EASTON, MARYLAND — Older Talbot residents who need help to keep living at home can ask to be screened for SOAR, a Maryland Department of Aging program that the Talbot County Health Department runs here. SOAR, short for Supporting Older Adults with Resources, provides case management and can pay for home and community supports such as personal care, homemaker and chore help, meals, transportation, minor safety repairs, adult day care, medical supplies, emergency response systems and respite care.

The name is new. The state department says it consolidated three existing state-funded programs into SOAR in 2026.

The program is for Marylanders 62 and older who need help with activities of daily living, make less than 60 percent of the state median income and have assets below the eligibility limits. It is also meant for people who do not qualify for Medicaid or are on long waitlists for Medicaid-funded services. The department’s eligibility chart, effective July 1, 2026, sets the monthly income limit at $4,358 for an individual and $4,983 for a couple, with asset limits of $20,064 and $26,400.

To start, call the Health Department’s SOAR line at 410-819-4700. A referral leads to a screen of age, income, assets and functional abilities. If a person appears eligible, Health Department registered nurses and social workers do a full assessment with the person and family and write a plan of care, and each client is assigned a case manager.

Talbot’s SOAR is funded by the Maryland Department of Aging with county support and run in partnership with Upper Shore Aging and the Department of Social Services. The Talbot County Commission on Aging featured the program in the first edition of its Aging in Action newsletter on Sept. 1. The services depend on state grant money and are subject to annual funding availability. The benefit is not automatic.