Dignity AllianceIn addition to concerns on staffing and finances at nursing homes, which has led directly to neglect of residents, DignityMA is also perplexed at the seeming lack of oversight and enforcement from the state. Download, or scroll to read, a letter to the Commissioner of the MA Dept of Public Health, Robert Goldstein. A July […]
The Connecticut MirrorBy Jenna Carlesso and Dave Altimari, July 21, 2024 Athena nursing home workers say medical bills still going unpaid [Jamie] Iszczak, 45, said the problems started after Athena Health Care Systems — one of the largest nursing home chains in the state and the company where she has worked as a certified nursing […]
Mass Live, By Greta Jochem, July 14, 2024 ‘A dog pound would be better.’ Inside one of the most-fined nursing homes in Mass. This article details the poor living conditions and care provided at Highview of Northampton, a nursing home in Massachusetts. Here are the key takeaways: Highlights from the report:
The MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs envisions a state in which every person has the tools, resources, and support they need to fully embrace the aging experience. Together, we support aging adults to live and thrive, safely and independently— how and where they want. July, 2024: Seven former Secretaries of Elder Affairs sent a […]
Report to Congress, May 2024 AGING IN THE UNITED STATES: A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORKFOR A NATIONAL PLAN ON AGING by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Health Aging and Age-friendly Communities, chaired by the Administration for Community Living The four domains of the strategic framework are: Age-Friendly Communities; Coordinated Housing and Support Services; Increased Access to Long-Term […]
The Healey-Driscoll Administration filed legislation Senate Bill 2797 to rename the Executive Office of Elder Affairs to the Executive Office of Aging & Independence to better represent and reflect the values of older adults in Massachusetts. Hearing on Legislation, June 26, 2024 The Statehouse News reported on the hearing: Mixed Review For Elder Affairs Name […]
Supreme Court outlawed segregation of disabled people 25 years ago. But change has come slowly STAT, June 21, 2024By Timmy Broderick As a toddler, Veronica Ayala loved Fridays. At 5 o’clock sharp, her mom whisked her away from the grim Moody State School for Cerebral Palsied Children for a 48-hour reprieve. Ayala’s house was mere […]
Self-Determination and Self-Directed Services Download the letter on Self-Determination and Self-Directed Services (pdf) Download the Facts Sheet from MA Alliance for 21st Century Disability Policy (MA21) on Self-Directed Services (pdf) Letter to DDS June 18, 2024Department of Disability ServicesOffice of the General Counsel,1000 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02118 dds.regs.comments@mass.gov. SUBJECT: Self-Determination and Self-Directed Services Dignity Alliance Massachusetts […]
The Beauty of Embracing Aging By Charles M. Blow, New York Times (free access)June 6, 2024 As Evelyn Couch said to Ninny Threadgoode in Fannie Flagg’s “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe”: “I’m too young to be old and too old to be young. I just don’t fit anywhere.” I think about this […]
On May 10, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule implementing a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes. The rule will require that nursing homes have a registered nurse on-site 24 hours per day, seven days per week, meet modest minimum staffing requirements, use evidence-based, data-driven methods when determining […]