This page has quotes starting with the July 2026 Dignity Digest issues, ordered by newest first. Older quotes are accessible at the bottom of the page.
September 1, 2026
“Why do you want to live to 150?” . . . “There is one essential truth. There is no immortality.”
He Said He Was the World’s Healthiest Man. Then Came a Stunning Diagnosis. (New York Times, August 21, 2026)
An Aging World: 2025 finds that the global population is aging faster than ever before. Between 2020 and 2025, the proportion of the population age 65 and older exceeded the population age 5 and younger for the first time in recorded history.
Global Older Adult Population Projected to Nearly Double by 2060 (U.S. Census Bureau, August 31, 2026)
20% of Americans rely on Medicaid, and as of March of 2026, it’s about 75 million people.
Changes in Federal Medicaid Eligibility Will Affect Millions of Americans (NEJM Catalyst, August 25, 2026)
Although the 2026 memorandum “discusses two investigations of supposed election fraud occurring at nursing homes, . . . no fraudulent votes were cast in either of these cases, and there is no evidence of any systemic or significant vote fraud or coercion in nursing homes.”
Protecting Nursing Home Residents’ Voting Rights (Center for Medicare Advocacy, August 27, 2026)
“Where you live, whether you can afford healthy food and housing, and whether you can get the support you need all have an impact on your health.”
Governor Maura Healey, Governor Maura Healey Awards $17.9 Million to Improve Community Health Across Massachusetts (Office of Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, August 28, 2026)
“We have both elderly parents and young children to support. A lot of the time, when we focus on taking care of the younger ones, we end up unable to look after the old.”
Liu Cheng, who established Time Bank in Suzhou, China to hire out “shared children”, An aging population in China inspires a new industry: Adult children for hire (Washington Post, August 31, 2026)
Medical experts say the vaccines are effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death, but uptake of the shots updated annually remains low, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Coronavirus infections are increasing or likely to be growing in 47 states, according to Aug. 19 CDC data.
FDA just approved updated covid shots. Here’s what to know as cases edge upward. (Washington Post, August 28, 2026)
“One thing I find particularly remarkable is that, even after more than a century of life, the immune system may still retain the ability to adapt.”
Kosuke Hashimoto, a biologist at the University of Osaka in Japan, Super agers have an immune system superpower (Scientific American Health & Medicine, August 19, 2026)
August 25, 2026
When we describe chronic understaffing as though it were a natural disaster or an unavoidable consequence of modern health care, we unintentionally remove the people responsible for creating it.
Staffing shortages sound inevitable.
Management decisions do not.
Why do we accept chronic understaffing as an operational challenge instead of asking whether ownership and management have demonstrated that they are capable of safely operating the facility at all?
That may sound like an uncomfortable question, and I really think it should be.
Until we begin asking who is making those decisions, and why they continue to make them despite the consequences, we will keep describing preventable tragedies as staffing problems.
I don’t believe they are.
I believe they are accountability problems.
And accountability has always begun with asking the right question.
Ashley Duffy, Esq., Nursing home understaffing is a choice, not a shortage(KevinMD.com, August 22, 2026)
When skilled nursing care fails, it does so quietly, behind closed doors, away from public view, and at the immense cost of our state’s most vulnerable seniors and disabled residents. . . Too often, this crisis is exacerbated by distant, private-equity-backed or corporate chains that view long-term care purely through the lens of profit margins. . .
[B]uilding a new [nursing care] facility is only the first step; the true measure of success will lie in how it operates on a daily basis. To break the pattern that has plagued [the operation of nursing homes] for decades, legislators and health organizations must commit to standard-setting priorities:
- Fair Compensation: Paying living, competitive wages to recruit and retain compassionate, qualified healthcare professionals locally.
- Safe Staffing Levels: Ensuring staff-to-resident ratios prioritize safety, attentiveness, and meaningful interaction over cost-cutting.
- Reinvestment in Care: Directing operational resources back into patient programs, proper medical equipment, and staff training rather than administrative extraction.
- Community Accountability: Maintaining transparency with local families and state regulators to foster genuine trust.
Sante Fe, New Mexico attorney Jennifer Foote, Putting patients over profits: A Call for Higher Standards in New Mexico’s Senior Care(Sante Fe Reporter, August 23, 2026)
Significantly, the only mandatory survey task in RBS [Risk-Based Survey] is infection control. Every other survey task is performed only if the issue is “triggered,” that is, if there is a pending intake about the issue or if the issue is identified either by the ombudsman or onsite (by resident concerns or surveyor observations). Issues not automatically reviewed in RBS include sufficient and competent nurse staffing, resident assessment, dining, environment, kitchen, resident council, medication administration, medication storage and labeling, personal funds, and SNF beneficiary notification review.
