Pioneers' Home Sitka sits in a historic building with roots reaching back to its days as a Russian log barracks and today stands as Alaska's oldest and fourth largest state home for elders, serving up to 65 men and women who need different levels of care, from those living independently, to those needing help with daily tasks, and those with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. The home follows the Eden Alternative® philosophy, which tries to make life meaningful for residents and staff, while treating everyone with dignity and respect, and the building itself is on the National Register of Historic Places, with a big bronze statue of "The Prospector" by Alonzo Victor Lewis out front, a tradition since 1949, and every fall the grounds fill with folks for the Alaska Day croquet tournament and parade. Residents live in six small "neighborhoods" inside the home, which helps them feel safe and find community, and each private rental room has its own bathroom, cable TV, kitchenette, telephone, and high-speed internet, plus the home is set up with elevators and lounges to make moving around and gathering with friends easy.
Staff at Pioneers' Home Sitka provide assisted living services every day, including help with medication, bathing, dressing, moving between places, and other daily activities, and there are nurses on duty 12-16 hours a day, with supervision and a call system available 24 hours for emergencies. Special care is there for folks with dementia, who have a secure area and planned routines and activities, and the home keeps three care levels - independent, basic assistance, and full 24-hour care - allowing folks to stay even as their needs change. The kitchen team, including a professional chef, prepares meals served restaurant-style in the dining room, offering allergy-sensitive dishes or special diets like for diabetes, and staff handle housekeeping, laundry, and move-in help.
Activity is a big part of life here, with a packed schedule of movie nights, music, arts and crafts, resident-run clubs, and community events, and many residents create handmade crafts in the kiln, selling their work in the gift shop on the first floor to raise money for care programs, while you'll also find a library, game room, gardens, walking paths, a spa, and a beauty salon, all in the home's common spaces. There are outdoor programs and transportation for medical appointments and outings, and a pet therapy program brings animal friends for visits. The Division of Pioneer Homes within the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services runs the place, aiming to give elderly Alaskans a steady, comfortable setting full of respect, support, and familiar local tradition, as well as a strong sense of being part of Alaska's living history right in the heart of Sitka.
