There are many important aspects to creating age-friendly communities, but aging in place is one that is increasingly important to our aging population. It is news to no one that Maine is an aging state. Lincoln County is the state’s oldest county, with a median age of 50. Over 25% of their residents are over the age of 65. Neighboring Sagadahoc County’s median age is 45 and statewide, it’s 44. According to Maine’s state economist, our state will continue to get older, and between 2016 and 2026, the number of Mainers over 65 years of age is expected to increase by 37%.
Although senior housing continues to be a concern for the state, not only in its availability but also in its workforce, more communities are seeking ways to help their seniors stay in their homes as long as possible – this is preferable and more cost-effective. But aging in place requires some modifications and adaptations, both to homes and lifestyles. In response, over 100 communities, largely volunteer- and grant-funded, are providing services such as home repairs, exercise classes, transportation networks, and nutrition.
The Age-Friendly Communities of the Lower Kennebec is an example of a grassroots, volunteer initiative that was begun two years ago by concerned residents of Phippsburg, Woolwich, Arrowsic, Woolwich, Bath, West Bath, and Georgetown. Coalitions like these, as well as individual towns like Bowdoinham, are working to improve their communities for older adults who want to remain in their homes and stay engaged in their communities.
Other local organizations, such as Lincoln County’s Community Housing Improvement Project, Habitat for Humanity, and Bath Housing Authority’s Comfortably Home program, provide a variety of home repairs – grab bars and handrails in the bathroom, ramps and steps, home winterization – that make homes more accessible. Many are funded by donations and grants.
In a recent survey of residents across southern Sagadahoc County, over 60% of respondents indicated that they would have to modify their homes to continue living there. In addition, 16% reported that their homes are not warm enough. Many individual communities, such as Woolwich, offer heating assistance through private donations to the town. The Low Income Heating Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, is a federal heating program but administered locally by the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program.
There are other organizations that focus on the physical challenges of aging, the most common of which is preventing falls. Strength and flexibility are key factors in this prevention, no matter what age. Additionally, for aging adults on medications, the side effects can increase dizziness or drowsiness and, in turn, increase the risk of falling.
Spectrum Generations, with offices across the state, including Hallowell and Damariscotta, offers a free workshop, “A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls.” Arrowsic has sponsored one of these in its town and plans to host another this winter. The workshop, designed for people over the age of 60, is once or twice a week for eight sessions, and focuses on strategies for balance, flexibility, and strength.
Participation in tai chi has also increased throughout the area. These classes are based on slow, fluid movements and improve not only balance and strength, but also certain joint ailments. Spectrum Generations, the Wiscasset Community Center, and the Bath YMCA all offer classes. You can even find them taught by volunteers in the community rooms of local churches.
While activities like these will help improve balance, Mainers – of all ages – also need to avoid slipping on ice and snow. Communities across the state provide buckets of sand and salt during the winter months for residents to use on their walkways. The Bath Police Department and Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office’s Sand Buckets for Seniors will deliver to those over 65. You just have to call your local police department or sheriff’s office.
I am proud of our communities for coming together to care for our aging population, but more is needed. Better transportation options throughout our area, for instance, would help older adults avoid social isolation and keep them active in community activities. People Plus in Brunswick, which offers a volunteer transportation network, is a good model.
Community involvement is so important to the success of these efforts, but the state is also committed to supporting older adults in their communities. In the most recent legislative session, the Legislature unanimously passed a bill directing the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to develop a program to improve the health and well-being of seniors, and to contract with community-based organizations, such as those that have been mentioned, to provide or increase these services. This bill awaits funding. Another bill that was signed into law encourages communities, through comprehensive planning, to address the needs of older adults.
Many of these programs benefit not only the aging population, but all of us. We are only one accident away from needing to pay attention to how our homes are configured and how to navigate them safely. I’m grateful to our communities for their efforts to be age-friendly and will continue to support legislation that aims to take care of our seniors.
(Rep. Allison Hepler, D-Woolwich, represents Arrowsic, Dresden, Georgetown, Phippsburg, part of Richmond, and Woolwich. She sits on the Marine Resources Committee.)
