LEWISTON, Maine — Hundreds of tips about adult autism group homes have poured into The Maine Wire in recent days after the outlet reported on conditions inside a residence managed by Lighthouse Health Services in Auburn. Conditions were so severe that one resident’s sister removed her brother herself.
In that case, the sister told The Maine Wire that promises made by Lighthouse Health Services about her brother’s care turned out to be fictional. She said staff were not administering his medication or monitoring his diabetes. She described a bedroom so cold his bananas froze. She said her brother was left unsafely dirty, with hygiene issues involving urine and feces.
The story has opened a floodgate.
The reporting triggered a wave of responses alleging breakdowns in care, supervision and basic standards across multiple properties. Those responses came not only from family members but also from neighbors and residents.
Stevens Street tips — and FOAA-backed concerns
In Lewiston, The Maine Wire has received multiple tips from residents about safety concerns involving a person living at a unit on Stevens Street. The Maine Wire filed a Freedom of Access Act request for police calls to the address, and records provided by Lewiston police confirm that at least five calls were made to the residence in the past year.
When contacted at the property, staff declined to make anyone available to address the concerns that had been raised. An individual on site left the location without responding to questions.
In the days that followed, several neighbors reached out to express appreciation that the situation was being examined. One neighbor provided what was described as a disturbing video recorded from a home security camera. The footage shows a person walking outside in the dark wearing only underwear and appearing to be in distress. The neighbor said similar incidents have occurred on five separate occasions.
Another neighbor said she was cooking with her front door open when, she recounted, “the kid walks right to the fridge, grabbed a gallon of orange juice and started chugging. I called the police. I had no idea the facility was even there. Scared the hell out of my daughter. He drank the entire gallon and then tried to leave the same way he came in. At that point my husband came downstairs and tried to talk to him, keep him there until the police arrived. It was insane. Needless to say, I keep the doors locked 24/7 now.”
“Heartbroken” brother speaks out
Another source, Mike Kemp, contacted The Maine Wire to describe what he says is happening to his autistic brother in a Lewiston group home, alleging food access problems, staff disengagement and increasing restrictions on family contact.
Kemp provided this statement:
“After learning about and observing the work your organization has done on this topic, I’ve been deeply struck by parallels to my own autistic brother’s situation in a similar group home. I’ve noticed concerning issues with his care, including inadequate and inconsistent access to food, as he’s had to repeatedly ask me for money to buy meals because the person responsible is either on vacation or did it late. During one visit inside, I saw staff and others engaged in personal activities like playing video games while my brother remained isolated in his room. Now when I visit, they insist he meets me outside, and they no longer allow me inside. Recently, for his birthday, I wanted to take him to dinner and could not do that. These restrictions and apparent lack of engagement leave me heartbroken, feeling that his quality of life and basic needs are not being adequately met.”
DHHS silence — despite repeated calls
The Maine Wire placed multiple calls to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to alert officials to the findings. As of publication, no calls or messages had been returned.
It raises a blunt question: Does the Mills administration and leadership at DHHS and the State House not care about what families and neighbors are describing?
A wider fraud backdrop — Maine isn’t alone
The timing is explosive because Maine is already under intense scrutiny over alleged abuse and improper billing in publicly funded care systems.
A federal audit released in January alleged Maine made nearly $46 million in improper payments tied to autism-related community support services (MaineCare Section 28) in a single year. That audit has fueled political blowback and fresh demands for answers about how the state detects and stops MaineCare fraud.
DHHS has acknowledged, in materials presented to lawmakers, that suspected fraud identified through audits can be referred to entities including the Program Integrity Unit, the Office of Inspector General and the Attorney General’s MaineCare unit. The core issue now being raised by families and neighbors is what happens when warning signs are flagged in real time and no one in power calls back.
Nationally, the fraud picture in home- and community-based care is even larger. The U.S. Department of Justice said its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown charged 324 defendants in schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended losses, underscoring how often taxpayer-funded care programs can be exploited when oversight is weak.
Nationally, the fraud picture in home- and community-based care is even larger. The U.S. Department of Justice said its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown charged 324 defendants in schemes involving more than $14.6 billion in intended losses, underscoring how often taxpayer-funded care programs can be exploited when oversight is weak.
What Comes Next
The Maine Wire continues to review tips from across the state, along with public records and firsthand accounts from families, residents and neighbors, as it examines conditions inside adult autism group homes and the oversight systems intended to protect vulnerable adults. Tips can be sent to [email protected]
or [email protected]
.
As new allegations emerge, one issue remains central: the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has been notified multiple times about these concerns, yet officials have not responded to requests for comment.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="50790 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=50790">1 Comment
Why are our towns’ Building inspectors and health inspectors not inspecting these Places? Local government is part of the problem!