The Tuesday Digest – Dignity Alliance

The Tuesday Digest is information compiled weekly by Dignity Alliance Massachusetts concerning long-term services, support, and care. We provide direct links to featured articles below. Each digest contains many more articles on key topics including Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, Home and Community, Housing, Behavioral Health, and Covid-19.

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2021

Featured in Issue #27 – March 2, 2021

(Report) Manatt – COVID-19 State Resource Guide: Leveraging Federal and State Authorities to Ensure Access to LTSS – February 25, 2021
(Report) LeadingAge Long Term Services and Support Center – A Blueprint to Guide Research and Actions for Better Dementia Care – February 25, 2021 – A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine presents a framework for future research and action around dementia care.
(Report) Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation – Tracking Progress on Person-Centered Care for Older Adults: How Are We Doing? – January 2021 – Person-centered care is essential for health systems and providers to emphasize a holistic approach oriented around individuals’ goals and preferences. Using Health and Retirement Study data, we measure if older adults experience receiving person-centered care, showing differences by race, income, and other factors, and how receiving person-centered care affects satisfaction and use. One-third of older adults report that their preferences were only rarely or sometimes taken into account with large variations by race. When preferences are ignored, older adults are more likely to forgo medical care and report lower satisfaction. New efforts are needed to strengthen and advance person-centered care, particularly for people of color and those with low incomes.
(Report) CMS: Center for Clinical Standards and Quality/Quality, Safety & Oversight Group – Guidance: Visitation at Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IIDs) and Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities
(Discussion Group) Long Term Care Discussion Group – The Long Term Care Discussion Group is a voluntary, independent group that meets for the purpose of educating the policy community on all facets of long term care. The group convenes monthly presentations exploring long term care policy, research, and advocacy issues. Membership is free and open to all. Participants span the entire spectrum of the long term care policy community, including federal agency and congressional staff, researchers, and representatives of a wide variety of stakeholder organizations. The new co-chair of the LTC Discussion Group is Pamela Nadash, Associate Professor of Gerontology at University of Massachusetts Boston, in the McCormack School of Policy & Global Studies and Fellow of the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston. For more information or to be included on the distribution list, email: LTCDiscussionGroup@gmail.com.
(Website) Administration on Community Living – Commit to Connect
- Resources for the aging and disability networks
- Combating social isolation and loneliness in all communities
(Website) Issued by The White House – National Strategy for the Covid-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness – January 21, 2021
(Article) Administration on Community Living – ACL Advocacy: Visitation in Congregate Settings – February 24, 2021

Information about the movies The Father and I Care A Lot

The New Yorker – “The Father” and “I Care a Lot,” Reviewed – February 26, 2021
Yahoo! Life – The Reactions to Netflix’s I Care a Lot Are Both Horrified and Kinda Thirsty – February 24, 2021
*Wall Street Journal – How Movies like ‘The Father’ Helped Me Understand My Mother’s Alzheimer’s – February 24, 2021
Esquire – I Care A Lot Shows a Very Real Legal System Ripe for Exploitation – February 23, 2021 – Guardianship scams are ransacking the wealth and autonomy of countless older Americans.

