Retire to Maine

Exploring Family Roots & Maine Connections

Podcast by Sandra Harris

aking plans to retire to Maine gives thoughts to ideas of what to do during the retirement years. The Down East magazine Retire to Maine audience has expressed interests in exploring their family roots & Maine connections, volunteering opportunities, being an active member of the community and discussing interesting places & events in Maine.

The Maine Historical Society may be the perfect place to start. In this episode of the Down East magazine Retire to Maine podcast, Steve Bromage, Executive Director of Maine Historical Society is our guest. We discussed getting started in genealogy with Maine Historical Society’s research library & Maine Memory Network, volunteering, the Longfellow House & garden and events including Maine Bicentennial in 2020.

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Lynne Maxfield-Cole, a certified Aging in Place Specialist, discusses helping people adapt their surroundings to help them age in place.

Podcast by Sandra Harris

ging in place is the concept of staying in our homes as we grow older. Whether we are interested in helping a loved one remain in their own home or thinking of our future housing needs, now is the time to take a critical look at our living spaces. Maine has an older building stock that was not built for an aging population. But there are fixes. In this episode of Down East magazine’s Retire to Maine podcast, Lynne Maxfield-Cole, a certified Aging in Place Specialist and owner/designer at Universal Designz, a division of Decorating Plus discusses helping people adapt their surroundings to help them age in place. The discussion also covers common problems with Maine homes and how to solve them, tips on creating a safe, comfortable and beautiful home, how a universal designer can tackle issues to make all home residents happy and much more. As Lynne says, she has yet to find a home design problem that she can’t solve!

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Samantha Getchell, a Volunteer Coordinator with the Foster Grandparent & Senior Companion Programs of Southern Maine, discusses the organization’s volunteer programs.

olunteering at a non-profit organization can help in so many ways. Not only do you help the people served by the organization, you help yourself. When you retire to Maine, you may find yourself with time that you would like to donate to a favorite charity.

Volunteering can help you find friends with similar interests, keep you mentally stimulated, develop new skills, increase happiness and be closer to your community. As you explore the many volunteer opportunities, consider working with children or elders in your community. The Foster Grandparent & Senior Companion Programs may be the perfect fit for you.

In this Retire to Maine podcast, Samantha Getchell, Volunteer Coordinator with the Foster Grandparent & Senior Companion Programs of Southern Maine discusses the organization’s volunteer programs and says, “No special skills are needed. Just a desire to help others.”

To discuss volunteering for these programs, call 207-773-0202, 1-800-698-4959 or e-mail [email protected]

Details on Maine’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program can be found here.

 

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Podcast by Sandra Harris

Types of care available to veterans in Maine.

aine is in the top three along with Virginia and Alaska with the largest number of veterans per capita. The numbers fluctuate between 6–7 percent of the Maine population. Maine has some of the best veterans’ homes in the country, receiving the silver and coveted gold national quality awards. Devin Robinson, Director of Marketing & Public Relations at the Maine Veterans’ Homes joined the Down East magazine Retire to Maine Podcast to discuss the types of care available to veterans in Maine, costs, volunteer & work opportunities, who is eligible, touring the facilities and the first steps to applying for admission.

For more information on the Maine Veterans’ Homes, please visit: https://mainevets.org/

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Podcast by Sandra Harris

Maine is one of the best places to retire. If you buy an older home that needs some renovating, here are some tips.

ne of the things to consider when retiring to Maine is to buy an older home that may need some renovating to suit your needs and desires. An older Maine home can be full of charm but may be a challenge. So, we spoke to serial renovator and creator of the popular blog SoPo Cottage, Laurel LaBauve. You may have seen her on the pages of Down East magazine (May 2018) and other popular magazines. Laurel LaBauve along with her husband, Richard founded SoPo Cottage, a renovation business started in 2011. They focus on renovating one house at a time in South Portland, Maine and then resell the newly renovated updated home. We discuss with Laurel her process, things to consider when buying a home that needs renovation, lessons learned along the way, hiring a contractor, renovations for aging in place, staging advice and much more.

Maine is one of the best places to retire. Here are some tips on finding a place to live here.

ne of the first steps in retiring to Maine is finding a place to live. Buyers are finding they need to go the extra mile to get their dream retirement home in Maine’s hot markets. We spoke with Marc Gup, a senior real estate specialist with the Marc Gup Real Estate Group in Portland, Maine. With years of real estate experience in Maine, Marc answers readers’ questions about the best way to start a home search, what to consider when looking for a home to age in place, tax concerns, hot markets and best home values in Maine and some very good advice on how to get your Maine retirement home.

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Podcast by Sandra Harris
Photograph by Ronnie Sue Ambrosino

Maine is one of the best places to retire. Here are some tips on staying fit once you get here.

hile researching the topic of fitness and exercise for the person age 50 plus, we stumbled upon a Maine legend, Skip Robinson. Skip was named Mr. Maine in 1971 and a two time Mr. World title holder. Skip told stories about his past workout partner Arnold Schwarzenegger, and how former Maine senator and former Secretary of Defense, Bill Cohen named Skip’s fitness business. Skip was also a middle school science teacher and he uses those teaching skills to development exercise programs for clients at his business Smart Body Fitness in Portland, Maine.

There are great benefits to exercise for people of all ages. But Skip says, “It’s nutrition, 80% nutrition. If you want to make a change in your body, you’ve got to eat correctly. As far as strength training goes…that speeds up your metabolism, strengthens your bones, your ligaments, firms & tones your muscles, good for posture. It’s good for flexibility.”



As someone who has exercised consistently for decades, Skip wants everyone to know that you are a sculptor. You can change your body and achieve better health.

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Podcast by Sandra Harris

The signs of Lyme disease, treatment and prevention, and how to protect your pets from ticks

yme disease is a serious disease that is affecting more and more people in Maine and New England. The disease spread by ticks causes a variety of symptoms including fatigue, fever, headache and joint soreness. There are some new concerns about the transmission of Lyme disease. When retiring to Maine, we want to get outdoors and enjoy nature safely. Three Lyme disease specialists from Scarborough Integrative Health are guests in this edition of Down East magazine’s Retire to Maine podcast. We discuss the signs of Lyme disease, treatment and prevention, how to protect your pets from ticks and where to get more information.

Podcast by Sandra Harris

By Sandra Harris

Retirement Travel

“We can all agree that Maine is a truly beautiful place to live. But we all need a change of scenery or an escape from the snow in winter. The retirement years can be a period of life when you have the time to get out and explore the world, take the trip you’ve always dreamed about and check a few things off your bucket list.

Mary Ellen Lessard, a tenured travel consultant with AAA Northern New England in Portland, Maine joins Down East magazine’s Retire to Maine podcast. We discuss popular trips for travelers age 50+, tips & suggestions for getting the most out of a trip, senior & military discounts and the benefits of travel insurance & using a travel consultant.”

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By Sandra Harris

Retire to Maine Podcast — Being a Family Caregiver

eing a family caregiver can be one of the most challenging experiences of our lives. The responsibilities can come on gradually or swiftly with a life altering event. You don’t have to face care giving alone. There is help. The Maine Area Agencies on Aging offer information, education, resources and guidance for care givers. Lori Campbell, Family Caregiver Support Program Supervisor at Southern Maine Area on Aging joins Down East magazine’s Retire to Maine podcast. We discuss family caregiver support, services and programs, adult day centers and more.

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