The minimal requirements for RBS surveys appear to violate mandatory requirements for surveys, as defined in the Nursing Home Reform Act.
Is the Risk-Based Survey an Illegal Free Pass for Nursing Homes?(Centers for Medicare Advocacy, August 20, 2026)
“Every bit of effort helps. The more people who come together, the more strength we have as a community. Unity is strength.”
Chinatown Community activist Lydia Lowe, A new cookbook shows that for Chinatown’s aunties, self-care is collective(WBUR, August 20, 2026)
When asked about where they want to live as they age, almost all older adults say they want to live in their homes and get the services they need in the community as opposed to moving into a nursing facility. Unfortunately, the reality is that many older adults cannot make the choice to live at home because they do not have the necessary financial resources or access to paid support.
Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services for Older Adults: A Primer(Justice in Aging, August 20, 2026)
“The damage to U.S. health and medical care from the 40-year neoliberal era has left considerable harm for patients and consumers, for medical workers at all levels, and for public/population health,” McDonough said. “It will take radical action to reinvigorate the values and principles of our health system that have been lost and eroded. An essential way to do this is to understand how we got to this position in the first place.”
John McDonough, professor of the practice of public health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, How to fix U.S. healthcare? ‘Radical action,’ says John McDonough.(The Harvard Gazette, August 18, 2026)
Compensation for the chief executives of major health care systems in Massachusetts rose to new heights in 2024, according to newly released records.
Many health care CEOs received big pay raises while their hospital systems grappled with rising expenses after the pandemic, narrow operating margins, and statewide upheaval following the collapse of Steward Health Care.
Most hospital CEO pay packages in Massachusetts rose in 2024, new records show(*Boston Globe, August 17, 2026)
Massachusetts hospitals and nursing homes are facing shortages of a range of entry-level health care workers. This can affect quality of care and also these institutions’ finances, if they have to hire temporary “traveling” labor.
Expand training programs for entry-level health care jobs(*Boston Globe, August 13, 2026)
By acting now, Massachusetts has the opportunity to strengthen its healthcare workforce, improve access to high-quality care, expand economic opportunity for residents, and preserve the commonwealth’s position as a global leader in healthcare. The cost of inaction is simply too great—for patients, providers, communities, and the long-term health of the state’s economy.
Critical Shortages Ahead: Aligning the Nursing and Allied Health Education Pipeline with Growing Employer Demand(Mass Inc Policy Center, July 22, 2026)
“Whether it was his last few months living alone in his own place or now at a care facility, my top priority is making sure my dad can live with dignity and comfort. Like so many Americans though, too often that question becomes what care we can afford. Whether seniors are aging at home or elsewhere, this bill gives them and their families the options they deserve by making home care an affordable and accessible option everywhere. These moments of life are hard enough without having to worry about cost.”
U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), Dingell, Kim Introduce Bill to Include Long-Term Care as Part of Medicare(Office of Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, August 10, 2026)
HUD [the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development] proposed to eliminate the agency’s longstanding disparate impact regulations that implement Title VI of the “Civil Rights Act of 1964.” . . .
Disparate impact is a long-utilized legal tool used to address discrimination that may not be immediately obvious due to facially neutral policies. The currently proposed changes represent the latest push to erase civil rights protections from HUD regulations.
HUD Proposes to Eliminate Agency’s Title VI Disparate Impact Regulations; 60-Day Public Comment Period Opens(National Low Income Housing Coalition, August 10, 2026)
“We know that healthcare costs are burdening people, families, employers, budgets at the state, the local level, and I can’t wait for Washington to fix it.”
Governor Maura Healey, (*Boston Herald, August 3, 2026) Healey announces first steps to lower health care costs, investment in primary care
[Author and humorist Judith] Viorst says she chose the term “making meaning” rather than “finding meaning” in talking about how to make the best of what’s left. “I believe we’re mainly on our own in our last phase of life and need to create our own personal reason for being.”
Old age, she says, makes you live more in the present and savor the moment, whether you’re enjoying a glass of chocolate milk, a grandchild’s phone call or conversation with friends.
Her favorite proverb, which is included in the book, is this: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
The 94-Year-Old Author Sharing Her Tips on the ‘Final Fifth’ of Life(Wall Street Journal, December 31, 2025)
Many individuals enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare (“dually eligible individuals”) are eligible for assistance with Medicare out-of-pockets costs. Thus, any health care bills they receive should raise a red flag that they are being improperly billed or have lost their financial assistance.