Download the Tuesday Digest 27: DAM Digest 027.docx

Featured in Issue #26 – February 23, 2021

(Report) Center for Medicare Advocacy – Geography Is Not Destiny: Protecting Nursing Home Residents from the Next Pandemic
(Report) Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications – Aging Strong for All: Examining Aging Equity in the City of Boston – December 2020 – The experience of being and becoming older differs substantially based on one’s race, ethnicity, and gender. In the City of Boston, it has never been more critical to strategically pursue greater equity in the aging experience of residents. According to data from the US Census Bureau, the number of Boston residents aged 60 or older increased by more than a third just since 2010 and persons of color now make up half of Boston’s older adults. As well, stakeholders share a growing recognition of the powerful ways in which inequity, racism and discrimination shape health outcomes and the aging experience, amplifying the need to scrutinize and remediate disparities in aging. The purpose of this report is to examine these intersecting trends and to document disparities experienced by older residents across three major dimensions of healthy aging: economic security, health, and social engagement. The report tells a story of inequities across the life course that together challenge the ability of many people to thrive in later life and contribute to disparities across populations.
Article) *New York Times – ‘We Are Going to Keep You Safe, Even if It Kills Your Spirit’ – February 19, 2021 – For the millions of Americans living with dementia, every day during this pandemic can bring a fresh horror
Interviews with Dr. Asif Merchant, a geriatrician and associate clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. He serves on the COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group for the governor of Massachusetts.
- (Interview) NPR Morning Edition – Many Nursing Home Employees Are Skeptical Of COVID-19 Vaccines – February 16, 2021
- (Interview) *Washington Post – I work in a nursing home. Here’s why my colleagues are skipping the vaccine. – February 12, 2021

Download the Tuesday Digest 26: DAM Digest 026.docx

Featured in Issue #25 – February 16, 2021

(Report) Kaiser Family Foundation – Vaccine Monitor: Reasons Vary Why People Want to “Wait and See” Before Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine – February 12, 2021
(Website) Administration on Community Living – Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Website – Website with timely Covid 19 information regarding older adults and persons with disabilities and extensive links.
(Website) Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center – COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization Dashboard – This dashboard was created as a partnership between the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center and the Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities as a starting point for understanding how each state is prioritizing the disability community in COVID-19 vaccine distribution and intends to help people with disabilities determine when they qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine in their state.
(Fact Sheet) Autistic Self-Advocacy Network – COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet – A new COVID-19 Vaccination Fact Sheet from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is available in a plain language format and in an Easy Read format with pictures, large text, and has more white space.

Download the Tuesday Digest 25: DAM Digest 025.docx

Featured in Issue #24 – February 9, 2021

(Report) Kaiser Family Foundation – At This Early Stage of the COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out, Most Older Adults Have Not Yet Been Vaccinated as Supply Remains Limited – February 8, 2021
(Website) Next Avenue – The Coronavirus Pandemic: What You Need to Know – This website provides reliable timely reporting to keep readers informed, safe and prepared.
STAT News – Public health is being undermined. These 10 actions can restore it – February 5, 2021
(Public Policy Directive) Massachusetts Department of Public Health – Updates to Visitation Conditions, Communal Dining, and Congregate Activities in Long-Term Care Facilities during the COVID-19 Outbreak – February 3, 2021 policy updates:
- page 4, 2nd bullet at top of page: “The unit, floor or care area where the resident lives must not have any confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases in staff or facility-acquired confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases in residents on the unit, floor or care area in the past 14 days; however, notwithstanding this condition, if a facility determines that a confirmed or suspected case within the facility presents a risk for all units, the facility in its discretion may suspend indoor visitation.”
- page 7, top of page: “When there is a confirmed COVID-19 positive resident and/or staff member on a unit, floor or care area, the facility should suspend communal dining and group activities for residents on the unit, floor or care area until the unit, floor or care area has gone 14 days without a new COVID-19 positive resident and/or staff member.”

Download the Tuesday Digest 24: DAM Digest 024.docx

Featured in Issue #23 – February 2, 2021

(Report) Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Governor Baker’s FY2022 Budget Recommendation – January 27, 2021
(Report) U. S. PIRG – Nursing home safety during COVID: Staff shortages – January 2021 – Facilities struggled with staffing even before the pandemic; 23 percent reported shortages by year’s end
- Summary article: https://tinyurl.com/USPIRGNFSafetyArticle
- Full report: https://tinyurl.com/USPIRGNHSafetyReport
(Website) Institute for Healthcare Improvement – COVID-19 Vaccines: Questions and Concerns to Anticipate – January 29, 2021
(Blog) STAT News – Too many Covid-19 patients face death alone. Vaccinated volunteers could change that – January 27, 2021
(Website) Older Adults Technology Services – Find Low-Cost Internet Service in Your Area – Undated
Call for Presentations: National Guardianship Association 2021 Conference
- Reno, NV October 23 – 26, 2021
- Submissions due by March 5, 2021
- NGA is currently planning to hold an in-person conference. As circumstances dictate, NGA may explore the option to record and distribute sessions presented live, or to present all sessions virtually. But, as of now, all speakers must be willing to appear in person in October.
- Note: A $100 discount on the conference registration fee will be provided for each conference session (not per speaker).
- More information and Submit your Proposal
Kaiser Health News – Older Adults Without Family or Friends Lag in Race to Get Vaccines – February 1, 2021
*New York Times – Answers to All Your Questions About Getting Vaccinated for Covid-19 – January 27, 2021
Journal of the Medical Directors Association – COVID-19 Pandemic and Ageism: A Call for Humanitarian Care – August 20, 2020

