Nursing Homes and Facilities - Dignity Alliance

Goal

Make Nursing Homes safer, and less needed.

Everyone deserves to live a full life with dignity. However, Covid-19 has robbed many of that right — in just over five months more than 5,600 people have died in 379 Massachusetts nursing homes, 88% of the 429 homes in the state, and the toll increases daily. These deaths comprise 15% of all nursing home residents in the state and nearly 66% of all Covid-19 deaths in the Commonwealth. Over 24,000 nursing home residents and staff have tested positive. The mortality rate of infected nursing home residents is more than 22%, three times the rate of the general population.

There can no longer be any doubt about the urgency of the need for comprehensive change to the nursing home model as the predominant institution for long-term care of seniors and people with disabilities. Not only is a fundamental restructuring of facility operations necessary, but as a coalition of advocates with first-hand experience, we are here to say it can be done. New public policies are urgently required to promote community-based services while improving the conditions inside existing facilities. These places remain far too vulnerable at a time when the threat of a Covid-19 resurgence remains high.

Facts and Issues

Assisted Living is another type of facility that is not highly regulated.

zach and his mother, terry walking in nursing home halls. Walls are white, no decorations. — Zach and his mother, Terry at the nursing home where she lives.

zach and his mother, terry, outside for a walk. — Zach and his mother, Terry at the nursing home where she lives.

Legislation

See the State Legislative Endorsements page and the Federal Legislative Endorsements page for a list of all Dignity Alliance supported bills.

January 12, 2021 – Audit Nursing Home Complaints – A letter was sent to State Auditor Suzanne Bump, asking for a follow up on the audit of nursing home complaints from July, 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018. DAM is interested in the effects of the recommended increase in investigative staff, as well as the effects on nursing home complaints during Covid-19. Among the topics of concern is the quality of care delivery due to staffing shortages and pandemic related issues, no onsite presence of public officials and family members, possible systemic delays of investigations, information on complaint backlogs, cross-reference information on deaths, efforts to get residents back into the community, data on how many residents cannot provide written informed consent and have no guardian or health care proxy agent, and the overuse and misuse of psychotropic medications. The detailed letter is available at DAM Auditor Letter on Nursing Home Complaints.docx.

DignityMA Responds to State and Fed Plans for Aging

09-03-2024 Spotlight: Senator Patricia Jehlen on H5033, the long-term care reform bill

An Act to improve quality and oversight of long-term care

2024-08-20 Spotlight: A Profit-Driven Health-Care System Is the Problem

2024-08-13 Spotlight: Nursing Home Reform Languishes on Beacon Hill

Why Nursing Home Residents Still Suffer Despite Tough State Laws