Maine mulls over its LTC system

Maine’s legislature is deciding whether to restructure the LTC system so that more people will have access to home-based care. Currently 90 percent of the state’s LTC budget goes toward nursing and group home care. At a gathering this week, legislators heard from seniors and the disabled who would prefer to receive care at home.

One such individual, 71-year-old Glen Howard, decided to leave a nursing home after only one month. Now back home, he has regained a sense of dignity and autonomy thanks to the personal care attendants who bathe him, shop, clean and cook for him. Says Howard, “For a person who is mentally alert and not in need of constant medical attention, home-based care allows a person to pursue personal interests and to live a life that has purpose and meaning.” Howard serves as a mentor and is working on a novel.