Download the Tuesday Digest 23: DAM Digest 023.docx

Featured in Issue #22 – January 26, 2021

(Report) Long Term Care Community Coalition – As resident population shrinks, Nursing Homes remain understaffed – January 22, 2021 – Interactive data report. Staffing levels are a key predictor of nursing home resident outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies show that facilities with staffing shortages have been more susceptible to COVID-19 outbreaks, resident deaths, and other negative resident outcomes.
(Report) Kaiser Family Foundation – Long-Term Care Facilities Battled Rising COVID-19 Cases in Weeks Leading Up to Roll Out of Vaccines to Residents and Staff – January 20, 2021 – Many states reported their highest long-term care Covid-19 cases and deaths as vaccine rollout began.
(Report) *Washington Post – Departing CEO paid $5.2 million ‘retention’ bonus by nursing home chain that lost 2,800 residents to COVID-19 – January 20, 2021 – Genesis HealthCare approved the payment in October for its chief executive. This month he retired and received another bonus.
(Report) Mother Jones – How One Long-Term Care Facility Convinced Most of its Staff to Get the COVID Vaccine – January 20, 2021
(Report) Toronto Star – Ontario’s for-profit nursing homes have 78% more COVID-19 deaths than non-profits, report finds – January 20, 2021
(Report) *Modern Healthcare – Nursing Home Employment Continues Free Fall, Industry Prepares for Worker Exodus – January 19, 2021
(Report) Boston 25 News – 25 Investigates: MA’s new COVID dashboard sheds little light on nursing homes – January 14, 2021
(Website) Commonwealth of Massachusetts – COVID-19 Vaccine in Massachusetts – Gateway page to vaccination information for Massachusetts residents
(Website) Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health – COVID-19 Interactive Data Dashboard
(Website) The Guardian / Kaiser Health News partnership – Ongoing – Lost on the frontline – Thousands of US healthcare workers have died fighting Covid-19. The Guardian and Kaiser Health News count them and investigate why.
(Request for input) Administration on Community Living – FCC Seeks Input on Providing Broadband Service and Devices to Low-Income Households by February 16. Submit comments via link.
- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking to provide broadband service and devices to low-income households. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 directed the FCC to create the program, which would reimburse participating companies for providing discounted broadband service and connected devices to eligible households during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The program will pay up to $50 for a broadband connection per qualifying household. On Tribal lands, that monthly discount may be up to $75 per month. The program will also purchase a device (such as a phone, laptop, or tablet) to connect to the Internet up to $100 of the cost of the device so long as the household contributes no less than $10 and no more than $50 for the device. Participating providers will receive reimbursement from the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program for the discounts provided.
(Interview) WBUR CommonHealth – ‘Forgotten’ Seniors in Mass. Low-Income Housing Get Their Place in The Coronavirus Vaccine Line – January 15, 2021 – Interview with Jerry Halberstadt, tenants right advocate with the Stop Bullying Coalition and member of Dignity Alliance Massachusetts

