By Penny ShawNovember 21, 2023 I have Guillain-Barre syndrome – a neuromuscular disorder – in my case with quadriparesis: paralysis of the legs and weakness of my upper extremities. I have no control over my legs. I cannot stand or walk. I cannot bend or straighten them. When I am in bed I […]
Category: Spotlight
New York Times (free access), November 14, 2023By Jordan Rau Around the world, wealthy countries are struggling to afford long-term care for rapidly aging populations. Most spend more than the United States through government funding or insurance that individuals are legally required to obtain. Some protect individuals from exhausting all their income or wealth paying […]
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Fire Thru Dry Grass
2025-01-14: The importance of Fire Thru Dry Grass “FIRE THROUGH DRY GRASS shines a light on the intersectionality of racism, ableism, classism, institutionalization and xenophobia within the American healthcare system. In this film, the protagonists—nursing home residents—rise up and demand change.” (from the presentation) Read the the Fire Thru Dry Grass presentation. The presentation demonstrates […]
DignityMA editor’s note: While this report covers a guardianship situation in Florida, there are similar occurrences throughout the nation including Massachusetts. The Post has received almost 3600 comments online. We welcome comments from Dignity Digest readers which can be submitted via info@DignityAllianceMA.org. Comments may be posted in future issues of The Digest. The retired pilot […]
DignityMA editor’s note: This is a provocative article about aging and longevity. The Post has received over 800 comments online. We welcome comments from Dignity Digest readers which can be submitted via info@DignityAllianceMA.org. Comments may be posted in future issues of The Digest. ‘Aging is a disease’: Inside the drive to postpone death indefinitely, The […]
*The Boston Globe, By The Editorial Board, October 27, 2023 (updated) Unnecessary segregation in nursing homes ‘has been linked to accelerated mental, emotional, and physical decline’ when residents have little autonomy and little ability to engage in outside activities, a lawsuit says. For many people with disabilities, living in a nursing home is a last […]
Elderly and Imprisoned: ‘I Don’t Count It as Living, Only Existing.’ New York Times (free access), October 21, 2023, Text by Carmilla Floyd, Photographs by Joseph Rodriguez On a clear day in March 2023, the snowy peaks surrounding the California Institution for Men in Chino were visible. Cleveland Lindley stood on a green patch in […]
AARP’s Long-Term Services and Supports State Scorecard 2023 EditionSeptember 2023By Susan Reinhard, Ari Houser, Carrie Amero, Paul Lingamfelter The 2023 LTSS State Scorecard (the Scorecard) is a compilation of state data and analysis based on a new vision of a high-performing state long-term services and supports (LTSS) system. Released every three years, the Scorecard uses […]
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 […]
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 […]