We’ve all heard the stories about senior homeowners who have been defrauded by unscrupulous home repair scam artists. Seniors often pay dearly for shoddy or unfinished work. As a result, they may not know who to trust when it comes to minor home repair.

And then there are the seniors who have very limited incomes and are living, unsafely, in a home that needs work, but have no extra resources to remedy the situation.

Eastern Area Agency on Aging is the answer.

EAAA has a minor home repair program for seniors called EAA-Z Fix It. The goal of this program is to help seniors remain in their own homes, safely, for as long as possible. This goal is achieved with a corps of “handyman” volunteers and participating businesses who provide materials at a reduced cost.

Samples of the light repairs our volunteers can make are:

• Fixing broken steps and weak floor boards
• Installing grab bars
• Repairing light fixtures and leaking toilet valves
• Replacing storm windows and or screens.

Let us know what’s broken and we will try to fix it. Yard work is also available to the senior clients.

While EAA-Z Fix supplies volunteers free of charge, the seniors are responsible for purchasing necessary materials.

For jobs that are too big for a volunteer to do, the client will have the option of being referred to a contractor who is participating in the EAA-Z Fix It program. A contractor’s participation means that he or she has agreed to offer reduced rates to seniors.

EAAA also has a Home Safety Check List that can help people evaluate their living space and look for problems or potential problems. Click here for the home safety check list.

EAAA’s EAA-Z Fix It Program Coordinator can be reached Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and noon. If you would like to contact us, there are several ways to do it. Please see below:

• Phone : Bangor area 941-2865 or 1-800-432-7812
• Email: info@eaaa.org
• Fax: 941-2869
• TTY: 207-992-0150