Download the Tuesday Digest 22: DAM Digest 022.docx

Featured in Issue #21 – January 19, 2021

(Report) The Scan Foundation – January 14, 2021 (updated) – Brief Overview of California’s Master Plan for Aging – A vision for California for All Ages by 2030.
(Report) Kaiser Family Foundation – January 14, 2021 – Despite Efforts to Slow the Spread of the Virus in Long-Term Care Facilities, KFF Analysis Finds Many States Experienced the Worst COVID-19 Outbreaks and Highest Number of Deaths in December
(Report) Long Term Care Community Foundation – LTC Medicaid Funding: Separating Fact from Fiction – Analysis about the adequacy of nursing home Medicaid reimbursement rates and the lack of transparency and accountability for how that funding is being used by nursing home operators.
(Website) Honoring Choices Massachusetts – Health Care Planning Guide: A Road Map for Good Care Over Your Lifetime
(Website) Kaiser Family Foundation – January 17, 2021 – A Shot in the Arm for Long-Term Care Facilities? Early Lessons from the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout to High Priority Populations. – Archived recording of web presentation (January 14) and presentation slides
(Website) The Conversation Project – What Matters to Me: A Guide to Serious Illness Conversations – A workbook designed to help people with a serious illness get ready to talk to their health care team (doctor, nurse, social worker, etc.) about what is most important to them — to make sure that they get the care they want.
(Article) AARP Press Room – January 11, 2021 – Lawsuit Seeks Protection for New Hampshire Residents Facing Dangerous Institutional Placements in Nursing Facilities – New Hampshire residents who depend on the state to provide them with Medicaid-funded long-term care are suing the state for its failure to properly administer its Choices for Independence (“CFI”) Medicaid waiver.

Download the Tuesday Digest 21: DAM Digest 021.docx

Featured in Issue #20 – January 12, 2021

(Report) Massachusetts Commission on Falls Prevention – Phase 3 Report: Improving Integration of Falls Risk Assessment and Referral in Health Care Practices – November 2020 – The statutory body known as the MA Commission on Falls Prevention recently completed a new report of recommendations to address older adult falls in Massachusetts that pays special attention to the important role of primary care providers. This report is now available in addition to the two previous reports, Phase 2 Report: Recommendations of the Massachusetts Commission on Falls Prevention (September 2015) and Phase 1 Report: The Current Landscape (September 2013).
(Report) Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University – The State of the Nation’s Housing 2020 – undated
(Website) World Health Organization (WH0) – Ageing – Comprehensive website with these components: Factsheets; Guidelines; Databases; WHO Resolutions; WHO Teams
(Website) Pro Publica – Nursing Home Inspect – How Safe Are Nursing Homes Near Me? This Tool Will Help You Find Out. – Nursing Home Inspect searches through thousands of nursing home inspection reports to find problems and trends. The latest update includes data on infection control violations, and notations for facilities that have had a coronavirus case.
Kaiser Family Foundation – Joe Biden’s New Health Care Agenda (and CMS’s Big Role in It) – January 11, 2021 – Drew Altman, President of the Kaiser Family Foundation, discusses President-elect Biden’s potential health care agenda and suggests that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services could have an expanded role and that it may be time to rename it and elevate it to a cabinet agency.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report – January 8, 2021 – Rates of COVID-19 Among Residents and Staff Members in Nursing Homes — United States, May 25–November 22, 2020. Summary:
- What is already known about this topic? – In the United States, COVID-19 among older adults living in nursing homes is associated with higher rates of severe illness and death.
- What is added by this report? Rates of COVID-19 among nursing home residents and staff members increased during June and July 2020, and again in November. Trends in reported COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents and staff members were similar to trends in incidence of COVID-19 in surrounding communities.
- What are the implications for public health practice? Increases in community rates might be associated with increases in nursing home COVID-19 incidence, and nursing home mitigation strategies need to include a comprehensive plan to monitor local SARS-CoV-2 transmission and minimize high-risk exposures within facilities.
LifePath – A Card Shower for Long-Term Care Residents – January 8, 2021 – Initiative to address isolation and loneliness of nursing home residents in Franklin County, MA undertaken by Trevor Boeding, Nursing Home Ombudsman at LifePath in Greenfield, MA, a member of Dignity Alliance Massachusetts.
*Washington Post – Covid-19 poses special risks to people like my brother-in-law. They need vaccines now. – January 5, 2021 – Persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those who care for them are at high risk during the Covid-19 pandemic. They should be given correspondingly high priority for Covid-19 vaccines.
NPR – All Things Considered – December Proved to Be Deadliest Month for Residents in Long-Term Care – January 4, 2021
Skilled Nursing News – Nursing Homes Must Change or Face Extinction After a Disastrous 2020 – January 3, 2021

