For Melvin, 94, Southern Maine Agency on Aging’s Care Coordination team has been a lifeline. Care Coordination is exactly what it sounds like: helping older adults navigate multiple, often overlapping challenges such as housing, health, social connection, and benefits so they can live safely and stay connected.  

“The Care Coordination team is so sweet and have truly helped me with my needs,” Melvin shares. “I am so grateful to Southern Maine Agency on Aging and Alyssa. If I could testify about the benefits of Southern Maine Agency on Aging, I’d say they’ve done well by me.”  

Melvin lived for many years in a beautiful house in Kittery Point. Over time, the home fell into disrepair. The heating system failed, pipes began bursting, and it became impossible to live there safely.  

“I came to the conclusion that I had to sell the property,” Melvin said. “I’m going to be 95 in June.”  

Before the sale, SMAA Care Coordination team member Alyssa worked with Melvin to explore options for keeping his home and making it safe. When it became clear that the house could no longer be inhabited, Alyssa supported him through the difficult transition. She connected him with a real estate agent, assisted with housing applications, and helped him apply for benefits. Together, they helped Melvin move into independent housing in Kittery, a goal deeply important to him.  

Alyssa also helped Melvin get on waitlists for Catholic Charities Independent Support Services and the Opportunity Alliance Senior Companion Program. These programs would provide light housework assistance and companionship, both critical supports, though long waitlists remain a barrier to daily help in the Kittery area.  

While housing was an immediate concern, Melvin also faced serious health challenges that made daily life increasingly difficult. He has advanced macular degeneration. A recent surgery improved his peripheral vision, but his central vision is gone.  

“Sadly, I can no longer read,” he said. “I used to practice law, and most of my adult life involved reading. That’s a major drawback for me.”  

Alyssa connected Melvin with the Iris Network and the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired. They set up accessibility features on his phone, allowing him to use the internet, and provided audiobooks, enabling him to continue enjoying reading in a new way.  

To help meet his nutrition needs, Alyssa assisted Melvin with applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. She also helped him apply for the Medicare Savings Program, which covers Medicare premiums and medication costs and helped ease the financial strain of his ongoing medical care.  

“My wife died a year ago. Most of my friends have died. I have three people left in my life who are my age,” Melvin said. “I need a human connection. I’m frustrated by being all alone.”  

Recognizing how deeply isolation was affecting him, Alyssa connected Melvin with SMAA’s Phone Pals program. He was matched with Bev, who now calls him once a week.  

“Bev has been my Phone Pal for quite a while. She’s wonderful,” Melvin said. “I appreciate our phone calls. We have great conversations, and I need that connection, because if I don’t have that connection, where I live, I’m all alone. I’m a guy who cannot stand being all alone. When you practice law, you’re a people person, and now I don’t have anyone. She’s consistent with our communication, and I value our relationship.”  

Through Care Coordination, Melvin received support across multiple areas of his life, not just a single need. From food and benefits to health care, housing, and social connection, Southern Maine Agency on Aging helped ensure he could remain safe, independent, and connected.  

Today, Melvin is living in the community he loves with the supports he needs and the reassurance that he does not have to face these challenges alone. His story reflects the impact of SMAA’s Care Coordination and what is possible when support is tailored to the whole person.