PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Joy Barresi Saucier has taken the helm of the Aroostook Agency on Aging and is looking for ideas from the community on how to address the challenges facing seniors and their caregivers.
Monday, Oct. 2, was Saucier’s first official day as executive director, following the retirement of long-time director Steve Farnham, and she’s been ready to hit the ground running.
“This is a great organization at a size where you can really connect with staff and those that you serve and see that a difference is happening,” said Saucier, a former nurse and executive at The Aroostook Medical Center.
“Over the next weeks and months I’ll be spending a lot of time in the community and with staff to understand their perspectives on the agency and what opportunities they see for the agency.”
The Aroostook Agency on Aging held its annual meeting Monday, welcoming Saucier and giving her a chance to meet and greet a few of the thousands of senior citizens who use the agency’s programs and services.
Among the offerings are home-based eldercare services. The agency employs about 80 people who work as personal care attendants, helping seniors with various personal tasks such as cooking and cleaning.
As it is in other industries, recruiting and retaining personal care workers is a challenge that Saucier said is on her radar.
“We have an aging population and a declining caregiver ratio. There are a lot of older adults in our region that need services,” she said. “We need the workforce to do that.”
Another, more-recently started program — adult day care — is doing well and looking to grow, Saucier said. Last year, the agency started adult day services for elders with cognition and memory conditions such as dementia.
Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., staff and volunteers at the agency’s Gathering Place in Presque Isle host elders with memory limitations. Currently, there are four regular seniors who come and others who come less frequently, Saucier said.
The program helps bring together elders with cognitive disorders and also provides some relief for families and caregivers, some of whom otherwise care for their parents or relatives around-the-clock.
“Many of our clients end up happy and continuing to function at the highest level they can,” Saucier said.
That program and others, such as the personal care services, are paid for through a range of funding, Saucier said. In some cases, a senior’s insurance will cover the costs, while in others, families and seniors pay out-of-pocket.
On that front, Saucier said the Aroostook Agency on Aging also is aiming to provide a voice for the region’s seniors when it comes to state and federal funding of elder care services.
“We need to continue to maintain the services that we have, and we need to advocate and fundraise for additional services for older adults,” Saucier said.
