Articles

Caregiver Survey - Your Help is Needed

Every four years, Maine is required by the federal government to create a state plan on aging. The area agencies on aging must also create area plans that match the goals of the state plan. The state and area plans help the state and area agencies on aging understand how best to allocate Older Americans Act funds, but also serve as a roadmap on aging for state and municipal policymakers.

In order to inform the state and area plans, we are conducting a needs assessment of older adults in Maine. One broadly identified area of need is caregiver support and services. To better understand the needs of caregivers in Maine, and whether they're being met, an online caregiver survey has been launched. We need your help and encourage you to complete the survey if you are currently providing care for an older adult.

Please complete this survey. If you need help completing the survey, please contact Jessica Maurer, Executive Director of the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging, at (207) 626-0972 or you can e-mail her at jmaurer@maine4a.org.

Medicaid Block Grant Funding is a Poor Choice for Maine

The Medicaid Block Grant funding resolution proposed by House Republicans is detrimental to Maine's elderly and individuals with special needs. While this resolution is largely overlooked, the measure is a real threat to those most in need and could result in additional significant financial burden for already strained state budgets, like ours.  Read Full Article

What is an Elder Law Attorney?

As Elder Law attorneys we are often asked, "What makes an elder law attorney different from other attorneys?" The short answer is that elder law is not just about the law; it's about the person as well. As elder law attorneys we help people with their legal matters, such as long-term care and estate planning, wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, and health care powers of attorney, but we go beyond those legal matters.  Read Full Article

Nursing Home Costs Exceed $90,000 per Year

According to the State of Maine, Department of Health and Human Services, the average cost of a nursing home in Maine is $7,501.00 per month, or $90,000.00 per year. Although we all want to remain at home for as long as possible, i.e. forever, it is estimated that 1 of every 2 of us will spend an average of 2.5 years at a nursing home, that means $225,000.00 for the average stay, less if you're "lucky", more if you're not.  Read Full Article