MGL Chapter 197 of 2024 (also known as the Long Term Care Act) established a number of commissions and task forces. The final reports from several of them have recently been released which are listed below along with commentary by DignityMA participants. Long Term Care Task Force Final Report (pdf) Massachusetts General Law Chapter 197 […]
Category: Overview
Overviews on Key DignityMA topics
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Rest Homes
Rest Homes are another type of facility in MA. April, 2025: EOHHS updated the Rest Home Task Force Report. Jim Lomastro response Response to the April 2025 Rest Home Task Force Report. Summary of Rest Home Taskforce Strengths: The report is comprehensive in scope, addressing licensing, regulatory structures, bed inventory, service areas, closures, federal funding […]
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, […]
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 […]
August 2025 – DignityMA has added a new advocacy toolkit, and the Consumer Voice has added facts and a podcast. Scroll down to PNA Resources. July 1, 2025: Hearing on the PNA The Joint Legislative Committee on Health Care Financing held a hearing at the State House on legislation to raise the Personal Needs Allowance […]
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 […]