Wheelchair Repair bills have been under consideration for several years. DignityMA has supported it for several years. Jim Lomastro of DignityMA wrote Private Equity and Wheelchair Services: A National Crisis which digs into the roots of the issue, and describes how it actually is a national crisis and not just a MA issue. For now, […]
Category: Overview
Overviews on Key DignityMA topics
April 16, 2025 : Boston Globe Update ‘I am trying my hardest to stay out of a nursing home.’ Mass. curtails lifeline helping elders remain independent. (pdf) by Kay Lazar. Cases of frail older adults in dire situations are mounting, advocates say. “Bockser is among a growing list of frail older adults in Massachusetts who […]
May 2025: The Campaign to Increase the Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) Download the A Raise for Mom – the Campaign to Increase the PNA (pdf). For nearly 20 years, the Personal Needs Allowance for Nursing Home and Rest Home residents has been stuck at $72.80 per month. If inflation had been factored since the amount […]
The Assisted Living Workgroup, along with other organizations, have proposed Consumer Protection Regulations for Residents of Assisted Living Residences in Massachusetts. The proposal was sent to Mary Freeley, Director of the Elder Justice Unit under Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell in January 2025. The collaborative effort involved representatives from Dignity Alliance Massachusetts, Greater Boston Legal […]
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Oversight of Nursing Homes
In addition to concerns on staffing and finances at nursing homes, which has led directly to neglect of residents, DignityMA is also perplexed at the seeming lack of oversight and enforcement from the state. Download, or scroll to read, a letter to the Commissioner of the MA Dept of Public Health, Robert Goldstein. The Provincetown […]
January 9, 2025: Governor Healey Officially Renames Executive Office of Elder Affairs to “Executive Office of Aging & Independence” “Renaming the agency reduces negative images around aging, normalizes aging as a natural process, and recognizes that older adults value independence and self-determination, while emphasizing that the Healey-Driscoll Administration is here to support residents as they […]
February 10, 2025: Dignity Alliance MA sent the attached letter to Governor Healey to raise awareness and express alarm about the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) procurement through the Office of Long-Term Services and Supports (OLTSS) of a so-called “Public Assessor.” Read the DignityMA Response to the current RFR for the IAE […]
Bringing People Home – website by the Center for Public Representation Bringing People Home flyer (pdf) Bringing People Home October 2024 Newsletter (pdf) Ongoing Monitoring and Discussion Coordinated by the Center for Public Representation and Greater Boston Legal Service, six groups have been created to monitor the implementation of the agreement and the transition of […]
The news below, on Benjamin Healthcare Center’s announced closing, is listed most recent first. DignityMA Offers Help to Attorney Feaster Below are excerpts from an April 5 email sent to Attorney Feaster as he begins to navigate the conditions and options at Benjamin Health Care Center. Best case is for the Center to remain open, […]
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Private Equity
The toxic effects that Private Equity investments have had on healthcare, caregiving, durable medical equipment and nursing homes is a hot topic at DignityMA. We have compiled several opinions and resources on this issue. Updates will be added. March 1, 2024: DignityMA (Senator Richard Moore and the Legislative Workgroup) has prepared detailed testimony in Code […]