Maine is a state with many unique distinctions. In 1641, the city of York became America’s first chartered town. Eastport, the most eastern city in the United States, is the first city in the country to receive the morning sun. And the lobster! You can’t think of Maine without thinking about lobster. Maine provides almost 90% of the nation’s lobster supply.
Maine is the oldest state in the nation. According to projections, one in four Mainers will be over the age of 65 by 2030. It also has some of the oldest housing stock in the nation. Expensive to heat and difficult to maintain, seniors in the state of Maine find themselves on waitlists (typically 140 names long) for affordable housing.
Maine’s Democratic House speaker Mark Eves has outlined a series of policy proposals to help the state’s rapidly aging population live independently longer.
The “KeepME Home” initiative is a package of bills intended to create affordable, energy-efficient senior housing communities, increase property tax credits, and provide higher pay for in-home direct care workers.
In-home care, in addition to being the more prefered type of eldercare, can be more economical than institutional care. According to Muskie School of Public Service, MaineCare (Medicaid) spent an average of $558 per month for each client who received in-home care in 2010, compared to $4,150 per month for each nursing home resident during the same year.
According to Caregiverlist’s® Nursing Home Ratings and Costs, the average daily price of a single-bed in a Maine nursing home is $266.45 per day.
The proposed $65 million bond issue would help address senior housing concerns, home care, long-term care, transportation, and a myriad of other senior service shortages.
House speaker Eves may just be courting the substantial silver-haired voter demographic in his bid for a November re-election (he can’t submit the legislation unless wins.) However, committing yourself to fight for your state’s elderly to live in their homes longer, or move to an aging-friendly community, or not having to choose between paying the heat or buying groceries is an honorable quest for someone who can affect public policy change.
Having Medicaid supplement home care agency wages for direct in-home workers — professional caregivers and C.N.A.s — helps draw and retain quality caregivers since they may finally eke out a living wage. With the work they do, they certainly deserve a raise, their first in a decade. A politician championing that fight is worthy of consideration.
Improving quality of life for all citizens, creating jobs, spending money more efficiently — that’s a politician’s job. As the population ages, I expect more senior issues come to the forefront, with more proactive initiatives to benefit an aging population. That’s smart politics.
