Dignity AllianceOn March 1, PCA from 1199 SEIU union, consumers, advocates and legislators gathered at the union headquarters. After reminding everyone why it is so important for PCAs to earn more money, everyone marched to the new sculpture on Boston Common, the Embrace. Following that, the protest moved to the governor’s office at the State House. […]
AARP Quarterly, Stakeholders Meeting, 16 February 2023 Download the Updates from EOEA (pdf). Topics include: PHCAST (Personal and Home Care Aid Skills Training) Expanded Training PHCAST New Website at MAHomeCareTraining.org PHCAST Marketing Campaign EOEA Branding and Promotion Project Information on End of Federal Extra SNAP Information on MassHealth Redetermination MassHealth Update on Medicare Savings Program
by Henry Kuczinski Daily Hampshire Gazette, December 26, 2022 BOSTON — Governor-elect Maura Healey said she will “absolutely” work with advocates and labor representatives to strengthen Massachusetts’ Personal Care Attendant Program by addressing a “crisis-level” workforce shortage. The MassHealth program provides funds for individuals with chronic disabilities to hire attendants for in-home care. This allows […]
6/10/22 DignityMA response to CMS Request for Information (RFI) to support National Minimum Staffing Standard. Inadequate staffing is the primary driver of poor health outcomes in nursing homes, and CMS has promised to propose a minimum staffing standard within one year. The RFI follows the Biden Administration’s February 28, 2022 proposal of significant nursing home […]
August 4, 2022 Op-Ed in CommonWealth Magazine by Senator Richard Moore Download Senator Moore’s Op-Ed on Failure to Reform (docx) Much has been written about the legalization of Sports Betting in the Commonwealth. The introduction of this much-debated and formerly illegal past-time is a tribute to the power of the gambling industry in Massachusetts! With […]
A major, comprehensive report on nursing home care was released on April 6, 2022, by the Committee on the Quality of Care in Nursing Homes under the jurisdiction of the National Academies of Sciences (NASEM), Engineering, and Medicine, The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality: Honoring Our Commitment to Residents, Families, and Staff. With […]
S89 / H1305 An Act allowing spouses as caregivers Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. Contact Senator Adam Gomez (Adam.Gomez@masenate.gov, (617) 722-1660) and Representative Michael Finn (Michael.Finn@mahouse.gov, (617) 722-2676) to urge favorable action. Sponsors – Senator Joanne Comerford and Representative Norman Orrall Read the full DignityMA Endorsement for S89 and […]
March 1, 2022 Dignity Alliance released a statement applauding the White House’s proposed nursing home reforms(pdf). The release highlights DignityMA priorities. The Release and White House Proposal are copied in full below. Media Release on White House’s Proposed Nursing Home Reforms March 1, 2022— (Boston, MA)–The COVID-19 pandemic exposed longstanding problems in nursing homes that […]
The nursing home provisions will promote DAM Goal 1 – Nursing Home Reform that is person-centered and respectful of human dignity with oversight, accountability and transparency Improved accuracy and reliability of data submitted to CMS through the payroll-based journal and quality measures or resident assessment data. This is important for obtaining accurate data on staffing levels […]
Federal Bills S 2694 and HR 5169 support the Dignity Alliance MA Goal 1 – Nursing Home Reform that is person-centered and respectful of human dignity with oversight, accountability and transparency. DAM has endorsed this legislation. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an enormous toll on nursing home residents and staff, who represent more than one-third […]