Aging commission hears Ketchikan seniors Monday on next state senior plan

The Alaska Commission on Aging will hear from Ketchikan residents 55 and older Monday, Nov. 16, on what matters most to them in senior services. The listening session runs from 2:30 to 4 pm in the Bess Clark Conference Room at Community Connections, 721 Stedman Street. Light refreshments will be provided.

The commission says the feedback will be used to set the state's priorities for its next State Plan for Senior Services, a four-year roadmap developed by the commission and the Alaska Department of Health. The current plan took effect Oct. 1, 2023, and runs through Sept. 30, 2027.

The commission asks older Alaskans these questions every four years. For the current plan, it held more than 40 listening sessions between 2021 and 2023, including in Southeast, and heard from more than 500 people. Seniors across the state said they were concerned about access to health care, housing and assisted living, but had a strong desire to stay in their communities, the plan says.

Southeast has the highest share of seniors of any Alaska region, with more than one in four residents 60 or older, according to the commission's 2025 Senior Snapshot. The region counted 19,275 residents 60 and older in 2025, up 64% from 11,764 in 2010. Statewide, about 162,000 Alaskans were 60 or older, up 78% since 2010.

In a Nov. 10 release, the commission said the number of Alaskans 65 and older doubled between 2010 and 2025.

Community Connections is a Ketchikan provider of state-funded in-home services for older adults, including chore help, respite care, personal care and case management.

The commission held sessions in Juneau for the same plan this fall, Oct. 29 at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library and Nov. 4 at Centennial Hall. A new advisory committee began work on the plan this month.