9/13/22 Dignity Alliance Massachusetts strongly urges the Senate and House of Representatives to override the Governor’s poorly reasoned veto of House Bill 4792 – An Act to Preserve Special Needs Trusts for Disabled Seniors. (See House 5188 for veto message.) As a statewide coalition of individuals and organizations advocating for older adults, people with disabilities […]
Category: Advocacy
6/10/22 DignityMA response to CMS Request for Information (RFI) to support National Minimum Staffing Standard. Inadequate staffing is the primary driver of poor health outcomes in nursing homes, and CMS has promised to propose a minimum staffing standard within one year. The RFI follows the Biden Administration’s February 28, 2022 proposal of significant nursing home […]
August 4, 2022 Op-Ed in CommonWealth Magazine by Senator Richard Moore Download Senator Moore’s Op-Ed on Failure to Reform (docx) Much has been written about the legalization of Sports Betting in the Commonwealth. The introduction of this much-debated and formerly illegal past-time is a tribute to the power of the gambling industry in Massachusetts! With […]
Our first outreach table, at the State Democratic Convention on June 4 in Worcester, was a success. The Votes 2022 Committee reached out to the Democrats and Republicans so that we could educate our elected officials. We were very well received, with 47 weekly digest signups, and many more discussions on the issues. Paul Lanzikos, […]
Dignity Alliance MA voted to endorse and support the upcoming REV UP conference. REV UP Mass (Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!) is a local coalition that is part of the larger national REV UP network that exists to build the power of the disability vote. That means making sure that voters with disabilities are […]
DignityMA members have been busy being published in newspapers across the state, explaining our support for the White House’s Proposed Nursing Home Reforms. Paul Lanzikos in the Gloucester Daily Times and the Salem News Arlene Germain in the Greenfield Recorder. Previous Previous Our view: Doing the right thing We have to all be in this […]
From the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care March Forth Together On February 28, 2022, the Biden Administration announced it would be implementing new nursing home reforms including the creation of a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes, accountability for poor performing nursing homes, increased transparency around ownership and finances, and support for direct […]
December 6, 2021 – Boston Globe Letter – Alarm sounded over continual gaps in care at nursing homes Is there no dignity among owners and operators of nursing homes that so many fail their most basic responsibility to protect the lives of the residents and staff? No one should be surprised by the article in […]
On May 25, 2021, Governor Baker signed legislation authorizing bond financing for the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home providing $400 million for the construction of a facility in Holyoke and an additional $200 million for establishing regional equity and ready access to community services for veterans throughout the Commonwealth who do not live proximate to the Holyoke […]
Action Steps – Contact Mass State Senators and Reps to advocate with the conference committee to support the House version of line item 9110-1640 and the Senate version of line item 1420-1000. Budget Line item 9110 – 1640 – Department of Elder Affairs Budget Line item 9110 – 1640 (Department of Elder Affairs) For the […]