Download the Tuesday Digest 20: DAM Digest 020.docx

Featured in Issue #19 – January 5, 2021

*The New Yorker – The Plague Year – January 4, 2021 – A detailed 40-page examination of the origin and impact of Covid-19.
Federal Trade Commission – Consumer Information – Stimulus payments for people, not nursing homes – January 4, 2021- The $600 is meant for the PERSON, not the place they might live. Important consumer information.
*New York Times – ‘Because of You Guys, I’m Stuck in My Room’ – January 1, 2021 – Residents and caregivers at senior living facilities write about life during the pandemic — and trying to stay safe while facing the challenges of long-term isolation.
*Wall Street Journal – Covid-19 Stalked Nursing Homes Around the World – December 31, 2020 -Government after government left frail residents vulnerable to pandemic; data review shows they accounted for over a third of fatalities in some countries
*New York Times – This Is Why Nursing Homes Failed So Badly – December 31, 2020 – The first coronavirus outbreak in the United States happened in a nursing home in February. Since then, it’s only gotten worse.

Download the Tuesday Digest 19: DAM Digest 019.docx

2020

Featured in Issue #18 – December 29, 2020

(Report) Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation – The Preventive Effect of Housing First on Health Care Utilization and Costs Among Chronically Homeless Individuals – December 22, 2020 – This report summarizes a study examining the effect of the Housing First model on health care utilization and costs among chronically homeless individuals enrolled in MassHealth. The findings from this study demonstrate the effectiveness of a permanent housing and supportive services program in reducing total health care utilization and costs among chronically homeless individuals. Housing First programs offer chronically homeless individuals immediate housing as a foundation for the delivery of a range of other supportive services, such as mental health and/or substance use disorder services and social service supports.
(Report) Long Term Care Community Coalition – Meaningful Safeguards: Promising Practices & Recommendations for Evaluating Nursing Home Owners – The Long-Term Care Community Coalition (LTCCC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to improving care in nursing homes and other residential care settings. Massachusetts Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, an organizational member of Dignity Alliance Massachusetts, is referenced in this report.
(Report) NYU Stern School of Business – Does Private Equity Investment in Healthcare Benefit Patients? Evidence from Nursing Homes – November 16, 2020 (revised) – The past two decades have seen a dramatic increase in private equity investment in healthcare, a sector in which intensive government subsidy and market frictions could lead high-powered for-profit incentives to be misaligned with the social goals of quality care at a reasonable cost. This paper studies the effects of private equity ownership on patient welfare and spending at nursing homes.
The Atlantic – Covid-19 Data Tracking Project – Massachusetts Specific Data – Massachusetts reports long-term care data for Nursing Homes, Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Rest Homes. Massachusetts reports cumulative data. Data on residents and staff are reported combined. Cases and deaths include probables. Massachusetts defines as probable cases as “patients with a positive serology/antibody test and either COVID-like symptoms or likely exposure to COVID-19,” and probable deaths as, “patients who did not have a laboratory test but whose death certificate listed COVID-19 as a cause of death are counted as probable deaths.” Data is updated daily.
Kaiser Family Foundation – State COVID-19 Data and Policy Actions – Explore state-level data on a variety of COVID-19 metrics, including the latest hotspots, cases and deaths by race and ethnicity and at long-term care facilities. Find up-to-date information on state policy actions on social distancing measures and reducing barriers to COVID-19 testing and treatment. Jump to: Metrics by State | Cases and Deaths by Race/Ethnicity | Cases and Deaths at Long-term Care Facilities, Explore State COVID-19 Policy Actions: Social Distancing Actions | State COVID-19 Health Policy Actions | Telehealth | Additional State-Level Data
Joint Project of The Guardian and Kaiser Health News – Lost on the frontline – Daily reporting and interactive database on Covid-19 impact on healthcare workforce. US healthcare worker deaths are under investigation by the Guardian and Kaiser Health News. This is the most comprehensive count in the nation, and the year-long series of investigative reports into this tragedy poses a disturbing question: Did they have to die?
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health – Covid-19 Vaccination Information and Distribution Timeline
Kaiser Health News – KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: 2020 in Review — It Wasn’t All COVID – December 22, 2020
*Washington Post – 51 lost lives: A portrait of the pandemic’s tragic toll in America’s nursing homes – December 22, 2020 – The 51 residents whose stories are told here, one from every state and the District of Columbia, left behind at least 129 children, 230 grandchildren, 210 great-grandchildren and 41 great-great-grandchildren. This report is part of an ongoing series of stories documenting the devastating toll of covid-19 in America’s nursing homes, the government’s response, and the systemic challenges in an industry responsible for the welfare of more than 1.3 million vulnerable residents.
The Boston Globe – Hospital staff revived a man’s stopped heart — and he sued – December 27, 2020 – A successful ‘wrongful prolongation of life’ lawsuit in Montana, among other things, reflects the extent to which many Americans will go to gain — and enforce — their rights to control their final days.
NPR – All Things Considered – The Tragedy Of ‘St. Joe’s’ – December 24, 2020
*New York Times – My Sister Moved into a Nursing Home. This Year. During a Pandemic. – December 23, 2020 – Even without a deadly virus, finding the right place for her felt like facing a slate of rotten choices.
*Washington Post – An investment firm snapped up nursing homes during the pandemic. Employees say care suffered. – December 21, 2020

