Every three years, AARP looks at how states serve its older residents and people with disabilities. This year, Arizona ranks 26th when it comes to meeting the long-term care needs of those populations, and it's a decline from 2011 when the state ranked 15th in the nation.
The Arizona Long Term Care System, or ALTCS, provides at-home services like housekeeping and bathing; it also helps cover the costs if a person has to move into a nursing home. AARP says more needs to be done to improve Arizonans’ quality of life. Dana Marie Kennedy is with AARP Arizona.
"Part of it is the economic downturn," she said. "However, I think that when our legislature decides to make choices, they really focused on cutting services to all the services to our aging adults," Kennedy said.
States are ranked on 25 indicators in five key areas, including affordability and access, choice of setting and provider, and quality of life.
Now with possible cuts on the horizon, W. Mark Clark with the Pima Council on Aging is worried.
"Because Medicaid really is the only payer for long term care services and pays for something like 40 percent of all skilled nursing care beds in the United States." he said.
According to the report, the top five states are Washington, Minnesota, Vermont, Oregon and Alaska.
