Dignity AllianceNovember 8, 2023 This interactive webinar covered how ageism harms us all, how to counter ageism, and how to be an agent for change. Additional Resources Presenter Melissa Donegan, LSW, Director, Healthy Living Center of Excellence, AgeSpan
Update: On May 26, 2026, Jennifer Maynard, Executive Director of MassPACE, gave a 15 minute overview of the MassPACE program to the DignityMA participants’ meeting (which meets every two weeks). View the 2026 PACE Slideshow (pdf) or the 2026 PACE Slideshow (pptx). The 2023 Slideshow is longer. The Study Session with Candace Kuebel, LCSW, MSW, […]
Wednesday, September 27, 2023 Embracing the core values in the disruptive concept for nursing home design, the “Green House” model, Navigator Homes of Martha’s Vineyard, opening this fall, will house 70 people in 5 homes with 14 residents each. Each resident has a private room with bathroom. Residents will share a living room, kitchen, dining […]
Nursing Home Staffing has been an issue for some time. Insufficient staffing results in a poor quality of life for residents, resident safety and staff retention issues. DignityMA has compiled current information on the topic. There are a number of reasons for inadequate staffing. DignityMA is focusing on what the standard should be, problems achieving […]
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid ServicesSeptember 1, 2023 Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), issued a proposed rule that seeks to establish comprehensive staffing requirements for nursing homes—including, for the first time, national minimum nurse staffing standards—to ensure access to safe, high-quality […]
Secretary Edward Augustus, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities September 13, 2023 Secretary Augustus has served as Chief of Staff for Massachusetts Congressman James McGovern, City Manager for Worcester, and Chancellor for Dean College. In May 2023, he was appointed the inaugural Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities by Governor […]
*The Boston Globe, By The Editorial Board, August 27, 2023 (updated) That starts with increased use of medical parole for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s. D.B., as his lawyers refer to him, was 87, suffering from dementia and other age-related illnesses. Doctors had already confirmed he was both terminally ill and permanently incapacitated. But he […]
By Paula Span, New York Times (free access), August 19, 2023 The first terrifying wave of Covid-19 caused 60,000 deaths among residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities within five months. As the pandemic wore on, medical guidelines called for promptly administering newly approved antiviral treatments to infected patients at high risk of […]
To: Anne Klibanski, MD, President and CEO, Mass General Brigham Dear Dr. Klibanski, Dignity Alliance Massachusetts is a statewide, non-profit coalition of individuals and organizations advocating for older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers. By way of introduction to Dignity Alliance, we have attached a copy of our most recent annual report. We recently […]
On July 26, 2023, the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disability Act, Dignity Alliance MA submitted written testimony to a public meeting of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight in support of access to public meetings by older adults and people with disabilities. Download the submitted testimony (with […]