BIDDEFORD — The Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Aging and Disability Services held a meeting at DHHS on Graham Street Monday for residents to voice their concerns on the state’s Plan on Aging through 2020.

The plan, which will be submitted to the Administration on Community Living, is required to be updated every four years per the Older Americans Act. It outlines a framework of services, activities and programs for Maine’s senior population from Oct. 1, 2016, to Sept. 30, 2020.

Despite only a handful of attendees, those in attendance had very strong opinions and suggestions. Two of them had concerns that personally affected them.

Claire Dube has been taking care of her elderly relatives for 20 years. She believes the process to get assistance and the services available are confusing and convoluted for caregivers like herself.

“I am trying to help (my relatives) navigate the system for the care available to them. I feel it’s a nightmare (trying to navigate),” she said. “You need a diagram to figure it out.

“How (is the state) going to make the information more understandable and accessible for seniors and caregivers?”

Dube doesn’t think enough attention is being paid to the senior population. She sees food on tables not cleaned up at day services for her uncle, and a lack of consistency from workers who provide home visits, she said.

Viola Hayhurst had read the plan thoroughly prior to the meeting. A veteran of senior housing in Maine and out of state, the Lord Pepperell Apartments resident mostly was concerned with lack of senior housing and what she said were too few programs for seniors.

Hayhurst noted that as the oldest state in the nation – according to 2014 numbers, Maine’s 44.2-year-old median age is almost seven years higher than the U.S. median of 37.7 – there should be more housing and services for seniors, or at least plans for more in the next four years.

“Maine is the oldest state in the country. We need do something now,” she said. “(State services) are too spread out. If do everything for everyone, we end up doing nothing for no one.”

Three others in attendance work at companies or organizations that provide services and help for Maine’s seniors – Memory Works in Portland; Volunteers of America Northern New England in Brunswick; and Community Partners, with locations in Biddeford and Portland.

Ken Capron of Memory Works said the most socially and economically needy are often the most underserved, and that adequate staffing, which is currently a problem, should be addressed in the new plan.

Terry Baldwin of Volunteers of America wanted to make sure those who make the decisions are aware of other “funding mechanisms” that can fill in the cracks where the state can’t fill. Working with other agencies or on a community level could be avenues to use to get certain services such as transportation, she said.

Lisa Boucher of Community Partners agreed with Dube that consistency is paramount, especially in her field, which deals with people with mental disabilities.

There were two state workers who moderated the 45-minute meeting – Deborah Halm, vice president of DHHS Community Services, and Nicole Rooney, contact person for the DHHS. They could not comment or answer, only take down the informational meeting.

All of the comments from the three statewide meetings and those submitted will be taken into consideration for possible modifications and changes to the plan.

Anyone interested in submitting a comment or suggestion can email Nicole Rooney at Nicole.rooney@ maine.gov until 5 p.m. Friday. The plan is available for viewing at maine. gov/dhhs/oads/trainingsresources/ policy.html.