Health Care Bills and Dually Eligible Individuals(Justice in Aging, July 30, 2026)
August 18, 2026
“The failure to eliminate multi-bedded rooms inflicts a profound, daily toll on the fundamental human rights, privacy, and dignity of residents.”
Dignity Alliance Massachusetts statement, Nursing home settlement allows homes to gain exemptions to room occupancy limits (Cambridge Day, August 15, 2026)
“The nation’s 1.2 million nursing home residents face unique problems in obtaining access to the voting booth and must not be denied their rights because they are disabled, elderly, lack transit, or face difficulties in obtaining a ballot or voting in person.”
In a letter sent to CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, Sens. by Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and 11 other Democrats, Democrats Warn New Federal Guidance May Harm Nursing Home Residents’ Voting Rights(Truthout, August 14, 2026)
“Policymakers should consider targeted interventions, such as enhanced payments and workforce supports, that ensure that [nursing] facilities serving geographically isolated communities are both financially viable and equipped to deliver high-quality care.”
Nursing Home Closures Held Steady Despite the Pandemic But Rural Access Worsened(Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, August 11, 2026)
The FY 2027 General Appropriations Act (GAA) brings together resources for public investments that support a higher quality of life across the Commonwealth. However, Massachusetts faces tremendous fiscal uncertainty that puts at risk our ability to make those investments. OB3 is severely cutting human service programs that families with low and moderate incomes rely on to make ends meet, like Medicaid and SNAP, while providing significant tax breaks that largely benefit the wealthiest individuals and corporations. The loss of these and other federal funding – such as federal financial aid for college education, Head Start, Section 8 housing vouchers, and changes in eligibility to enroll in the Affordable Care Act – mean that the FY 2027 Massachusetts budget could experience significant cuts after it is enacted.
MassBudget In-Depth Analysis of FY 2027 General Appropriations Act (GAA)(Massachusetts Policy and Budget Center, July 21, 2026)
“Healthcare is a necessity.”
Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D, MA-3), Governor Healey Launches Statewide Campaign to Help MassHealth Members Keep Their Health Coverage After Trump Cuts(Office of Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Kim Driscoll, August 11, 2026)
“Massachusetts needs infrastructure that can withstand flooding, extreme heat and severe storms.”
Governor Maura Healey, Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $45 Million to Protect Massachusetts Communities from Flooding, Extreme Heat and Climate Impacts(Office of Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, August 12, 2026)
“Extreme heat is the deadliest weather hazard in the U.S., killing more Americans than hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and other weather hazards combined.”
Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer, Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces First Statewide Heat Resilience Officer(Office of Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, August 13, 2026)
“The Court has ruled that the Trump Administration cannot arbitrarily rip stable housing away from more than 90,000 families across the country and block our efforts to end homelessness.”
Attorney General Andrea Campbell, AG Campbell Secures Victory In Lawsuit Protecting Federal Support For Homelessness Services(Office of Attorney General Andrea Campbell, August 10, 2026)
“There’s always going to be a need for CNAs [certified nursing assistants in nursing homes].”
Michael Santos, MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board’s executive director and CEO, State grants nearly $500,000 to train local nursing assistants(The New Bedford Light, August 16, 2026)
Ninety percent of adults say extreme heat has had at least a minor impact on their lives, up from 83% two years ago, according to a July 2024 AP-NORC poll. Adults have also become more likely to report major impacts across nearly every item.
Most Americans have been affected by extreme heat this year(AP NORC Poll, August 6, 2026)
Family caregivers — who provide ongoing support for children or adults with chronic, disabling or serious health conditions — now number roughly 63 million Americans, up from 43.5 million a decade earlier. . . [This] enormous, largely invisible workforce is in part due to an aging population, rising rates of chronic disease and one of the most consequential shifts in U.S. social policy of the past half-century.
A mother has spent years caring for her special-needs child. The toll quietly grew.(Washington Post, August 16, 2026)
By this time of year, both the FDA and CDC normally have weighed in on fall respiratory virus vaccine recommendations. But given ongoing controversies over vaccination spurred by the Trump administration, a wrench has once again been thrown into the gears of that process.
