Interviewer: Dignity DigestGuest: Peter Tiernan Note: For more details on this issue, visit DignityMA Campaign to Restore Elder Care Services. Dignity Digest: Peter, let’s start with the problem. What’s happening with the Enhanced Community Options Program (ECOP) in Massachusetts right now? Peter Tiernan: The situation is deeply concerning. Over the past year, ECOP—Massachusetts’ enhanced home […]
Category: Home and Community Based
Issue Another explanation of this issue and proposal is a DignityMA Interview with Pete Tiernan: Unlocking Federal Funding to Eliminate Home Care Waitlists. In February 2025, the Healey-Driscoll Administration critically impacted a vital program that provides home care services to low-income seniors with complex care needs. The Executive Office of Aging & Independence (AGE) imposed […]
Providing Long-Term Supports and Services at Home for Our Nation’s Elders March 2026, By Richard Frank, Sherry Glied, Jonathan Gruber, Vani Agarwal, and Wendell Primus This twenty-page report proposes a fundamental shift in how the United States finances and delivers long-term supports and services (LTSS). Scroll down to see responses by DignityMA participants. The Crisis […]
Problem Last June, Governor Healey capped the ECOP ( Enhanced Community Options Program) at 7,322 from 9,000. Once the cap is reached, new enrollees are put on a waiting list. Requiring frail elders to wait months for home care will inevitably lead to many developing worse health problems and ending up in nursing homes, said […]
Caregiver tax credits are overdue *Salem News, March 23, 2026 There is a reckoning coming. Massachusetts, like the rest of the country, is growing older. While it is certainly good news that Bay State residents are living longer lives, the uncomfortable, inevitable fact remains that with longevity comes infirmity. Older residents require more medical care, and […]
To make cuts, state asks those affected *Boston GlobeMarch 8, 2026, By Jason Laughlin Summary: Facing a significant fiscal cliff driven by federal Medicaid spending reductions, Massachusetts is implementing $32 million in cuts to its 50-year-old Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program, which currently supports approximately 56,000 seniors and people with disabilities. In a unique move […]
A long journey home: Hundreds of disabled people have new homes thanks to court settlement WGBH NewsBy Megan SmithFebruary 12, 2026 Summary:Following a landmark 2024 settlement of a federal lawsuit against Massachusetts, at least 350 disabled individuals have successfully transitioned from nursing homes to community-based housing, with the state aiming to assist 2,400 more over […]
America’s Home-care Crisis: Will vulnerable elders be forced into nursing homes? Op-ed By Margaret Morganroth Gullette, February 10, 2026 in American Society on Aging – Generations Home care is what people want when they are offered a choice. You remain in a familiar neighborhood with people who respect you. Friends, neighbors, and other people are […]
Submitted by James Lamastro This report examined and assessed efforts through community stakeholders and other sources to determine how better pantries fulfill their mission and the extent to which they serve the needs of older and disabled people with issues related to food security. The purpose was to examine different ways to address these unmet […]
November 20, 2025Presenters: Attorney Stephen Schwartz and Kathy Walker, Center for Public Representation Stephen Schwartz and Kathy Walker are the lead counsel for the plaintiffs. Stephen reviewed the progress since the case was settled in June 2024. Marsters v. Healey is a lawsuit filed by seven individuals with disabilities living in nursing facilities and […]