Maine at one time was considered a leader in long-term care for its aged and disabled residents. Now, we are the grayest, but far from the greatest state when it comes to supporting family caregivers and caring for frail, older people and the disabled. There are some bright spots in Maine’s long-term care record, but in the past eight years we have fallen behind and missed opportunities to care for our oldest residents and prepare for the coming “age boom.”
While AARP Maine did not take a position on the recently defeated universal care referendum, the measure served an important function: It challenged candidates to present their ideas regarding how to expand services and supports that allow more Mainers to live independently in their own homes and communities. It also stimulated discussion in Maine households and municipalities about these same concerns.
The bottom line is that our next governor cannot ignore the need to expand long-term services and supports. We need policies that will result in meaningful solutions for those who need support now and as we consider the baby boomers who are entering retirement.
The need to address head-on the lack of long-term services and supports in Maine cannot be overstated. Maine has a dire shortage of direct care workers. Existing long-term services and supports systems are poorly coordinated and many Mainers who could be eligible are unaware of the programs or unsure of how to access them. There is a gap in the availability of community-based services to help older Mainers age in place. We lack programs that serve middle-income seniors who don’t meet Medicaid eligibility requirements. In a rural state with spotty transportation options and often-poor access to broadband services and affordable housing, opportunity for quality care at home feels out of reach.
The number of Mainers 65-plus is rapidly increasing. In Maine, 29 percent of our population will be age 65 and older by 2032. Add to this the fact that half of Mainers over the age of 75 have a disability, and the immediate need for leadership becomes ever more clear.
It’s also important to note that 178,000 Mainers are caring for a spouse, parent or other loved one to help them live safely and independently at home. According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, caregivers in Maine provide 165 million hours of unpaid care annually, with an economic value of $2.22 billion statewide. This is clearly a significant savings to the state of Maine. This “free” care, however, comes at its own cost.
An April 2017 AARP Maine survey uncovered many challenges for family caregivers. Fifty-nine percent reported using their own money to support their caregiving needs, and 65 percent reported feeling emotionally stressed because of their caregiving responsibilities. Many reduce their own work hours to part time or leave their jobs altogether. These caregivers need support.
This spring, the Maine Legislature unanimously passed a Joint Resolution to Support Family Caregivers in Maine, which calls for a review of all relevant state policies and programs.
One tool that policymakers can use to assess the current long-term care system in Maine is the AARP Long-Term Services and Supports Scorecard.
The scorecard looks at state performance for the delivery of long-term services and supports, based on a uniform set of performance measures and how performance has changed over time.
It includes the critical role that housing and transportation play in assisting older adults, people with physical disabilities and their family caregivers. The scorecard provides a range of tools that states can use to spark new solutions and create a system in Maine that is aligned with the new realities of aging and living with disability.
With the next session just weeks away, this first-ever monthly designation signals an opportunity for our next governor and the Legislature: Commit now to reaching across the aisle in 2019 and developing a broad-based plan to initiate meaningful solutions with long-term results for Maine caregivers and their families.
Maine cannot wait any longer.
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