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Saying Farewell to Katlyn Blackstone, Chief Program Officer
After 21 years of exemplary service, Katlyn Blackstone will be stepping down from her role as Chief Program Officer. Katlyn first came to the Agency as a graduate student in search of a research project and during her many years at SMAA has overseen many impactful initiatives.
 
The Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP) involved a partnership with MaineHealth to provide care for patients returning home after hospital discharge. This was a four-year endeavor that resulted in a significant reduction in avoidable readmissions.
 
Another project that Katlyn oversaw was the Alzheimer's Disease Initiative, a three-year grant project whereby SMAA staff identified and supported people with dementia who were living alone in their own homes with no care partners. 
The most recent project Kat worked on was with the Elder Justice Coordinating Partnership which resulted in the development of a Roadmap for interdisciplinary approaches to preventing elder abuse in Maine.
 
Katlyn is much appreciated for her compassionate leadership and always going the extra mile to get the job done.  We all wish her much success and happiness wherever life takes her.
THANK YOU, KAT: 
Katlyn, thank you for being a guide, teacher and mentor! You always had lots of patience, sense of humor, shared your wisdom and always offered support! You have been wonderful to work with and such a powerful influence on so many!
~Marilyn Durgin, Program Coordinator, Adult Day Program
I'd like to thank Katlyn for being an inspiration to her co-workers and professional colleagues. She modeled determined elder advocacy, grace under pressure, and dedication to her profession. SMAA was recognized by peers locally and nationally for the programs and practices that she developed, nurtured,  and expanded.
~Larry Gross, SMAA former Executive Director
I am thankful for Katlyn's steady, calm, and reassuring manner in any situation.
~John Holland, BOD member and Medicare volunteer
I am thankful for Kat always being there for me. On a day-to-day, I am thankful for her listening skills, her tremendous grant application, grant report, grant follow-through skills, and ability to connect with people. Katlyn holds her colleagues in high esteem. She loves seeing others really blossom in their roles and passions, and it shows.
~Megan Walton, SMAA CEO
MONTHLY UPDATES
Advance Our Work with Diverse Communities
SMAA Services in Other Languages
In the past few months, in partnership with Catholic Charities, we have translated a number of different flyers with information about SMAA services and programs in Arabic, French, and Kinyarwanda. 
 
Access the flyers to download and share with your clients and partners on our Multilingual Resources page.
Act as a Catalyst and Convener for Social Connections 

It can be scary, sad, and confusing all at the same time, when somebody in our life who we love and care for begins to mix dates, loses balance, and keeps telling the same story over and over again. Then we start wondering if they might be suffering from some form of memory loss. 

 

Our 2-hour "Understanding Cognitive Loss" virtual workshop will:

  • Discuss different aspects of cognitive impairment in older adults and its impact on their care partners
  • Explore facts and fallacies about dementia
  • Share tips and strategies to communicate more effectively with a person with cognitive impairment.
Sam L. Cohen's Adult Day Program is growing!
 
Schedule a tour of the facility, plan a trial visit, or simply learn about what we do and how we engage our members. Connect with us! Call 207-396-6508 or complete our online contact form and we will get back to you at your convenience.
To learn more, visit our Adult Day Program webpage.
Putting the Client at the Center
Maine $850 Relief checks
 
The $850 Relief Checks will be mailed to most Maine residents, starting in June. To be eligible, you must be a full-time resident and file a 2021 Maine income tax return by October 31, 2022. 
People receiving social security who do not typically file tax returns will have to file to receive a payment. Here is how you can apply for the Relief Check.
We would love to hear your feedback:
 
Did you have a good experience with SMAA? A so-so experience? A terrible experience? We want to know! We are capturing information about ways to improve our client-centered goals and would love to hear your feedback. Tell us more: email at marketing@smaaa.org or 207-396-6520
Build Community Awareness
VOTE FOR SMAA!
 
Your vote is a vote in support of improving the health and well-being of older Mainers!
Southern Maine Agency on Aging is 1 of the 5 organizations in the run for the prestigious Red Sox IMPACT Award.
  1. Click www.redsox.com/IMPACT ;
  2. Vote ONCE PER DAY until May 31st!
  3. Share with your friends and family.
Over 70 people gathered to meet and connect with others who work to improve the health and well-being of older adults in Cumberland and York Counties during the first networking meeting of The Exchange: Southern Maine Alliance for Older Adults.
 
