Alaska nonprofit outlines costs, caregiver strain and new treatment access at lunch-and-learn

Kay Papacristo, outreach director for Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska, told a staff‑sponsored lunch‑and‑learn that dementia and Alzheimer's disease are stressing families and services across the state and urged use of local supports.

Papacristo, speaking at an event sponsored by staff for Representative Justin Ruffridge, said the national cost of Alzheimer's disease in 2022 was $321,000,000,000 and described steep local care costs, a growing older population and the unpaid work of family caregivers. "Family caregivers are at 35% higher risk of anything they're at risk for due to the burden of caregiving," she said.

The talk focused on why Alaskans need culturally appropriate, statewide supports. Papacristo described Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska's services, the Mental Health Trust of Alaska ADRD mini‑grant that provides up to $2,500 per year to people with dementia for needs such as incontinence supplies, ramps or day services, and partnerships with national and local organizations.

Alaska costs and caregiver burden Papacristo said Alaska faces unusually high costs for long‑term care. She cited an average Alaska nursing‑home cost of about $400,000 per year compared with roughly $109,000 per year in the lower 48, and noted that caregivers provided "over 39,000,000 hours of care" that was valued at approximately $795,000,000. She also said Alaska's population age 65 and older increased about 68% from 2010 to 2022, driving increased local demand for services.

Service reach and program details Papacristo said Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska provides in‑person programs in Anchorage, Mat‑Su (Matanuska‑Susitna), Fairbanks and the Copper River Basin, with care coordination in Anchorage and Mat‑Su. She described the group's work in frontline caregiver training, resource and referral, and outreach to communities off the road system. "If you have a question about dementia, about resources, we aren't the end all be all, but we are working with wonderful partners," she said.

She emphasized the ADRD mini‑grant administered in partnership with the Mental Health Trust of Alaska as a direct support the agency has operated for about 15 years and said the organization is increasing travel and remote supports to reach more rural communities.

Risk reduction and prevention Papacristo called for integrative risk‑reduction strategies that treat people holistically rather than focusing only on cognitive symptoms. She urged lifestyle measures — healthy diet, sleep, not smoking, limiting alcohol and keeping mentally engaged — as modifiable risk factors and said the agency is working with other health programs on prevention and chronic‑disease links.

New treatments and access Eric Ashman, a neurologist at Central Peninsula Hospital, summarized recent advances in Alzheimer's treatment and diagnostics. He told attendees that new diagnostic tools — blood tests, spinal fluid tests and specialized brain scans — can identify Alzheimer's pathology earlier, and said two intravenous medications approved in recent years work by removing abnormal proteins from the brain.

"These new treatments...have been shown to slow the progression of the disease process. How much slower? Estimates could be a year and a half to as much as 3 years," Ashman said. He added that early diagnosis and treatment offer better chances to maintain function.

On affordability and access he said patients must meet specific criteria and enroll in a Medicare registry in order to get coverage under current rules, and that out‑of‑pocket cash prices reported in the session were on the order of $22,000 a year for the medication itself for patients without coverage.

Data gaps and early‑onset cases Papacristo noted gaps in Alaska data, especially for non‑Alzheimer's dementias and early‑onset cases younger than typical reporting thresholds. She described anecdotally seeing more early‑onset cases in recent years and said available state and national research often omits related dementias, which can add about 30% more cases beyond those counted as Alzheimer's disease.

Public response and next steps Attendees praised Alaska's grassroots supports and several residents shared personal experience using Alzheimer's Resource services. Papacristo closed by encouraging people to sign a contact list or use the group's website to access referrals and local programs, and said the organization is working to scale services and deepen partnerships with the Alzheimer's Association and other health providers.