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What Is Considered Low Income for Seniors in Maine?
Date Updated: July 26, 2024
Written by:
Rachel Lustbader is a writer and editor with a background in healthcare and technology. Her work has been published on websites including HealthCare.com, BiteSizeBio.com, BetterHelp.com, Caring.com, and PayingforSeniorCare.com. She studied health science and public health at Boston University.
Both of Rachel’s grandmothers had very positive experiences in senior living communities, and Rachel saw firsthand the impact that kind, committed caregivers and community managers can have on seniors’ and their family members’ lives. With her work at Caring, Rachel hopes to help other families find communities, caregivers, and at-home products that benefit elderly loved ones and make life less stressful for family caregivers
In Maine, seniors are considered low income with an annual income of $30,276 or less. About 8.9% of Maine seniors over the age of 55 are considered poor, a number that is just slightly under the national average of 9.5%.
An Aging Population
Maine has the highest population of seniors in the nation. Roughly 580,000 or 21% of Maine’s residents are aged 65 or older. The state also has the highest median age of all states at 44.9 years. Those numbers are still rising. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over a third of Maine’s population will consist of those aged 60 and over by the year 2030, a figure that has gone up 41% since 2012. This reflects a trend of retirees moving to Maine while younger residents leave the state.
Care Costs
The cost of senior living assistance is a concern for many, as more people are choosing to age in place as long as possible. The average cost of in-home health care in Maine is $5,720 per month, according to Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey. This is higher than the national average of $4,957 but still significantly lower than the cost of nursing home care, which is $10,494 for a semiprivate room or $11,254 for a private one.
There is help available from various resources and organizations, such as Maine’s Medicaid program, Mainecare. The 2023 MaineCare Eligibility Guidelines state that seniors who make under $14,580 annually may qualify for Mainecare. The annual maximum is $19,728 for married couples. Some may also qualify for waivers for long-term in-home care.