Massachusetts Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA)Nursing facilities serve an important role in the continuum of health care services in Massachusetts, providing nearly 12 million patient days of service in 2023. To better understand this component of the Massachusetts health care system, CHIA’s new dashboard, released in January 2025, examines the Commonwealth’s nursing facilities […]
Category: Facilities
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesJanuary 14, 2025 (updated) Summary:The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is launching a national Nursing Home Staffing Campaign aimed at increasing the number of nurses working in nursing homes and at the state agencies that inspect nursing homes for compliance with health and safety standards. CMS will provide […]
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)January 10, 2025 KEY POINTS• A CMS rule finalized on November 17, 2023, enhances ownership transparency and policy by requiring detailed disclosures about the ownership and managerial control of nursing homes.• Publicly available CMS ownership files offer essential information for mapping nursing home structures, assuming the […]
The Personal Needs Allowance for nursing home residents is just $72.80 per month—far too little to cover basic necessities like clothing, toiletries, or a haircut. This decades-old amount undermines dignity and independence for people who have little else of their own. Ask legislators to support S.887 and H.1411 and include a PNA increase with a […]
Nonprofit QuarterlyBy James Lomastro, PhD, January 6, 2025Editor’s Note: James Lomastro is a member of the Dignity Alliance Massachusetts Coordinating Committee and is the Chair of several workgroups. Dignity in Action: From Institutional Failure to Decentralized Empowerment Forged amid the suffering, deaths, and neglect that prevailed in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, this peer-led […]
Nurse.org, By Angelina WalkerJanuary 2, 2025 The debate over private equity’s role in healthcare has intensified in recent years, with critics arguing that the profit-driven model of these investment firms is incompatible with high-quality patient care and safety. Recent developments have added fuel to this ongoing discussion as private equity (PE) firms have been increasingly […]
The Assisted Living Workgroup, along with other organizations, have proposed Consumer Protection Regulations for Residents of Assisted Living Residences in Massachusetts. The proposal was sent to Mary Freeley, Director of the Elder Justice Unit under Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell in January 2025. The collaborative effort involved representatives from Dignity Alliance Massachusetts, Greater Boston Legal […]
CMS Issues Major Updates to Nursing Home Care Guidelines Centers for Medicare and Medicaid ServicesNovember 18, 2024What’s Changing?CMS’s new 900-page revised long-term care surveyor guidance document includes updates to critical care areas such as: Medication Rights: A Focus on PsychotropicsCMS is strengthening protections against the misuse of psychotropic medications, such as antipsychotics. These medications should […]
U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of Inspector GeneralNovember 9, 2024 Why OIG Did This Audit What OIG Found These deficiencies put the health and safety of residents, staff, and visitors at an increased risk of injury or death during a fire or other emergency, or in the event of an infectious disease outbreak. […]
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 A Long-Term Care Ombudsman is certified to investigate any issues that arise in nursing homes, rest homes, or assisted living facilities, so the residents who live there can do so with dignity and respect. As an advocate, a Long-Term Care Ombudsman works to resolve problems between residents and nursing homes, rest […]