Goal
Make Nursing Homes both 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.
Legislation
See the State Legislative Endorsements page for a list of all Dignity Alliance supported bills.
Positions and Actions
- 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.
News
The Legislature’s Missed Opportunity – Failure to Reform Nursing Homes in Massachusetts
Read More about Failure to Reform
National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality
Read More about Nursing Home Report
Advocate for Nursing Home Reform
Read More about Nursing Home Bills
DignityMA Media Re: White House Proposal
Read More about Media
Action Agenda from Consumer Voice
Read More about March Forth Together
Support for White House’s Proposed Nursing Home Reforms
Read More about White House proposal
Alarm Sounded over Nursing Home Care Gaps
Read More about Alarm Sounded
HR 598 – Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents and Workers During COVID–19 and Beyond Act
Read More about HR 598
HR 2812 – Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act
Read More about HR 2812
The Budget Reconciliation Legislation which includes nursing home reform, HCBS funding, workforce enhancements and elder justice provisions
Read More about Budget Reconciliation
S2694 / HR 5169 – Nursing Home Improvement and Accountability Act of 2021
Read More about S2694 and HR 5169
HR 3733 – The Essential Caregivers Act
Read More about HR 3733
Resolution – Mandate Vax for Nursing Homes Employees
Read More about Vax Mandate
Advocacy Letters for Holyoke Soldiers’ Home
Read More about Soldiers Homes Letters
Biden to require COVID vaccines for nursing home staff
Read more on nursing home vaccines
S418 and H745: Personal Care Homes
Read More about S418, H745
Nursing Home Industry is Heavily Taxpayer-Subsidized
Read More about Subsidized Nursing Homes
Support S406 – Small House Nursing Homes
Read More about S406
Support S413, H733
Read More about S413, H733
Support S414, H727
Read More about S414, H727