What’s Going on With Fall COVID and Flu Shots?(MedPage Today, August 14, 2026)
According to the results of its latest American Community Survey, from 2024, 45% of all noninstitutionalized people aged 75 or more years are disabled. Disabilities in this age group:
- 28.8% have ambulatory difficulties
- 20.8% have independent living difficulties
- 20.5% have hearing difficulties
- 11.5% have cognitive difficulties
- 11% have self-care difficulties
- 8.1% have vision difficulties
ADA marks 36 years as federal enforcement priorities shift(McKnights Senior Living, July 26, 2026)
August 11, 2026
“We want people to have options as they age so that they can make the choices that work best for them. By establishing statewide safety and quality standards for home care agencies and strengthening protections for workers and consumers, we’re making it easier for more people to safely receive high-quality care at home while giving families greater peace of mind.”
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Governor Healey Signs Bill Strengthening Safety, Quality and Oversight of Home Care(Office of Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, August 7, 2026)
“We have a compelling case for a statewide public policy reform [regarding guardianship], but we still have failed to mobilize the political and policy advocacy clout and voice needed to agree on a Public Guardian, which is the one thing that might truly achieve the outcomes we believe are absolutely within our reach. More importantly, we need a public leader to pick up the mantle launched 30 years ago and be that champion in the arena.”
Former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, Beyond Guardianship(Massachusetts Guardianship Policy Institute, August 2026)
Pointing out that 51% of Commonwealth facilities failed to meet state staffing minimums at the end of last year — and that MassHealth penalties amount to a negligible 0.5% of Medicaid revenues — strikes at the heart of why chronic understaffing persists. It demonstrates convincingly that without strict enforcement and meaningful financial deterrents, regulatory thresholds exist only on paper while residents pay the physical and emotional price.
Nursing home staffing investigation deserves praise(The New Bedford Light (Letter to the Editor), August 5, 2026)
Despite the rapid aging of the U.S. population, the number of traditional Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health services declined from approximately 3.3 million in 2019 to 2.7 million in 2024. Excluding California, more than 500 Medicare-certified home health agencies closed during that period, a decline of five percent.
Senator Collins Introduces Bill to Combat Medicare Home Health Fraud (Office of U. S. Senator Susan Collins, August 7, 2026)
“It’s really, truly disappointing because this was supposed to be the final [court decision].
Patricia Whitehead, the guardian of an Edgar Benjamin Healthcare Center resident, Long-pending sale of Edgar Benjamin delayed again(The Baystate Banner, June 25, 2026)
“People deserve to know that when they’re paying for health and dental insurance, their money is actually going toward care.”
Governor Maura Healey, Healey-Driscoll Administration Returns $14.5 Million to Health and Dental Insurance Consumers and Businesses(Office of Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, August 6, 2026)
Three-quarters of Americans have a chronic disease, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. More than half of Americans have two or more chronic conditions. Most death and disability in the US stem from these conditions. Ninety percent of the nation’s nearly $5 trillion in annual health expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions.
Hijacking The Chronic Disease Epidemic(Health Affairs, August 5, 2026)
In the wrong hands, guardianship can be used to control or exploit someone – deciding what they eat, who they can see or talk to, whether they can leave the facility, or what medical care they receive or refuse. A guardian can decide where a person lives and can even interfere with someone’s personal and romantic relationships. This is why courts are supposed to try other options first.
What to Know if a Facility Says You Need a Guardian (Consumer Voice and National Center on Elder Abuse, Undated)
“Steward [Healthcare System] is the legal and financial equivalent of a Superfund site. It’s financially and ethically toxic.”
Alan Sager, professor of health policy and management at the Boston University School of Public Health, Cerberus, former Steward Health Care private equity owner, settles with creditors(*Boston Globe, July 30, 2026)
“Ultimately, I think the best accessible beaches are the ones that let wheelchair users enjoy the same experience as everyone else, with as few barriers as possible.”
Cory Lee, accessible travel blogger and content creator at curbfreewithcorylee.com, When your beach chair is a wheelchair: These are the best accessible New England beaches(*Boston Globe, August 1, 2026)
We find that more than one-third of older adults had difficulty meeting basic needs for food, housing, or health care, with the highest rates of hardship observed among older adults with disabilities, those in fair or poor health, or those with low incomes.
Many Older Adults Experienced Material Hardship in 2025, with Wide Disparities by Income and Health Status(Urban Institute, July 21, 2026)
August 4, 2026
“That nursing home was the worst experience of my life.”