Download the Tuesday Digest 18: DAM Digest 018.docx

Featured in Issue #17 – December 22, 2020

(Report) Convergence Center for Policy Resolution – Rethinking Care for Older Adults – December 10, 2020 – The report is a summary of a set of three conversations, supported by the John A. Hartford Foundation and conducted by the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution. The conversations covered two broad questions: a) Could it be possible for more older adults to remain much longer in their own homes and communities, and return to their homes more quickly after medical treatment, thus reducing the need for institutional care? and b) how might the business model of institutional care, and particularly nursing homes, be rethought to better provide for the needs and desires of older adults needing assistance? The report contains three sections: Section 1 explores opportunities for older adults to remain in their own homes, Section 2 explores alternative business models for the institutional sector, and Section 3 explores financing and workforce issues. Dignity Alliance Massachusetts member Len Fishman, Director of the UMass Boston Gerontology Institute, was a participant in the discussions.
(Report) The Claude Pepper Center – Nursing Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic—Resident and Staff Cases and Deaths – October 2020
(Video) Good Morning America – Single dad adopts baby with Down syndrome rejected by 20 families: ‘She is perfect’ – This 5-minute video is a moving depiction of the dignity of human love and connection. This will inspire the most cynical of persons.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health – Covid-19 Vaccination Information and Distribution Timeline
Convergence Center for Policy – Resolution: Care for Older Adults
(Video) New York Times – Nursing Home Residents Receive Coronavirus Vaccines – December 17, 2020
U. S. Food and Drug Administration – Beware of Fraudulent Coronavirus Tests, Vaccines and Treatments – December 15, 2020
STAT – Picturing the ‘patience, love, and devotion’ of Alzheimer’s care – December 15, 2020 – Emotionally impactful photographic essay depicting grief and loss, but also showing the strength and love of a family.

