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 […]
Category: Long Term Services and Support
*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 […]
AG Campbell Announces $4 Million Settlement With Nursing Home Chain For Significant Staffing And Care Failures Resulting In Resident Neglect Office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea CampbellJune 10, 2024 As part of the AG’s largest ever nursing home settlement, Next Step Healthcare will pay $4 million to resolve allegations, improve staffing levels, and agree to […]
May 29, 2024: A webinar explaining the Marsters v. Healey Settlement Agreement, was prepared especially for guardians, supporters in supported decision-making arrangements, and other advocates. The objectives of the webinar are to review basic provisions of the Agreement and review rights available for residents. The agreement has been finalized. For more information, see our Marsters […]