Lynette Couture, a 55-year-old woman who was recovering in Plymouth Harborside Healthcare’s rehab unit after a car crash which shattered her left leg, Half of all nursing homes in Massachusetts understaffed (The New Bedford Light, July 28, 2026)
“This Massachusetts [staffing] standard is modest, to say the least. Even if you’re at 3.58, you’re probably not meeting the needs of most of the residents in your nursing home — and that’s just based on science.”
Sam Brooks, National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care policy director, Half of all nursing homes in Massachusetts understaffed (The New Bedford Light, July 28, 2026)
Hospitals and nursing homes exist to help people out in some of life’s most difficult circumstances. Their ability to help should not be undermined by corporations determined to bleed them dry.
How Self-Dealing Is Bankrupting Hospitals And Nursing Homes (Forbes, July 31, 2026)
While our case is focused on staffing data, there is a real human cost to the defendants’ choices and their failure of care. The consequences of chronic understaffing placed vulnerable residents at unnecessary risk of harm, violated their rights and resulted in numerous injuries.”
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, The attorney general nursing home crackdown escalates with $111M in fraud allegations(McKnights Long Term Care, July 31, 2026)
What makes this guardianship crisis particularly frustrating is that it is entirely fixable. Resolving it requires modest public and private resources alongside dedicated political leadership.
Former AG: State inaction on guardianship is a major leadership failure(*Boston Globe, August 3, 2026)
As a Boston based Case Manager I agree that waiting for guardianship can delay things from 1-3 months depending on which court the hearing occurs. Patients get stuck in the hospital because they are unable to access MA Health coverage for long term care. Reasons I have seen are financial mismanagement over years of their life, being undocumented, or requiring a specific clinical need that isn’t available at most skilled nursing facilities. I wish we weren’t so busy spending our tax dollars in a war no one wants and we could spend it on our people.
Reader’s comment (My2cents999), Why patients wait months for care they don’t get (*Boston Globe, August 3, 2026)
Plenty of people my age are beginning to take care of sick or aging parents. It’s the natural way; you take care of the people who once took care of you. You don’t resent it, because now you’re the strong one, and they’re the vulnerable one, and you owe them everything. But for me, it wasn’t like that.
Jenisha Watts, Taking Care of the Father Who Broke My Heart(*The Atlantic, August 2, 2026)
[T]hese findings highlight that [nursing home] policy evaluation should move beyond static facility counts to incorporate dynamic measures of organizational change, ownership instability, and capacity reconfiguration to better reflect the evolving structure of the long-term care system.
Trends and Factors in Nursing Home Closures (JAMA Health Forum, July 31, 2026)
“Evidence also shows that closures are not evenly distributed and disproportionately affect facilities serving Medicaid-dependent, low-income and racial and ethnic minority populations, raising concerns about inequitable access to care. These challenges may intensify as the population aged 75 years and older continues to increase, even as alternative care settings expand.”
Ownership changes, regulatory and reimbursement pressures top reasons for nursing home closures, study finds(McKnights Senior Living, August 2, 2026)
“[The lack of guardians] is harming patients in terms of their health, hurting emergency department patients, hurting the finances of the hospital.”
Dr. Eric Dickson, chief executive of UMass Memorial Health, Long overdue recommendations are stalling action on the state’s guardianship crisis(*Boston Globe, July 29, 2026)
July 28, 2026
“I don’t know how we’re going to survive this [the ending of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian refugees]. The workers are suffering, but the patients are going to suffer more.”
Margarette Nerette, a vice president for the 1199SEIU Florida, who is Haitian and is a US citizen and left her country more than 30 years ago, Florida’s Nursing Homes Are Bracing for Life Without Haitian TPS Workers (Mother Jones, July 20, 2026)
[The ending of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian refugees] means that, in one fell swoop, organizations will lose in some cases 40 workers, in other cases 16 workers, all at the same time. And these are people who are providing — they’re nurses in some cases. They’re nursing assistants. They might be housekeepers. They might be providing culinary services. But these are all essential services leading to the quality of life of older adults.
Katie Smith Sloan, President and CEO, LeadingAge, End of migrant protections creates elder care staffing challenges (PBS News Hour, July 23, 2026)
“Caregiving is real work. What would our economy look like if we didn’t have people raising kids or taking care of elders or taking care of family members with disabilities?”
Kathleen Romig, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, My mom stepped up to care for my grandma. If I need to, I’ll do the same. (Boston Globe (free access), July 19, 2026)
“I wish that when this decision was made, they had included persons with disabilities and our seniors. To eliminate shopping carts and say this is a safety issue, without hearing from us, is wrong.”
