Two Lincoln County professionals working on the challenges of living as a senior in Maine will discuss their research and experience, at the June meeting of Lincoln County Democrats, Wednesday June 26.  

The meeting, open to all, will take place in the 911 Communications Center behind the Lincoln County Court House in Wiscasset.  A 30-minute social gathering begins at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting gets under way at 7. Refreshments will be available. To arrange for a ride to the meeting, call Lorraine Anderson at 207-563-2178.

The program will open with discussion of some research on the situation of seniors in Lincoln County by Carla Dickstein,  Senior Vice President for Research and Policy Development at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI)  of Wiscasset.

She will be followed by Dr. Chip Teel, based in Nobleboro, who will talk about his innovative program combining communications technology with traditional person-to-person attention aimed at enabling seniors to remain in the place they love best – their own homes.

Lincoln County has the highest percentage of people over 65 in Maine (21 percent) and ties Piscataquis County for the oldest median age in Maine (48.1). Dickstein is spearheading a two-year project to bring together a diverse stakeholder group in Lincoln County to discuss challenges and opportunities for all, arising from the county’s growing senior population.

The group is looking at inadequate nursing home and assisted living facility capacity, necessitating new models of long-term care, and at the difficulties confronting individuals wishing to age in their own homes.

Concerns include houses requiring substantial maintenance and weatherization, and the need for more transportation options and/or new ways to serve seniors at home. The group also is looking at business opportunities resulting from Lincoln County’s changing demographics.

Dr. Teel's program, called Full Circle America, is emerging as a national model for elder care that enables seniors to remain active members of their communities. It provides tools for "virtual assisted living" like video calling, recording and conferencing, and combines this with old-fashioned home visits, so these seniors can remain independent and engaged in their own social and community circles.

The program is finding that such problems as memory impairment and inexperience with technology are not disqualifiers for participation, and the invasion of privacy entailed is far less than would most likely be experienced in an elder care facility.

Lisa Miller, chair of the Lincoln County Democrats, said "this is one in a series of meetings we plan to address the real concerns of the people of Lincoln County." After the presentations attendees will have a chance to air questions and concerns, she said, and “anyone interested in the challenges of aging in Lincoln county is cordially invited to attend.”

For more information on the meeting, call Dean Curran at 207-380-5103.