By Cassandra Allen

The overall crime rate in Lewiston is down by 24%, but police report a recent surge in home-safety related crimes, such as burglaries and motor vehicle theft. The rise in crime coincides with an uptick in Lewiston’s winter weather damages, leaving elderly citizens to look for better options in emergency care at home. Fortunately, senior citizens in the Twin Cities benefit from a number of local resources that are available to help protect them in the face of adversity.

Emergency Medical Care

Maine benefits from a range of programs designed to help Senior Citizens remain comfortably at home by modifying their home for increased safety. These programs rely on an active volunteer community willing to work with elderly citizens on their individual needs, which may include new handicap-accessible equipment or relocating their living arrangements to one floor. Many senior citizens use wearable safety devices to alert authorities in the event of a fall. This option is a good idea for senior citizens that live alone or are prone to falling, as they may not be able to reach the phone in the event of an accident.

Home Safety 

For theft prevention, it’s recommended that elderly citizens update their locks and keep a light on in the window during nighttime so that potential intruders do not think the home is vacated. It’s also inadvisable to leave keys under the mat or a similar location, as burglars know to look for this. Instead, leave your keys with a neighbor or trusted friend. To avoid identity theft or mail intrusion, senior safety experts advise that elderly citizens switch to online banking for scheduled payments  (such as social security checks) so that home intruders cannot find potential identity-theft robberies by rummaging through your mailbox.

Weather Protection

The Twin Cities are committed to protecting the elderly population during Maine’s harsh winter season. In Auburn, the city of Auburn runs a program handing out buckets of sand to the elderly, so that they can coat their sidewalks and protect themselves from slipping in the snow. Other key safety measures include protecting pipes to prevent frozen plumbing and adding home insulation to pad your house from the elements. The City of Lewiston Public Works Department issues annual winter weather guidelines that advise citizens of updated snow removal programs, including the plowing and salting of roads during snowstorms.

Political disputes aside, elderly in the Twin Cities remain an integral component to the community and can benefit from an array of local resources to increase safety. Recent advances in home safety technology enable senior citizens to live comfortably in their homes even during the cold weather season. The results, for Maine, are protecting a vulnerable community and keeping senior citizens safe.