by Jane Margesson
AARP Maine, Communications Director
At AARP Maine, we know that caregiving can be one of the most important roles you will ever take on in your life. You may have become a caregiver suddenly or perhaps your role has evolved over time. No matter where you are in the continuum of caregiving—starting to plan, helping to coordinate a big move, or taking care of a family member in your home—having resources at your fingertips will make the process easier.
That is why we developed a Maine Family Caregiver Resource Guide for Maine caregivers of all ages. You can find the guide on our website or we would be happy to send a free copy by mail as well.
With many organizations offering different types of help and services, it can be a challenge to sort out the specific type of help or services best suited for your needs. Our guide can help address that. AARP Maine developed this resource guide with you, the caregiver, in mind as a starting point to help you find the services and supports you need throughout your caregiving journey.
This resource guide can assist you in several ways:
It can help you get the type of assistance you need. This directory lists many government and nonprofit resources, which you can access both in-person and online.
It can also help you connect with others. You’ll discover, if you have not already, that you’re a part of a community of caregivers and caregiver supporters. You are truly not alone.
In fact, a few years ago, AARP Maine worked with the state legislature to designate November as Maine Family Caregivers Month. This is important as it raises awareness about the needs and challenges of Maine’s over 180,000 family caregivers throughout the state. Especially with the holidays coming up, and even more especially during a pandemic, we need to be mindful of caregivers and their families.
Mainers, please know that you can count on AARP to be a strong and dedicated advocate on behalf of family caregivers. Many older Mainers and their families are struggling to navigate our state’s long-term care system and when you are a caregiver, the challenges of providing support to your loved one can feel overwhelming. We need to broaden the options for community and home-based services so family caregivers have the best resources available to care for their loved ones no matter where they live.
We also recommend that you visit the AARP Caregiver Online Resource Center at www.aarp.org/caregiving for a broad array of additional resources and tools for caregivers.
Warmest wishes to every one of Maine’s 180,000+ family caregivers and their loved ones. We hope you will reach out to us if you have any questions or if there is anything you need.
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by Jane Margesson
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