The Great Hall in the State House was awash in a sea of blue Tuesday, May 13, 2025 when more than 600 older adults and their supporters, most wearing vivid blue tee shirts, held their annual “Older Adult Lobby Day”.
State Representative Thomas Stanley (D-Waltham), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Aging and Independence, promised the gathering his “commitment to keeping programs strong for the Commonwealth’s older adults, even in the face of uncertainty. We are advancing legislation that makes a true impact for our older adults and caregivers, and protecting critical programs and services, requires all of us—lawmakers, providers, advocates, and older adults—to work together.”
Observing the increase in homelessness among older adults and the shortage of appropriate housing, Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Aging and Independence stated, “I know there are people in my district living in the woods, in parking lots. We heard testimony from Somerville yesterday that there were over 200 people on the waiting list for senior housing in Somerville. Four got in last year.”
Betsey Crimmins, Mass Aging Access Executive Director, told the gathering, “We are here to make our voices heard and we are asking our legislators to listen and to act, to protect and to strengthen the programs which keep older adults safe, nourished, and at home. And to continue to invest in our non-profit system of care that has delivered value to the Commonwealth for decades and so that it can continue to do so for generations to come.”
Dignity Alliance Massachusetts’ Legislative Work Group Chair, former State Senator Richard T. Moore, called for support of legislation increasing the personal needs allowances for nursing and rest home residents noting that “for nearly 20 years, the Personal Needs Allowance for Nursing Home and Rest Home residents has been stuck at $72.80 per month. If inflation had been factored since the amount was last set, the allowance should now be about $113.42. These residents are obligated to pay almost all their monthly Social Security and other income for their basic care leaving the PNA to cover all other life’s necessities such as clothing, hairdressing, and personal care items.’
The event was organized by a coalition of aging advocacy groups led by Mass Aging Access. Other organizations included AARP Massachusetts, Action for Boston Community Development, Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Dignity Alliance Massachusetts, Hearth, Inc., Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Massachusetts Councils on Aging, Massachusetts Senior Action Council, and Older Adults Behavioral Health Network.
1.7 million adults over the age of 60 call Massachusetts home, nearly a quarter of the population. This year, the youngest Baby Boomers in Massachusetts will reach the age of 60, marking a significant milestone. The older adult population now spans five decades, ranging from people in their 60’s to people who have reached 100 years and more. In line with higher life expectancies, residents aged 80 and over represent the fastest-growing segment of Massachusetts’ older adult population.
