One of Frontier Community Services' (FCS) primary beliefs is that seniors and adults with physical disabilities are happier and healthier living in their own homes and being involved in their community. For most of us, choosing where we want to live is relatively easy. For many seniors who experience problems related to aging and for adults with a physical disability, this is a much more difficult task. The nature of the individual's problems can make it difficult for the individual to live independently in their own home and access community recreational and social activities. FCS provides a wide variety of services for folks who need help living in their home and accessing their community.
Below is a listing of some of the services available here at FCS through Medicaid and the new terms.
Respite Care
Caring for someone is hard work and we all need a break. Respite care is designed to give you a break while ensuring your loved one is well taken care of. FCS has people who can come into your home to care for the person you love while you go out and shop, go the doctor or just relax.
Chore Services
Who doesn't need help cleaning the house and getting chores done? The physical demands of housekeeping can be beyond a senior's or an adult with physical disabilities abilities, so FCS has staff who can come by on a scheduled basis and clean up and get the
chores done.
Many of the services offered by FCS are paid for through grants or Medicaid. The rules, regulations and requirements related tothese programs can be daunting. A care coordinator is someone who knows the process and helps you get the services you need. The care coordinator sits down withthe person needing care and their family and works with them to identify what services are needed, why and how often they are needed, helps determine a source of funding and submits any paperwork that might be required. The care coordinator will continue to meet with you and your family on a monthly basis to make sure that the services are meeting your needs, and if they aren't, make changes to your plan if you need something different.
Case managers are different from care coordinators. The case manager makes sure the day to day services of your plan are happening. They supervise and train the staff working with you or your loved one. They can help you schedule doctor appointments and if needed even go with you to the appointments. Case managers are like a store manager, they make sure the customers gets what they need.
Balancing caring for an elder or someone with a physical disability at home and working to pay the bills can be a real challenge. The person can't be safely left at home alone and being cooped up at home all day isn't good for her either. FCS runs the Forget-Me-Not adult day center. The center specializes in working with seniors who have Alzheimer's, but any adult who needs to can attend. It is open five days a week, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and folks can come as much or little as they would like. Forget-Me-Not also gives the people that attend an opportunity to make friends and engage in activities designed to help them with their issues. Not only can family members go to work and have the person cared for, but you have the added bonus of being able to talk with trained staff that become very familiar with your loved one. This partnership between center staff and families really benefits everyone who attends
Forget-Me-Not.
Funding
So how are these services paid for? The answer to this question is like many other answers, it depends. Basically there are three ways FCS gets paid for providing these services 1) Medicaid, 2) State grants, and 3) self pay. Occasionally you can find some private insurance policies that cover some of the services.
Medicaid Waiver Services The majority of the services listed above are funded through Medicaid and are available to individuals of all ages who meet a certain criteria defined by Medicaid The individuals must be Medicaid eligible and need the type of services that would normally be found in “institutional care” such as a nursing home. The types of services that are offered are dependent upon the type of waiver one qualifies for. The state of Alaska currently has four types of waivers:
Alaskans Living Independently
Adult with Physical and Developmental Disabilities
Children with Complex Medical Conditions
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Under the new terms, FCS can provide a person with care coordination, respite, chore, adult day and assisted living.
One of Frontier Community Services' (FCS) primary beliefs is that seniors and adults with physical disabilities are happier and healthier living in their own homes and being involved in their community. For most of us, choosing where we want to live is relatively easy. For many seniors who experience problems related to aging and for adults with a physical disability, this is a much more difficult task. The nature of the individual's problems can make it difficult for the individual to live independently in their own home and access community recreational and social activities. FCS provides a wide variety of services for folks who need help living in their home and accessing their community.
Respite Care 
Chore Services
Adult Day Center
opportunity to make friends and engage in activities designed to help them with their issues. Not only can family members go to work and have the person cared for, but you have the added bonus of being able to talk with trained staff that become very familiar with your loved one. This partnership between center staff and families really benefits everyone who attends
Forget-Me-Not.
Medicaid Waiver Services
Senior In-Home Grant
Adult Day Center Grant