My brother passed away last year after spending time in hospice care. The hospice workers were at his home every day, and they were awesome. Elderly and disabled patients not in hospice, but needing special care, deserve to stay in their own homes too and receive the same level of attention my brother received. That’s why I’m going to vote for Question 1, the universal home care initiative on the Maine ballot this year.

Question 1 would provide dependable, professional home care for every family that needs it, whether they have the money to pay for it or not. The cost would be covered by raising taxes a little bit on the state’s highest earning residents, individuals making over $128,400 next year (the income threshold would go up in future years with the rising cost of living).

I know from my brother’s experience that the skills and attitudes of the workers coming into the home matter a lot. So I’m glad that Question 1 will also make sure home care workers are paid better than they are now, and that they get better training.

Maine is an old state — the oldest in the country. The need for universal home care will only get bigger with time.

I’d been seeing all those “Stop the Scam” signs along the road and didn’t know what they were about. Then someone told me they were referring to the universal home care initiative. I can’t think of anything that’s less of a scam than a carefully thought-out plan to get our senior and disabled friends and neighbors the help they need to stay healthy while staying home.

Opposition to Question 1 is the real scam. Everyone should vote yes on Question 1.

Joe Noel

Waterville


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