the kinds of activities I can do 14% 46% 32% 6%
If I became very sick I would no longer be able to live in my current home 9% 42% 33% 8%
I know someone who has experienced elder abuse 3% 10% 48% 32%
*Significant at .05
n=501

28. Comparison of Senior and Boomers
on Health-Related Issues
45-64 65 and over
3.1
When I need to see a doctor I can 3.2
* If memory problems become an issue I 2.8
know where to go for help 3.0
If I became very sick I would no longer 2.5
be able to live in my current home 2.6
* Growing older has limited the kinds of 2.5
activities I can do 2.9
* In the next 5 to 10 years I may need 2.4
help with household chores like snow 3.0
shoveling or maintenance
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
* Significant at .05 Strongly Strongly
n=501 Disagree Disagree Agree Agree

37. Q42 I recognize most of the people who
live in my community (.761)
Q57 “I have the information I need
regarding retirement and financial
planning for old age” (-.535)
How important are
Q58 I have lost out on a promotion raise mental health services to
or other benefit at work because of age
(-.502) the quality of life for
seniors and future seniors
in the Borough?
Q56 I know someone who has
experienced elder abuse (.460)
Q55 I would like to work part-time in my
retirement years (.346) R2=.586
Significance of the model=.000
Q53 Growing older has limited the kinds
of activities I can do (-.344)
* Beta scores in multiple regression analysis indicate the relative impact of each variable on the
program’s overall effectiveness score.

38. 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

39. What is the main reason you choose to live in the Fairbanks North Star
Borough?
45-64 years of age 65 and over
30.8%
21.6%
15.6%
14.0% 13.6%
10.8%
10.0%
9.6% 9.6%
8.0%
6.4% 6.0%
4.0% 2.0% 4.4%
2.4% 1.6% 1.2%
Nice place to Having friends Friendly Familiarity Small town Lived here Affordable Ability to Nice house
live or raise and family neighborhood with places feel since living make a
children nearby or community childhood positive
contribution
to the
community
n=501

40. Why Do People Leave?
 Harsh climate
 Family elsewhere
 Lack of job opportunities
 Cost of housing
 Cost of heat

41. Q39 “What was the primary reason you considered leaving?”
Harsh climate
34%
Family elsewhere 17%
Lack of job opportunities 13%
Cost of housing 11%
Cost of heat 10%
Healthcare needs 3%
Need for caregiver support or 2%
services
Lack of transportation 1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
n=232

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

43. 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

44. What Can We Do?
 Things We Can Change or Influence
 Friendly community
 Job opportunities for seniors & baby boomers
 Cost of energy
 Affordable housing
 Coordination of service delivery
 People friendly winter environments
 Advocate for improvements in whole person
healthcare
 Things We Can’t Change
 Presence of family
 Harsh climate

45. What Can Our Community Do?
 Develop:
 Aging and Disability Resource Center
 Improved 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

46. 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

47. Questions?

48. Copy of Presentation or Final
Report
kdodge@fnsb.us
http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/MayorsOffic
e/EconomicDevelopment/default.htm