AUGUSTA – Census figures show Maine has the nation’s oldest population, and as baby-boomers age there will be a critical and growing need for personal care assistants to keep them at home.

But with pay for many of the caregivers at less than $8 an hour and no benefits offered, there’s not much incentive to go into the field. If nothing is done, Senate President Beth Edmonds warned Monday, “It’s going to mushroom into a real big problem.”

Gov. John Baldacci on Monday ceremonially signed two bills sponsored by Edmonds, D-Freeport, designed to attract and retain dedicated personal care workers. Both measures take effect Aug. 23.

One of the laws requires the state Health and Human Services Department to study the cost of increasing wages and providing health coverage for direct care workers in state-funded and MaineCare-funded long-term care programs.

The study will look at what it would cost to establish $10 per hour starting pay for entry-level direct care workers, including certified nursing assistants, personal support specialists, home health aides, homemakers and direct support professionals.

The other proposes that the state increase hourly pay to $10 for personal care assistants in the state’s consumer-directed program for people with disabilities and those who would otherwise be in nursing homes. The plan goes to the federal government first for its approval.

Alpha One, which serves as an advocate for independent living for people with disabilities, supported the proposal to bring wages of personal assistants from the current rate of $7.71 to $10 per hour. There was no opposition during a legislative hearing on the measure.

“As our population ages, these workers play an ever-important role in our health care system,” Baldacci said during Monday’s observance. “It’s important that we provide the right long-term care supports so that more Maine people can live in their homes.”