Senior Spotlight: Challenges of Living In The Nation’s Oldest State

Did you know that much of the older population resides in New England, with Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine as the states with the oldest median age of residents? With Maine holding the #1 spot as the nation’s oldest state, AARP recently published an article titled “The State of Aging in the Nation's Oldest State: Maine.”

While we are known as the nation’s most expensive state, our challenges are a bit different than those facing an aging demographic, coupled with rural regions and harsh weather. Since we believe that learning is essential to personal growth and community respect, we wanted to share the perspective of what’s it’s like to age in these conditions.

Here are ten things to know about life in a state with the oldest population:

#1:  Maine is the only state in the US with more  residents aged 65 or older than those 18 or younger.

#2:  The median age of residents in Maine is 45.1 years, which is 6 years older than the national average. Four counties in Maine have a median age of 49 or above.

#3: Maine also has the largest percentage of adults over age 65 working, at 8.2%.

#4: To address the needs associated with the aging population, Maine has established a Cabinet On Aging, a working group which discusses health and human services, public safety, transportation, labor and community and economic development.

#5: Many of the challenges experienced by ‘older Mainers’ are shared by those who live in rural areas – poor economic status, social isolation and transportation-related problems.

#6: The aging population is served by a collaborative, daily, far-reaching effort of state agencies, non-profits and individual volunteers!

#7:  Financial challenges and the rising costs of housing, medicine, heating and daily essentials force many aging Maine residents to prioritize some of these needs over others.

#8:  The Southern Maine Agency on Aging served 28,000 residents last year, and connects with many of the state’s most socially, geographically or culturally isolated. (Significant outreach efforts have ensured that the area’s large Arab American and Cambodian communities have access to support services.)

#9:  One of the key issues facing older adults is transportation. Those without family caregivers to drive them to medical centers may need to travel an hour by bus, whereas a car could get them there in 10 minutes.

#10: Approximately 30% of adults aged 65 and over in Maine report regularly volunteering! This volunteer spirit is nearly 10% higher than the national average, where less than 22% of older adults volunteer.

Weather-related note: If you can’t shovel snow or find/hire someone to shovel it for you, you cannot age in Maine. Snow removal contributes to isolation as residents cannot get out to go to doctor appointments or shopping and cannot receive service from supports such as Meals On Wheels if roads are not plowed or they don’t make it through the waiting list.

Have you ever thought about the state of aging in your state? It’s interesting how harsh weather, rural isolation and community involvement vary from region to region. It’s also inspiring to see how many of these challenges are met with help from individuals and people who want to give back to their communities in the nation’s oldest state. Could that trend spread to other states with aging populations… or other unique needs? Only time and awareness will tell!

Cheers to aging… together,

Bobbi 

Bobbi Decker
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