Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. X X I X D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 6 LePage seeks federal aid for October storm Gov. Paul R. LePage has submitted the state's request for federal assis- tance to pay for $4.7 million in public infrastructure damages throughout 13 counties caused by the severe storm that slammed Maine with high winds, rain and fl ooding at the end of October. LePage made the request in a Nov. 29 letter sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Region 1 offi ce in Boston. e governor requested assistance only to pay for public infra- structure damages and does not include damages incurred by individuals or busi- nesses. (Separately, the state requested a Small Business Administration Administrative Declaration to assist aff ected businesses.) LePage noted that there were more power outages than the historic 1998 ice storm. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E The U.S. Department of Justice's Offi ce of Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program awarded $250,000 in grant funding to the Somerset County Sheriff's Department to hire two offi cers and $125,000 to both the Madawaska Police Department and the Jay Police Department for each to hire one offi cer. The department also award- ed $525,569 in grant funding through its Anti-Heroin Task Force Program to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency to address the opioid crisis. WCSH6 in Portland and WLBZ2 in Bangor announced that its second annual statewide Honor Flight Maine telethon raised $119,642. Avesta reports severe shortage of affordable housing Demand for aff ordable housing in southern Maine greatly exceeds the available supply, according to Avesta Housing's aff ordable housing activity report for the fi rst three quarters of 2017. Avesta, a Portland-based nonprofi t that has more than 80 properties and 2,400 apartments in its portfolio, reported B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state S T A T E W I D E $14M Holbrook Memory Care residence opens at Piper Shores B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n S c a r b o r o u g h — The new Holbrook Memory Care and Assisted Living residences at the Piper Shores adult living complex in Scarborough has impressive statistics — 43,000 square feet, 30 new apartments, a $14 million cost and 18 months in the making. But Piper Shores CEO Jim Adamowicz said the three-story building, and the philosophy behind it, is more about the needs of the 300 residents of the 138-acre residential complex. As the population at the retirement community increases, the addition was necessary to meet their needs and the emphasis was on doing it in a way that was best for those residents. "The focus is on health services, but in ways that promote social interaction, promote family interaction," Adamowicz said after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 29. Piper Shores, on 138 acres in Scarborough situated between Prouts Neck and Higgins Beach, has 160 independent-living apartments and 40 cottages, as well as 40 skilled nursing beds and 20 assisted-living apartments. The new building adds 14 memory-care apartments and 16 more assisted-living apart- ments, as well as common rooms and areas for fi tness, crafts, cooking, reading and indoor gardening. The new building will increase the staff on the campus by 30, to 240. Addressing specifi c needs The memory care center is designed to tackle one of the most pressing problems facing the state's aging population — dementia, Alzheimer's and other cognitive issues that increase with age. According to a 2012 study by Maine's Department of Health and Human Services, the state had 37,000 individuals living with Alzheimer's and dementia at the time of the study, a number expected to increase to 53,000 by 2020. One in eight people aged 65 and older has Alzheimer's disease, and Maine's 65-to-74 age group is forecast to grow by 77% in the 10 years following the study. Dealing with the aging population and the challenges that confront it has been in Piper Shores' plans for some time, Adamowicz said. "It's long been a dream to have this level of care here," he said. Piper Shores, which opened in 2001, is the state's only nonprofi t life-care retirement community, and its residents range from those who are fully independent to those who need assisted-living and full-time care. The board of directors approved the expansion in 2015 and "continues to focus on the growing demand for senior living," according to a news release that accompanied the ribbon-cutting. "The new building is one way that the community is addressing increasing demand as well as securing the orga- nization's long-term fi nancial sustainability," the release stated, adding that Piper Shores, while a nonprofi t, is the largest taxpayer in Scarborough. The new center is largely for the residents already on campus, but will also have spaces for people who live else- where in the greater Portland area. The campus has a two- to-seven-year waiting list for its independent living cottages and apartments. Also planned for the campus is a 2,800-square-foot arts center, scheduled to open in December, and open to Piper Shore residents of all age ages and abilities. B R I E F P H O T O / M A U R E E N M I L L I K E N P H O T O / M A U R E E N M I L L I K E N Piper Shores CEO Jim Adamowicz speaks to assembled guests at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the three-story 30-unit Holbrook Memory Care and Assisted Living complex in Scarborough. The new $14 million Holbrook Memory Care and Assisted Living apartment Care and Assisted Living apartment Care and Assisted Living complex at the Piper Shores adult living complex in Scarborough has 43,000 square feet of space and 30 new apartments. S O U T H E R N

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