Two Federal and One State Agency offered opportunities for the public – both individuals and organizations, such as Dignity Alliance, to make suggestions for update strategic plans to serve a guidance from 2025 – 2030. They asked, Dignity Alliance answered! Here is a summary of what was requested and our answers based on input from […]
Category: Long Term Services and Support
Statement of Senator Patricia Jehlen, Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, regarding the passage of H 5033, the long-term care reform bill. This statement was made during the Senate session held on August 29, 2024. Sen. Jehlen of Somerville was recognized to speak remotely. Around a minute of silence passed before her voice came over […]
Governor Signs Long Term Care Legislation On September 26, Governor Maura Healey ceremonially signed milestone legislation reforming the long-term care sector in Massachusetts. On September 6, she officially signed into law H 5033, An Act to improve quality and oversight of long-term care, as Chapter 197 of the Acts of 2024. DignityMA released statement: Milestone […]
*State House NewsBy Sam Drysdale, August 26, 2024 Following a groundswell of advocacy from people with disabilities and local service agencies, MassHealth officials are switching gears on a wide-ranging change they had planned to make to the state’s care delivery system — though the agency is still pursuing some reform. MassHealth issued a procurement for […]
DignityMA hosted a webinar (watch below) to present information in support of the request to MassHealth to put aside the Request for Response (RFR) and engage in meaningful exploration with stakeholders to improve current systems on August 21. (Read more about the IAE) Spoiler Alert: At about 1:04:40 in the video, Mike Levine, EOHHS Assistant […]
*The Provincetown IndependentBy Jack Styler, August 7, 2024Despite latest failure, 3 lawmakers say long-term care legislation is not dead Massachusetts politicians at both the state and federal level have made recent moves toward tightening regulation of the long-term care industry, especially as private-equity firms continue to buy up nursing homes across the country. On Beacon […]
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 […]
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 […]
Is long-term care evolving or devolving? McKnight’s Long-Term Care NewsBy John O’Connor, editorial director for McKnight’s Long-Term Care NewsJune 9, 2024 With the midyear mark rapidly approaching, this might be a good time to consider the current state of long-term care. But rather than make an argument whether conditions for operators are getting better or […]