MACHIAS, Maine — The closure of two veterans' nursing homes in rural Washington and Aroostook counties has led to a lot of frustration and anger within the communities they serve.
The Caribou and Machias Maine Veterans' Homes will close in April. Eldercare advocates have said these closures were a result of the same problems.
The board of the Maine Veterans' Homes cited three reasons for closing the Caribou and Machias locations: a decline in the veteran population, the need for qualified workers, and a loss of money.
"Everybody in the area was completely blindsided," Jolene Farmsworth said,
Farnsworth's mom is a resident at Maine Veterans' Home in Machias. Her father, Lloyd, served in the U.S. Army, which is how her mother has been able to live there.
"My dad served and, as did all the veterans, they thought that they and their spouses would be cared for," she said. "And that doesn't seem to be the case."
Eldercare advocates have said Maine nursing homes need one major thing to solve the closures: more workers.
"Since the last time we talked we are not making progress on bringing more staff in on," Jess Maurer, executive director of the Maine Council on Aging, said.
She agrees, the challenges all come down to staffing.
"We have an extensive amount of beds available open in long-term care facilities throughout Maine because of the staffing shortage," Maurer said.
The Caribou and Machias facilities are number six and seven on the list of Maine nursing homes that have announced plans to close in the past six months. A lot of the facilities that have closed have been in rural parts of the state, including Washington County.
"People are very upset the veterans home has a lot of, it was a big part of our community," Rep. Will Tuell, R-East Machias, said.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Maine's congressional delegation, and the American Legion have asked the Maine Veterans' Homes to reconsider these two closures, citing the negative effects of Maine's elderly and disabled veteran population.
As for the residents and families, they're looking ahead to figure out what's next.
"I guess her next step would be Bangor Veterans home, which is 1 hour and 15 minutes from us," Farnsworth said.
An hour and 15 minutes from family, friends, and the community many residents have lived in all their lives.