Daniela Depina, who is visually impaired and has been a RIDE user for 22 years, ‘People were blindsided by this rule’: Paratransit riders face a greater challenge after MBTA policy change (*Boston Globe, July 26, 2026 (updated))
[Massachusetts] hospitals and HMOs reported spending approximately $577 million on Community Benefits programs in FY25. $323 million was allocated to one of four statewide health priorities—chronic disease ($160 million), housing stability and homelessness ($14.5 million), mental health ($127 million), and substance use disorder ($22.2 million).
Massachusetts Hospitals And HMOs Report Contributing Approximately $1.6 Billion In Community Benefits In Fiscal Year (Office of Attorney General Andrea Campbell, July 22, 2026)
“For decades, comprehensive nursing home surveys have served as the nation’s primary means for protecting residents from abuse, neglect, substandard care, and violations of their fundamental rights. Protecting residents requires robust inspections, meaningful enforcement, and unwavering accountability. . . This is the time to strengthen oversight, not weaken it.”
Long Term Care Community Coalition statement, Federal nursing home inspection changes raise concerns among advocates for residents (The Jersey Vindicator, July 23, 2026)
“Together, let us give thanks to the Lord for the gift that the elderly are to the Church and society. Let us also commit ourselves to respecting and valuing the precious role they play, and to ensuring that they always receive the care, attention and assistance they deserve.”
Pope Leo XIV on the 6th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, Let us thank God for the elderly! (Aleteia, July 26, 2026)
When caregivers and patients feel empowered in the choices they make toward the end of life, the dying process can happen with fewer shocks and emergencies – and more intention, care and dignity. But that will require significant systemic change to become a reality.
Most Americans prefer to die at home, but the U.S. healthcare system often prevents it (Philly Voice, July 26, 2026)
“Hospice, when done well, is one of the most compassionate and meaningful benefits in health care. We should be working to protect that, not inadvertently erode confidence in it.”
Skelly Wingard, CEO of By the Bay Health in northern California, Hospices worry patients will be unfairly punished amid fraud crisis (*Washington Post, July 26, 2026)
The Older Americans Act is now 61 years old and has met every criterion of a successful program providing us both a human and a financial return on investment. Every federal Older Americans Act dollar generates $4 in non-federal support.
Congress must get the Older Americans Act reauthorization across the finish line (The Hill, July 22, 2026)
The Washington Post looked at thousands of seniors’ finances in their final decade and learned the median American spent $19,179 out of pocket on healthcare — but one in six spent more than $50,000, and one in 20 spent more than $100,000.
Nearly $75K-a-year eldercare costs are erasing middle-class inheritances as more Americans die broke (Yahoo! Finance, July 26, 2026)
The reality is that long-term care remains one of the most significant financial challenges individuals and their families face as they age.
Samir Shah, CEO of CareScout, CareScout Releases 2025 Cost of Care Survey Results (Genworth, March 2, 2026)
“With most older adults wanting to age in place and the healthcare system seeking solutions to alleviate current occupancy pressures, innovative programs such as [Nursing Home Without Walls] NHWW are essential. Tested in four communities, the evidence-based approach had positive impacts that contributed to older adults feeling they could remain at home. NHWW addressed the need for guidance and accompaniment in the complex system that is healthcare, provided social health initiatives to counter social isolation and loneliness, and supplied opportunities to learn about aging while creating community awareness of aging populations and age-friendly communities (AFC).”
Nursing Homes Without Walls participants highly satisfied with care in program (McKnights Long-Term Care News, July 24, 2026)
“Everyone deserves access to high-quality health care close to home, no matter where they live. [The Rural Health Transformation Program Community Advisory Council] will help ensure that communities across rural Massachusetts have a real voice in shaping investments that strengthen local health care systems, improve outcomes, and support providers, workers, and families for years to come.”
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll (Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Membership of the Rural Health Transformation Program Community Advisory Council, July 23, 2026)
The Trump administration has quietly changed guidance on nursing home residents’ right to vote, folding in increased warnings about fraud and coercion. Why it matters: The move could signify that officials will keep a close eye on long-term care facilities during the midterm elections.
Fraud warning added to nursing home vote guidance (Axios, July 23, 2026)
“Healthcare doesn’t stop when a patient leaves the hospital, and neither should access to their medical records. Too many seniors experience fragmented care simply because the providers caring for them don’t have the tools to communicate effectively with one another. Whether someone is transitioning from a hospital to a rehabilitation facility, a nursing home, or receiving care at home, their health information should move with them. The CHARTS Act is a commonsense investment that will improve care, reduce unnecessary costs, and give healthcare professionals more time to focus on what matters most: their patients.”
