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: News
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 […]
Sent to the Joint Ways and Means on March 1, 2026 Download the FY2027 Budget Amendment Justification Recommendation (docx) or the FY2027 Budget Amendment Justification Recommendation (pdf). Introduction Re: Aligning the Impacts of Aging and Caregiving with the FY 2027 General Appropriations Bill (H.2) Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on the FY […]
April 10, 2026 Presented by Pat Baker, Senior Economic Justice Advocate, Mass Law Reform Institute This 1 hour webinar covered the July 2025 cuts to SNAP benefits as a result of the GOP”s “Big Beautiful Bill” – including eligibility cuts to legal immigrants, imposition of work rules on persons age 55- 65, additional verification burdens […]
April 1, 2026: A Tutorial in the Use of Artificial Intelligence Applications by Advocates Presented: James Lomastro, PhD, Chair , DignityMA FacilitiesWorkgroup and Coordinating Committee Member What AI does for advocates: This session will review basic concepts and techniques appropriate for any skill level. Download the slide deck: Using AI as an Advocacy Tool (pptx) […]
Are Nursing Homes Lying About Their Patients To Increase Profits? You DecideForbes, March 27, 2026By Peter Ubel The Forbes article by Peter Ubel, titled “Are Nursing Homes Lying About Their Patients To Increase Profits? You Decide,” explores a contentious trend in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) industry following major shifts in federal reimbursement policies. With […]
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 […]
March 5, 2026 Topics Speakers Video Photos
Nursing Home Staffing Resource Center Long Term Care Community Connection (LTCCC)Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.Presented by Richard Mollot, Executive Director, LTCCC The Nursing Home Staffing Resource Center created and managed by the Long-Term Care Community Coalition’s “NursingHome411” platform) serves as a central hub for data, advocacy tools, and regulatory updates focused on […]