Fred, Call me.

Four years ago, I watched an independent assisted living facility I served on the board of collapse. In that moment, I made a lot of calls. One of them was to Fred, a man leading a poverty justice group in Maine. He had been a colleague of my former husband, so I thought he would understand both the urgency and the stakes.

I told him what had happened. We spoke for 20 minutes. He said, “I’ll call you back.” That call never came.

Fast forward: I later learned Fred did call back—not to me, but to my former husband. He said, “Something’s not right.” I can’t say for certain that moment led to me spending time in a care facility, but I do believe it was connected.

Here’s the truth: Fred was right, something wasn’t right. But it wasn’t me. It was the system. For nearly five years, older Mainers and their families have been left waiting for answers while the ground under them has been eroded.

The closure—and then the reopening—of that facility was almost impossible to take. I was emotional then, and I still cry now. I’m grieving so much of what I’ve seen in this field. And that doesn’t change the fact that I have a diagnosis, that I take medication every day, and that I manage my mental health. That is part of who I am—but it does not discredit what I know or what I’ve witnessed.

And I’ll be honest: I’ve been tested for the last six months, and I’m still not 100% sure I can place it. I think Maine has given away traction on Medicaid. I think choices were made—prioritizing homecare and hospitals—but I can’t see the whole picture. What I am sure of is this: families of aging loved ones and the work must come first.

This much I do know: my experience is unusual. I have separate public policy experience and long-term care experience—on the very same issues. I’ve seen this system both in practicality and in the abstract. That perspective matters. It allows me to connect the dots others don’t always see, and to name the gaps families keep falling through.

Fred, if you want to call me this week, my number is 207-899-5780.