U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), The CHARTS Act would establish a pilot grant program to help nursing homes and home health providers adopt electronic health records, improving patient care and reducing costly medical errors. (Office of U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), July 22, 2026)
July 21, 2026
Over the last 50 years, I have started, led and been part of many coalitions that have made significant programmatic and systemic changes to better the lives of people with disabilities both in Massachusetts and across the nation. I did many of these things for my own survival, and as such they also impacted the survival of others like me.
I will continue to advocate for the programs that are near and dear to me. And although I can’t physically be with you today, please know I will continue the “good fight” and make “good trouble” to those that would oppress us and attempt to roll back our civil rights and I will not lay down my sword until I draw my last breath.
Charlie Carr, Words from a Disability Rights Revolutionary, What Disability Pride Looks Like
Families who want to keep someone home cannot afford the support they would need to do it safely. Assisted living facilities that could serve as genuine nursing home alternatives remain financially inaccessible to anyone without substantial assets. . . We keep trying to improve the nursing home when we should be asking why so many people end up there in the first place.
James Lomastro, Not a Continuum of Care: What We Get Wrong About Housing, Aging, and Dignity (Generations – American Society on Aging. July 20, 2026)
Guardianship is meant to be a last resort — a carefully tailored legal intervention used only when necessary to protect individuals who cannot safely manage essential decisions about their health, finances, or living arrangements. When it works as intended, it helps people stabilize their lives, access critical services, and live safely in the least restrictive settings possible. But too often, I’m hearing about what happens when no guardian is available.
The Importance of Good Guardianship (Empire Report, June 1, 2026)
“They were getting away with murder, and what could a resident do, a consumer do? It’s not the Wild West anymore.”
John Ford, director of the elder law project at the Northeast Justice Center, Lynn, MA, commenting about assisted living providers, A year later, Massachusetts’ most deadly fire in decades remains an open wound (*Boston Globe, July 14, 2026 (updated))
Kathleen Lynch Moncata, an elder law attorney who played a role in crafting the new rules, has hope that assisted living residences, which house 17,000 people statewide, will be safer and provide better services, but she mourned that death and destruction preceded meaningful change.
A year later, Massachusetts’ most deadly fire in decades remains an open wound (*Boston Globe, July 14, 2026 (updated))
More than a fourth of nursing homes nationally reported at least one serious deficiency, with 5% of the deficiencies cited in the last survey cycle rising to the level of actual harm or immediate jeopardy (IJ) posed to residents, representing serious risks, including injury, impairment or death.
Over 25% of Nursing Homes Reported a Serious Deficiency in 2026, With 5% Linked to IJs, Actual Harm (Skilled Nursing News, July 17, 2026)
“Facility failed to ensure care and services were provided in accordance with professional standards of practice for a resident who was experiencing a change in condition. This failure resulted in a resident’s unnecessarily prolonged physical distress and anxiety lasting until the resident made arrangements to be taken to the hospital, where they were diagnosed with pneumonia and influenza.”
Sample deficiency that rose to actual harm or immediate jeopardy, A Closer Look at Deficiencies in Nursing Homes (KFF, July 16, 2026)
“Families know their loved ones best, and they should never again be shut out of the care process. During COVID, too many seniors and residents with disabilities were left without the family members who helped feed them, comfort them, advocate for them, and recognize when something was wrong. Advancing this bipartisan bill through the Ways and Means Committee brings us one step closer to protecting patients, preserving dignity, and ensuring no resident is forced to experience a future crisis in isolation from their loved ones.”
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Ways and Means advances bill ensuring resident and patient access to essential caregivers (McKnights Senior Living, July 16, 2026)
“Injuries and casualties were viewed as acceptable losses in favor of pacifying the residents — veterans, spouses and gold star parents — into a false sense of security.”
Statement in lawsuit filing, Workers at N.J.’s deadliest nursing homes were ‘acceptable losses,’ suit says (NJ.com, July 16, 2026)
In 2023, Rhode Island had the highest percentage (24%) and Massachusetts had the second highest (23%) of skilled nursing facility residents on Medicare with one of six cancer types, according to CMS data.
Cancer rates among nursing home residents, by state (Becker’s Hospital Review, July 13, 2026)
“If we can get it cheaper from somewhere else, let’s get it cheaper. It doesn’t matter the quality.”
