Authored by the Maine Center for Economic Policy, the report, titled, Closing the Gap: Maine’s Direct Care Shortage and Solutions to Fix It, builds on MECEP’s previous work to support efforts by academics, advocates, consumers, state health officials, policymakers, and providers to address issues that impact our direct care system.
By quantifying the current care gap, what it will take to address it, and the costs of inaction, we hope to bring these issues into greater focus and identify solutions.
Today in Maine, thousands of older adults, people with disabilities, and individuals with behavioral health challenges do not receive the personal care and support services they qualify for through state and federal programs. For example, over 23,500 hours of approved home care for older adults go undelivered each week while others seeking care outside these programs also struggle to get the support they need. To secure the health of Maine residents and our economic stability, we need bold solutions to the critical problems in our direct care system.
In 2023, Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) published The High Cost of Undervaluing Direct Care Work, a report highlighting how low pay and poor benefits lead to high poverty, turnover, and burnout among direct care workers. These realities have far-reaching economic consequences for providers, consumers, and family members, impacting Maine’s workforce, public revenue, and economic vitality by limiting people’s ability to participate fully in our economy.
Read Closing the Gap: Maine’s Direct Care Shortage and Solutions to Fix It.