We are firm believers that this number will grow as we continue to work together on behalf of older adults in our region.   
 
Some of the key takeaways from this inaugural event:
 
     1. Connection: Participants found connection and collaboration by coming together for an hour of discussion.  
     2. There are major challenges facing our region: We see the challenges and issues impacting the quality of life of older Mainers. There is a communications gap between the clients and the services and resources available in the community. Case management options are slim, but we have many resources, connections, and services available at the grassroots level. The lack of affordable housing continues to be a challenge. If there is a way to communicate the savings and demonstrate a cost-benefit analysis to the services and offerings we provide as a community, that will help us move more quickly. There is also a strong desire to share information and resources between organizations. 
    3. Many challenges were noted by participants as the meeting continued. Participants broke into five different discussion groups to address five of these issues:
  • Transportation
  • Social Connections
  • Funding and Access to Resources/Services
  • Staffing
  • Housing/Facility availability
If you are interested in being part of the networking group or you know somebody who might be interested in - colleagues, organization and partners - please feel free to forward this email! To make it easy for them to join the networking list, we set up a brief form to complete.
MEDICARE FRAUD PREVENTION Week
June 6 - 12, 2022
 
WE, AS A COMMUNITY, can be a part of preventing Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse!
 
Encourage those you know are on Medicare to talk to a trusted source about their Medicare questions.

Tell your neighbors about the most recent Medicare scams. You can learn about these at www.smpresource.org.

We all can help and protect our loved ones, our neighbors, and ourselves from Medicare fraud!
 
Connect with our Medicare counselors (207-396-6524) or sign up for a virtual Medicare workshop. 
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Age-friendly Solutions Needed to Maine’s Housing Crisis
 
Originally published at the Portland Press Herald on May 22, 2022

 

While we are all aware of the unprecedented housing crisis in Maine, we want to shine a light on what that means for older Mainers, many of whom are living on fixed incomes. The booming housing market, skyrocketing cost of living, long waitlists for affordable housing and market-driven rental prices create the real possibility that people in their 60s, 70s and 80s could become homeless for the first time in their lives.

 

At Southern Maine Agency on Aging, calls from older adults seeking help with housing-related issues have jumped 29 percent over the past year. Apartment complexes are sold and renters are put in a situation where they are not sure if their lease will be renewed, if they will be able to afford to stay because of rent increases or if they will be evicted. Our partner organizations providing affordable housing share similar stories of an unprecedented number of older adults finding themselves, through no fault of their own, facing the reality of being unhoused.

There aren’t many housing resources available, and the waitlists are daunting. Homelessness is a threat to more and more older Mainers with no real solutions to address it. We need to find new, age-friendly solutions to the housing crisis that make it possible for Mainers to age in place in their communities.

 

Letter signed:

Megan Walton, CEO, Southern Maine Agency on Aging

Jaye L. Martin, Executive Director, Legal Services for the Elderly

Dana Totman, President and CEO, Avesta Housing 

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
 
Our RSVP/Volunteer Services has partnered with several organizations in need of volunteers:
  • Jewish Community Alliance Refugee Resettlement Program - various opportunities including grocery shopping and transportation
  • Red Cross of Northern New England - various positions
  • Window Dressers - Community Builds opportunities in York & Biddeford area
  • Hospice of Southern Maine - New volunteer training will be offered virtually beginning June 9th
Please contact Volunteer Services at 396-6595 or volunteer@smaaa.org for more details
 
For Community Providers:
Did you know you can refer clients to SMAA services through the HIPAA-compliant Community Provider referral form located on SMAA's website?
 
WE ARE HIRING: 
 
  • Resource Specialist with our Information and Resources team
  • Meals on Wheels Site Manager in Biddeford
EVENTS FROM OUR PARTNERS: 
 
Equality Maine is hosting a Pride Garden Party:
A turn of the century garden party at the historic Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum, Berwick, ME. Join us for cocktails, live music, refreshments, and historic re-enactments of Sarah and her beloved Annie Fields. Celebrate Pride this year by celebrating LGBTQ icons in history! Click here to purchase tickets.*
 
*All tickets are a suggested donation. "No cost" options are available for any who find the ticket price prohibitive.
Sponsor Spotlight: 
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If you or your organization is interested in partnering with us, please, contact us at info@smaaa.org
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