Download Testimony in Support of Bills at Aging and Independence Committee (pdf) “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.” If you’re old enough to remember watching the Wizard of Oz when it was only on television once a year, you remember that line. An overwhelming majority of older adults […]
Category: News
State Health Planning to Improve Access to Care in Massachusetts: Needs and Current ToolsBlue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts FoundationApril 30, 2025 A well-functioning health care system should provide affordable and timely access to needed health care for all residents, without regard to their race, ethnicity, income, zip code, age, gender, or sexual orientation. The […]
Session is postponed. Presenter: Bob Blancato, National Coordinator of the bipartisan 3000-member Elder Justice Coalition Registration required for Aging Policy Update Bob discusses the current state of aging policy at the national level under the new Congress and Administration. This presentation will focus on key shifts in aging policy, identifies emerging challenges, and outlines advocacy […]
June 5, 2025 This DignityMA Study Session reviews the Trump Administration’s coordinated attack on disability rights, through the issuance of executive orders that eliminate legal claims and disability rights, rescind disability regulations, and challenge important disability precedents. Steven discussed strategies to oppose these efforts, particularly in light of the drastic reduction in civil rights enforcement […]
New PESP report reveals private equity continues to acquire and bankrupt nursing homesPrivate Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP), April 23, 2025 The Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) has released a report, “Private Equity Is Continuing to Acquire – and Bankrupt – Nursing Homes,” which reveals that private equity firms continue to acquire nursing home facilities. This […]
Trump Cuts Threaten Agency Running Meals on Wheels New York Times (free access), April 24, 2025By Reed Abelson A tiny division responsible for overseeing services for people with disabilities and older Americans is being dismantled as part of an overhaul by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary. Every Monday, Maurine Gentis, a retired teacher, […]
Five years ago, in the earliest days of the Covid pandemic, Dignity Alliance Massachusetts was established as a volunteer-driven to transform the provision of long-term services and care in the Commonwealth. Since that time, hundreds of individuals and organizations have used their collective voices and efforts to make a real difference through legislation, regulatory reform, […]
Sara Kallock (1987-2024)Sara’s 38th birthday is April 15. Sara Kallock was an active DignityMA participant for the last months of her life. Sara was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic cancer of the pancreas in mid-September 2023. She became involved with DignityMA after months of advocating on behalf of her father who was a veteran receiving […]
2024 Double G Citations: Significant Increase in Nursing Home Noncompliance and Penalties Long Term Care Community Coalition Substandard care, abuse, and neglect are persistent and widespread problems in nursing homes, primarily due to inadequate enforcement of minimum safety standards. To help combat this, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) imposes automatic penalties […]
by Richard Moore, April 1, 2025 The coalition to modernize the state’s Open Meeting Law by requiring hybrid (in-person and virtual) public meeting met with Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) this week to thank her for leadership in extending the current hybrid meeting law and to urge her to support pending legislation to make the […]