Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

Our View: Home care services part of long-term budget fix

Maine will not save money by cutting funding for a low-cost alternative to nursing home care.

One of the ironies of the budget crisis is that among the "savings" needed to balance the budget are cuts that will end up costing the state more money in the long run.

That's particularly true of publicly supported home care for the elderly, which is slated to see its funding cut even though the alternative – institutional care – would be significantly more expensive. As much as this may make the numbers work in the short term, it is a disastrous long-term policy.

Several trends require state policy makers to take a hard look at this problem. Maine is already the oldest state in the union, based on average age. The segment of the population over 85 is expected to double in the next 20 years.

Another trend that has an effect is that people are aging better, thanks to better health care and healthier habits. People can expect to be able to better care for themselves at a more advanced age.

Often, elderly people need just a little bit of care to stay in their homes. A few hours a week of housekeeping and shopping, along with help from family and friends, is often enough.

Home care not only costs less but studies show that it results in better health outcomes. And, according to surveys, it's what most people want.

But getting people the help they need at the right time is a challenge. There are 1,200 Mainers waiting for home care and they can't wait forever. If they can't start receiving services, many of them will end up in institutions. Even if they enter as private-pay patients, they will likely spend down all their assets and end up supported by the taxpayers.

While not everyone has the desire or support system needed to make home care work, many do, and Maine should make helping them do that a policy priority. It would not be constructive to turn this into a fight for scarce resources between nursing home operators and home care providers. Both options are needed.

What the state can do is clearly make sure that affordable home care is available for everyone who would benefit from it. Wiping out the waiting list would be an important first goal.

Maine's financial crisis is not going away when the amended budget is approved. In a continually challenging environment, making cost-effective services available to those who want them is a good idea.