In Maine, the number of nursing home beds is declining even as the state’s population grows older and medical needs continue to rise. Assisted living facilities have expanded their presence across the state, attempting to meet the demand. The Maine Monitor and ProPublica would like your help in reporting on how well these facilities are run, especially in looking after people who need a high level of medical care, and whether the state is doing enough to ensure that residents’ needs are being adequately met. If you have firsthand experience of living, working or caring for someone in one of these facilities, we would appreciate your help and perspective.
We are focusing on large residential facilities, classified as Level 4, that have seven or more beds in private or semiprivate rooms, as well as common living and dining areas.
We want to hear from residents or their family members about the medical care provided by Maine’s Level 4 assisted living facilities. We’d also like to hear from Mainers who are struggling to find an assisted living facility that they can afford or that provides adequate care.
We also are hoping to hear from workers in the Level 4 assisted living facilities, as you understand the challenges that accompany the rising demand for care.
We take your privacy seriously. We are gathering these stories for the purposes of our reporting and will contact you if we wish to publish any part of your story. We are the only ones reading what you submit.
We may not be able to respond to everyone, but we read each submission, and they all help inform our work.
This content originally appeared on Articles and Investigations - ProPublica and was authored by by Rose Lundy, The Maine Monitor.