Keeping Seniors At Home
As the number of senior citizens in Maine continues to grow, fewer and fewer elders can afford to pay for assisted living, congregate housing, or nursing home care. And when compared to staying at home in one’s local community with natural supports in place, the costs of the alternative living situations are astonishingly high to both seniors and the taxpaying public.
Founded in 2003, Keeping Seniors Home is a statewide program designed to assist Maine’s low-income elders who would like to stay in their homes throughout the aging process. The program focuses on making homes safe, energy efficient, accessible and affordable, and partners with other community support services to ensure the health and well being of senior citizens.
The organization provides inspections of homes, a repair plan to bring them up to standards, and loan and grant packaging to make repairs. Services provided include:
- Home repairs and modifications for accessibility
- Energy conservation
- Falls risk assessments and prevention education
- Fire safety and fire risk assessments
In addition to their hands on assistance, Keeping Seniors Home also gathers information about the elderly across a wide range of issues using what is known as the “Fallon Survey.” The study learns about seniors’ housing situation, socialization, medication costs, activity levels, and anticipated future needs.
Since 2003, Keeping Seniors Home has renovated over 800 homes, completed over 700 Fallon Surveys, and leveraged over $5 million in elder housing investments throughout the state. To be eligible, Maine residents must be at least 65 years old and qualify for the fuel assistance program: LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assitance Program).
For more information on Keeping Seniors Home, and all of its eligibility requirements, please call the Western Maine Community Action toll free at 1-800-645-9636, or visit them online at: http://www.wmca.org/keeping_seniors_home.htm.
And help keep seniors where they truly want to be: Home Sweet Home.
