EASTERN AGENCY ON AGING

Eastern Area Agency on Aging has been serving Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock, and Washington counties since 1973. With a specially trained and dedicated staff, we are able to provide older adults, adults with disabilities and caregivers with a variety of options, opportunities, resources and referrals.

Because of challenges older adults face, we offer many resources and counseling opportunities for those connected with our agency. If a consumer reaches out or is referred to Eastern Area Agency on Aging (EAAA), our Aging and Disability Specialists are often the first responders to provide help to older adults. Specialists offers not only Meals on Wheels information but resources and details on community partner’s programs and EAAA’s other programs including: Congregate Dining (on hold), Doorstep Dining, Family Caregiver Support, Alzheimer’s Respite, Medicare Assistance and Counseling, Elizabeth West Transportation Program, Aging and Disability Resource Center, Enrichment and Wellness Programs, Options Counseling, Money Minders, Novel Seniors, Veteran’s Independence Program, SAVVY Caregiver Training, Senior Food Box Program, and Furry Friends Food Bank. In screening older adults, options for a better health becomes a reality and holistically improves their life.

EAAA offers a wide variety of services and programs for older adults in our expansive 13,000 square mile service area. As a dedicated Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) our Specialists seek to address the frustrations many older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, and family members experience when trying to learn about and access to services and supports.

At Eastern Area Agency on Aging, the ADRC staff connect people to resources, internal programs, and external services within the community. Also, the ADRC Specialists review income and other eligibility requirements to determine which entitlement programs older adults may be eligible for. Medicare and Health Insurance counseling is also provided by certified Specialists. The ADRC team provides Community Education Presentations throughout the four-county service area. The ADRC Specialists also screen for caregiver support; looking into eligibility and, if appropriate, connect to respite programs, caregiver training, support groups, helpful information, options counseling, Medicare support, etc. The ADRC Specialists advocate for what people need in services and assisted with 11,098 calls, email, and office visits in 2022.

Eastern Area Agency on Aging provides relief from food insecurity. Staff and volunteers distributed over 205,663 home delivered meals in 2022. Commodities Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) provided 2,387 consumers with 19,331 food packages in 2022. Each package for this program is a monthly distribution of shelf stable, healthy food. Additionally, fresh produce is included to improve diet options. Other food programs are Dine Around, Community Cafes, and the Grocery Shopping Program.

Eastern Area Agency on Aging started Furry Friends Food Bank in 2007 when Meals on Wheels volunteers recognized that pet owners were feeding their human food to their pets/companions. Furry Friends Food Bank has become a foundation for low-income, older adults with fur babies. Located in Eastern Maine, Furry Friends Food Bank’s primary goal is to keep older adults and their pets together. By offering monthly, supplemental pet food to low-income adults over age 60, the program’s impact is much greater than just providing pet food and supplies. It helps keep pets out of shelters and in their homes with their loved ones. The pets provide support in the form of reducing stress levels, helping combat depression and loneliness, and improving the person's overall well-being by keeping them engaged and active. Low-income older adults in Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Washington counties of Eastern Maine save an estimated $40/month on pet food and supplies, enabling them to use that money toward heat, medicine, human food, or other basic necessities.

Being proactive with community need, the Durgin Center provides space for various wellness classes, enrichment activities, and social opportunities in a convenient, visible, and accessible location for older adults, caregivers, and adults with disabilities. The Center is conveniently located at the Brewer Shopping Plaza on State Street, next to EAAA's administrative office. The Center is on the main thoroughfare that offers ample parking, public bus line service at the front door, with all amenities on one level for ease of access and use.

The new Center allows EAAA to meet the demand for classes, activities, and social
opportunities. Special events such as guest speakers or trainings draw attendees from a wide geographic area in the Agency's four-county service area. The community café at the
Durgin Center serve warm meals 3 days a week now. Now, there are a total of 4 Community Cafes serving meals in our broad region. Trained staff will make referrals when observing potential resource needs of attendees.

Besides providing a space for socializing, various classes, and stimulating programs, the
center is the hub for Meals on Wheels. EAAA prepares meals to be delivered to consumers in its four-county service area. Having the Meals on Wheels program located closer to the Agency's administrative office also improves the efficiency of implementing this program.

Amid pandemic concerns, EAAA’s calendar offered virtual programming for the safety of all. EAAA’s Community Engagement and Activities Manager is developing a plan for the “Green Room” in the Durgin Center, where virtual programs, speakers, and trainings are presented and recorded for those socially isolated in our rural 13,000 square mile service area. Expansion of virtual education, exercise, and interactions reaches deeper to stem isolation and health concerns for the most vulnerable. The Green Room, with sound barriers for recording, opens up so many possibilities; possibilities of disabled adults connecting for a Matter of Balance exercise class, possibilities of a caregiver finding support through online community, and possibilities of older adults attending a virtual class about making nutritious meals on a budget. The possibilities are endless!

Only some of EAAA programs and projects are highlighted in this description. Please ask if more information is needed! Eastern Area Agency on Aging, with its long history in Eastern Maine, is the best source of information, options, and services for older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers.

EAAA is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization managed by a professional staff and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, comprised of representatives from our four county service area. We also have a regional volunteer advisory council to help us identify the needs of older adults and find ways to meet those needs.

Our programs succeed thanks in a large part because of our staff, community partnerships, collaborations, and volunteers.