One former Ensign administrator in training commenting on corporate policy, Ensign’s business model relies on delivering inadequate care to patients while gaming data on quality, according to Hunterbrook’s five-month investigation. Patients are dying.(Hunterbrook, June 8, 2026)
“When you have a multibillion-dollar corporation, there’s no excuse for killing people.”
Dr. Charlene Harrington, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor Emerita of Sociology and Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, Ensign’s business model relies on delivering inadequate care to patients while gaming data on quality, according to Hunterbrook’s five-month investigation. Patients are dying.(Hunterbrook, June 8, 2026)
With more than 7 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases, and tens of millions of friends and family members serving as caretakers, standing by is simply not an option.
Politics have no business in Alzheimer’s progress (Salem News, July 20, 2026)
“The greatest thing we can give to people with disabilities is to give them autonomy. Wherever possible this law will ensure that they have the right to autonomy in life.”
Malta Prime Minister Robert Abela, Robert Abela announces entry into force of disability autonomy, vulnerable adults laws (Malta Today, July 17, 2026)
“Every person has a voice, even if it doesn’t sound the way people expect. When you help someone communicate, you’re helping them show the world who they are.”
Keshia Bellot, a Direct Support Professional (DSP) at WellLife Network, More Than Spoken Words: How DSPs Help People Find Their Voice (Autism Spectrum News, July 9, 2026)
“This is our first step to understanding that that is indeed going to be possible for Alzheimer’s.” The new studies show “what the future could look like, a future that is actually not that far out.”
Maria Carrillo, the chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Blood Tests Offer New Promise to Diagnose and Predict the Disease (New York Times (free access), July 15, 2026)
Starting July 1, millions of older Americans covered by Medicare will be able to get powerful weight-loss drugs for just $50 a month through a federal pilot program.
What Older Adults Should Know About GLP-1s as Medicare Coverage Expands (*New York Times, July 9, 2026)
July 14, 2026
“The Gabriel House fire was a tragedy that must never be forgotten. These reforms, along with others that have been implemented and proposed, represent a shared commitment to protect our most vulnerable residents in the places they should be safest.”
Public Safety & Security Secretary Gina K. Kwon, Healey-Driscoll Administration Finalizes Assisted Living Safety Reforms Ahead of Anniversary of Gabriel House Fire (Office of Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, July 10, 2026)
During the first test, with working sprinklers that kicked in after 81 seconds, fire engulfed the recliner and a nearby wall. But room and hallway temperatures never exceeded 80 degrees below 3 feet. Had these been the conditions during an actual fire, “The [room] occupant, and the occupants of the rest of the building, would have survived.”
Shane Ray, president of the National Fire Sprinkler Association, Almost a year after Gabriel House fire, Fall River officials and national advocates seek stricter sprinkler inspection policies (*Boston Globe, July 10, 2026)
The three-day [prior] stay [in a hospital] has become more than an anachronism; it now prevents physicians from placing vulnerable older adults in the most appropriate setting for their care. . . The absurdity of the three-day rule today has been highlighted by the fact that Medicare patients who spend time under “observation” status, rather than an acute hospital admission, do not qualify for a Part A SNF stay. The focus on eliminating this exception has distracted from the real issue that the entire rule no longer makes any sense. If the goal of Medicare is to provide cost-effective, appropriate care, physicians need the ability to determine where that care should be provided. For many vulnerable older adults, the risks of the acute hospital outweigh the benefits.
The 3-day rule: Complete elimination the only answer (McKnights Long-Term Care News, July 8, 2026)
[T]he U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a highly controversial memorandum opinion targeting one of the most important civil rights of people with disabilities – the right to live and receive services in their own homes and community and not be unnecessarily confined to institutions. . . [T]he memo declares that long-standing DOJ and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations enforcing community integration are “unlawful” extensions of federal agency authority.
DOJ Office of Legal Counsel Issues Memo Attempting to Undermine the Integration Mandate for Older People and People with Disabilities (Center for Medicare Advocacy, July 9, 2026)
The law is clear. Medicare coverage is available for maintenance care, but the systemic energy to reverse this truth is pervasive. Since Jimmo many people have obtained necessary care who would previously have been denied coverage, but too many are still told they do not qualify based on some version of an improvement standard.
Jimmo v. Sebelius 15 Years After Filing: It’s Still the Law and It Still Matters (Center for Medicare Advocacy, July 9, 2026)
Nursing homes strategically increase care quality when an inspection is imminent. Making inspections less predictable could save almost 100 lives per year.
How Inspection Timing Affects Care Quality in US Nursing Homes (National Bureau of Economic Research, July 8, 2026)