Noël Bonam is state director of AARP Maine. Megan Walton is board chair of AgeWise Maine.

Maine is at a pivotal moment — one that will shape how we treat our older neighbors today and how each of us will experience aging in the years ahead. Almost all of us want to remain in our homes and communities as we grow older.

Nationally, 75% of adults 50 and older say they want to age in place. That desire is no different here in Maine. But wanting to age at home and being able to are two very different things.

Aging well requires support — sometimes small, sometimes substantial. That may mean guidance on navigating Medicare, help securing nutritious meals when driving is no
longer possible or making home modifications to stay safe and independent. When Maine people need this support, they turn to organizations that have consistently delivered for decades: Maine’s five Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs).

Last year alone, Maine’s AAAs supported nearly 53,000 people, providing essential, cost-saving services such as Meals on Wheels, Medicare counseling, caregiver assistance and case management. These programs do far more than offer comfort. They keep people healthy, reduce emergency room visits, and prevent costly nursing home placements. They strengthen families, relieve pressure on state systems and allow older Mainers to remain exactly where they want to be: home.

Yet despite the growing needs of a rapidly aging population, Maine’s proposed supplemental budget includes no additional funding for the very services that help older residents live independently. We are asking these agencies to do more every year — with less.

The consequences are already visible. Today, more than 900 older Mainers sit on waiting lists for core services like case management, Money Minders and Meals on Wheels. Every person on those lists reached out because they needed help, including access to food. Many are homebound. Many live in rural communities where neighbors are far apart and resources even farther. And far too many are told they will not receive help — instead, they’ll be added to a waitlist indefinitely.

A waitlist for food. In Maine. In 2026. This is not who we are — and it is not a future we should accept.

Fortunately, there is a clear and actionable solution. LD 814, the Older Mainers Act, proposes a $9.75 million investment in Maine’s aging support infrastructure. This investment is both compassionate and fiscally responsible. Services funded through LD 814 are projected to save the state more than $10.5 million while putting nearly $4.75 million back into the pockets of older Mainers through reduced costs and avoided crises.

The math is undeniable: the Older Mainers Act will essentially pay for itself if AAAs can keep just 103 people out of Medicaid-funded nursing homes for one year. This isn’t theoretical. These agencies already deliver those outcomes — when they have the resources.

It is rare to see legislation that is so clearly beneficial, cost-effective and aligned with Maine’s values. Yet that is exactly what LD 814 offers. The choice before the Legislature is not complicated. It is an opportunity for Maine to lead the nation in demonstrating what it truly means to value older people and prepare responsibly for our future as the oldest state in the country.

The Health and Human Services Committee has now twice endorsed Older Mainers Act funding unanimously and with bipartisan support — first in 2025 and again
this year. This continued leadership sends a clear message: in the oldest state in the nation, sustained investment in aging services is essential to ensuring that every Mainer
can age with dignity, safety and connection.

Maine has always prided itself on community, resilience and taking care of one another. At this moment of decision, we can choose to uphold those values — or allow preventable suffering and unnecessary costs to grow.

Now is the time to act. Now is the time to invest in a Maine where all of us can age well, safely and with dignity.