Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced November 18 that the Plant Home in Bath will be getting $10 million in federal funding to build a new, 50,000-square-foot facility to provide assisted living facilities for seniors in the Midcoast area.

"We all age and we all get older, but not everyone can stay in the home they've lived in," Pingree said. "That's why it's so important to have a place like the Plant Home, where you can get care when you need it in your community, around people you know and near your family."

The funding, a combination of a direct loan and a federal guaranteed loan, comes from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development Administration.

"USDA Rural Development has a strong commitment to supporting essential community facilities like the Plant Home because of the impact they have on our rural Maine communities.  They create construction jobs, additional staff positions and, most importantly, benefit the lives of our rural residents in very meaningful ways like expanding quality, affordable senior housing," said Virginia Manuel, Maine USDA Rural Development State Director.

This critical funding will assist the historic Plant Memorial Home in the construction of a 50,000-square-foot addition with 45 units of quality senior care. This more than doubles the facility’s capacity to assist the area’s aging population, as they currently have 37 units.

The Plant Memorial home was constructed in 1917 and its mission is to deliver to its residents, regardless of their ability to pay, the highest quality independent elder housing and assisted living services, professionally, compassionately, and efficiently; and to support community involvement in the Midcoast Maine area.

"This is the culmination of a community working together.  We've been working on this project for five years and have had tremendous support from the entire community," said Don Capoldo, Executive Director of the Plant Home.

By 2030, one in every four people in Maine will be a senior citizen, according the Census Bureau. Currently the median age in Maine is the highest of any state in the country.