Geropsychiatric Unit

Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center (DDPC) opened a new geropsychiatric unit in January 2021. This unit serves the needs of older adults who have severe, persistent mental illness requiring inpatient psychiatric care. The unit, while part of DDPC, is located in a separate building. The building was specifically designed for this patient population, and provides a warm, welcoming environment. The unit is staffed with a geropsychiatrist, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a psychologist, nurses, mental health workers, social workers and therapeutic services staff.

Mainers Can Now Use EBT Cards for Online Purchases at Amazon and Walmart

Mar 3, 2021

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office for Family Independence (OFI) announced today that Maine people who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can now make online food purchases at Amazon and Walmart using their electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card.

As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Online Purchasing Pilot:

Maine CDC Public Health Nurses Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic in Maine Communities

Mar 3, 2021

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) Public Health Nurses (PHNs) are trained to deliver a diverse array of services in Maine communities, from providing direct care and community-based health education, to infectious disease prevention and investigation, and contributing to the development of public health policy. This skillset has proven especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DHHS Partners with Area Agencies on Aging and Community Groups to Vaccinate Older Mainers

Mar 3, 2021

Under Maine’s age-based approach to vaccination eligibility, scores of older Mainers most at risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 are receiving vaccinations. As of March 17, 77 percent of Maine residents age 70 and older and 49 percent of residents age 60 to 69 have received their first dose of vaccine.

DHHS Announces Plan for $30.5M in Federal Funds to Support Maine Children, Families, and Child Care Providers

Feb 2, 2021

The Maine DHHS Office of Child and Family Services today announced spending priorities for the additional $30.5 million in federal funds the State of Maine has received to support children, families, and child care providers with affordable child care due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Enrollment in Maine’s Home and Community-Based Waiver Programs Increased 7% During Pandemic

Feb 2, 2021

Maine has five MaineCare-funded Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs that provide flexible supports to older adults and individuals with disabilities to assist them in their daily lives and prevent admissions to nursing homes, intermediate care facilities and other institutional settings. As in other states, these programs operate under special permission from the federal agency that oversees Medicaid, which is why they are called “waiver” programs.

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