“We have always rented, but there’s already a long waiting list for housing that’s not even built yet. What are we supposed to do? We can’t afford to stay here.”
“I no longer drive and don’t have a license, so what can I do for identification?”
“What good is a smoke detector when a person is deaf?”
These are just a few of the concerns expressed by some of Windham’s senior citizens in a recent survey distributed to approximately 400 people who receive a monthly newsletter published through the town’s Parks and Recreation Department.
According to the last U.S. Census in 2000, 20 percent of all households in Windham included at least one member who was 65 or over. The same source reveals that 16 percent of the population was over 60 years of age.
The need for affordable housing is now beginning to be addressed. Development of a subsidized rental facility on Route 115 is nearing completion and will provide 48 one-bedroom independent living units. There appears to be over 100 applicants for Unity Gardens. At New Marblehead, the first such housing complex in town, there has always been a waiting list for one of the 60 units which range from studio to two bedroom apartments, some of them subsidized. One fourth of the respondents to the survey indicated lack of affordable housing as one of their major concerns for their future in Windham.
If the proposed renovation and development of the area in South Windham known as Keddy Mill sees fruition, there are 24 additional subsidized rental units being planned.
Housing is one of the major concerns of Windham’s older population. Transportation, or lack thereof, is a concern to a third of those answering the survey. Some of the other issues raised include cost increases in insurance, Medicare and prescription drugs; lack of areas where senior citizens can meet in groups of 10 to 30; the fact that the food stamp program doesn’t cover soap, paper products and personal care items and traffic patterns in town.
Providing better communication and information was a goal of the Senior Needs Committee formed several years ago at the urging of Town Manager Anthony Plante. The committee instituted a regular newsletter for senior citizens which is mailed to their homes and distributed at the Southern Maine Agency on Aging meal site, the library and several other sites. Also, the nursing students at Saint Joseph’s College produced a directory of resources, which is available at the library.
Improved communication and distribution of information has helped bring available services and programs to the attention of senior citizens. Now, 25 percent of responders to the survey take advantage of the property tax relief available, and 15 percent make use of the fuel assistance program. Well over a third of area seniors regularly use the library and many veterans and veterans’ dependents have become aware of and taken advantage of programs offered through the Veterans Administration. A representative of the VA comes to Windham twice a month to respond to questions and provide information.
Windham’s Parks and Recreation Department has a part time employee whose job includes planning events for seniors. Sherri Holtan also provides transportation one day a week to several seniors for local shopping.
While transportation and housing have always been looming issues, this latest impromptu survey produced several unique questions. A concern about the safety of deaf residents prompted a call to Fire Chief Charlie Hammond. He said that when a call comes in to the dispatch center, the address shows up on the screen (the E-911 program), but at present, he didn’t know of a way to show that this phone number was at a location where a hearing-impaired person resided. He did say, however, that he had heard of a smoke detector designed for use where deaf residents live and he’d try to get one to try out. “They’re pretty expensive, but maybe there’s a grant program somewhere, or some way of funding them”, he explained.
On the identification needs, the Division of Motor Vehicles explained that while a person under 65 may renew their ID cards and driver’s licenses via the Internet, those over 65 need to go to the nearest bureau office. Local State Representative Mark Bryant is investigating the possibility that state ID cards for those 65 and older who no longer drive, might be obtainable more locally.
Windham offers a variety of programs and services for the older resident. Anyone interested in learning more about this issue may add their name to the mailing list for The Senior Voice, the free monthly newsletter for and about seniors, by contacting Windham Parks and Recreation, 8 School Road, Windham, Maine 04062.
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