Maine

MAINE 2022 STATE POLICY PRIORITIES

Support Additional Funding for Long-Term Care Facilities

Persons with Alzheimer’s or other dementias make up a large proportion of all older adults who receive adult day services and nursing home care. In Maine, however, those in need of these services are negatively affected by a shortage of direct care workers. To help improve recruitment and retention, Governor Janet Mills signed into law a bill that improved MaineCare (Medicaid) payment rates for 225 nursing and residential care facilities. Now, the Alzheimer’s Association urges state lawmakers to provide supplemental funding to ensure long-term care facilities receive sufficient resources and appropriate payment rates.


Maine State Plan Overview

View Maine's State Plan

In June 2011, Maine's legislature commissioned a state task force with the enactment of LD 859, calling for a study of the impact of Alzheimer's disease and the creation of a guide to help the state meet the needs of individuals and families impacted by this disease. The task force included representatives from elder law, community organizations, state agencies, academia, and law enforcement as well as caregivers, individuals living with the disease, state legislators, and health care providers. After soliciting public feedback, the task force published the State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Maine in June 2012.



ADVOCACY EVENTS

Maine State Advocacy Day

March 30, 2022

Registration Details

Join fellow Alzheimer’s advocates for an exciting day of advocacy on March 30, 2022 turning Maine purple! This virtual event will feature an informative and engaging program urging state legislators to support ongoing dementia-related legislation benefiting those living with dementia and their caregivers. Never advocated before? No problem! We’ll train you and there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions before meeting with state officials.


Sign Up to Learn More About Advocacy Opportunities in Maine


Sign me up to participate in the upcoming State Advocacy Day!

State Affairs Contact Jill Carney | 207-450-9583 [email protected]



Alzheimer's Facts and Figures in Maine

Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, an annual report released by the Alzheimer's Association®, reveals the burden of Alzheimer's and dementia on individuals, caregivers, government and the nation's health care system.


Prevalence



woman holding glasses

29,000

Individuals living with Alzheimer's in Maine

This number is projected to increase 20.7% between 2020 and 2025.

Nationally, there are more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer's. This number is expected to more than double by 2050.

Mortality


544

Deaths from Alzheimer's in Maine in 2019
couple hugging on bench

Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in Maine.

There were 269 more deaths than expected from Alzheimer's and dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, 16% higher than average.


Caregiving



caregiver hugging

Value of unpaid care work

Hours of unpaid care


Nationally, Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers provided nearly $257 billion in unpaid care in 2021. In Maine, there are 46,000 dementia caregivers, who each provide an average of 29 hours of unpaid care per week

Costs

Medicare

$23,197

per capita Medicare spending on people with dementia

Medicaid

$212,000,000

Medicaid costs of caring for people with Alzheimer's in 2020

Hospice and Hospitals



1,494

# of people in hospice with a primary diagonsis of dementia


1,665

# of emergency department visits per 1,000 people with dementia


People with Alzheimer's disease have twice as many hospital stays per year as other older people. Nationally, emergency department visits for those with dementia have increased nearly 30% over the past decade.


The 2021 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report contains data on the impact of Alzheimer's on the nation and in every state across the country.
Visit alz.org/facts to view the full report.