Download the Tuesday Digest 17: DAM Digest 017.docx

Featured in Issue #16 – December 15, 2020

(Website) Fire Through the Grass – A documentary film in production – On a tiny island in New York City, five men who use wheelchairs and write poems about running the streets, take on the city, the system, and the coronavirus to stay alive and protect 500 vulnerable nursing-home residents.
(Website) The John A. Hartford Foundation – Over 70: Take Control of Your Health – This is an educational collaboration with The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) about age-friendly care.
(Website) Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation – Health System Dashboard – How well is the U.S. health system performing? Explore a variety of indicators of health spending, quality of care, access, and health outcomes.
(Report) Brookings – Happiness and aging in the US: Why it is different from other places and why it matters – December 7, 2020 – Beyond being empirically interesting, the relationship between aging and well-being has implications for substantial parts of the world’s population.
(Report) Brookings – The human costs of the pandemic: Is it time to prioritize well-being? – November 17, 2020
MarketWatch – Opinion: A ‘debacle’ — AARP slams entire nursing home establishment – December 12, 2020 (updated)
*Forbes – Covid-19 Has Killed 100,000 Long-Term Care Residents, And Thousands More Will Die by Year-End – December 1, 2020
Brookings – Reimagining the global economy: Building back better in a post-COVID-19 world – November 17, 2020 – A collection of 12 essays presenting new ideas to guide policies and shape debates in a post-COVID-19 world.

Download the Tuesday Digest 16: DAM Digest 016.docx

Featured in Issue #15 – December 8, 2020

WBUR Here & Now – COVID-19 Will Change How We Age, Where We Age and How We Pay for It – December 3, 2020
WBUR Cognoscenti – 4 Things Mass. Must Do Immediately to Prevent Another COVID-19 Crisis in Nursing Homes – December 2, 2020
- Workforce: Immediately provide funding for hero pay during the anticipated surge and provide accelerated CNA certification
- Personal Protective Equipment: Immediately procure PPE for the health of residents and staff.
- Vaccination and Testing: Immediately place nursing homes at the top of the priority list for funding and distributing vaccines, and fund and mandate testing of hospital patients discharged to nursing homes.
- Infection Control: Immediately share data on effective practices and act as a primary source of timely evidence-based guidelines.
Hebrew Senior Life – Feeling overwhelmed from caregiving duties? Try respite care – November 19, 2020
Washington Post – Coronavirus Updates – Get the most important developments in the coronavirus outbreak straight to your inbox every day. All stories in the newsletter are free to access.
Washington Post – Voices from the Pandemic – A collection of accounts from people who have been sharing their personal stories about covid-19. As told to Eli Saslow.
*New York Times – The Elderly vs. Essential Workers: Who Should Get the Coronavirus Vaccine First? – December 5, 2020
Axios – Nursing homes are still getting pummeled by the pandemic – December 2, 2020 – The U.S. has gotten no better at keeping the coronavirus out of nursing homes.
Norfolk Daily News – Ricketts announces essential caregivers will be added at long-term care facilities – December 5, 2020 – Long-term care facilities across Nebraska will soon have the opportunity to incorporate essential caregivers.

Download the Tuesday Digest 15: DAM Digest 015.docx

Featured in Issue #14 – December 1, 2020

(Podcast) The Green House Project – Hope, Gratitude, and Myths of Dementia – November 27, 2020 – This Thanksgiving week on Elevate Eldercare, the focus is on finding hope and gratitude after a diagnosis of dementia. Susan Ryan sits down with Mike Belleville, a former telecommunications professional who was diagnosed with early-onset dementia at the age of 52. Mike’s diagnosis was devastating, but he has not let it stop him from living a life of purpose and meaning. Mike is on a mission to debunk what he calls “the four myths of dementia.” Specifically, he wants to banish the notions that people living with dementia are no longer able to contribute to society, cannot learn new things, cannot care for their own families, and are all the same. Listen on Apple Podcast or Listen on Spotify or Listen on Stitcher.
ProPublica – “We Don’t Even Know Who Is Dead or Alive”: Trapped Inside an Assisted Living Facility During the Pandemic – November 30, 2020
*New York Times – Biden’s Plan for Seniors Is Not Just a Plan for Seniors – November 27, 2020
KWCH12 – Sending hope as COVID-19 hits long-term care centers worst – November 26, 2020 – The daughter of a resident at a Wichita long-term care facility is requesting a card shower to help provide support and encouragement.
Kaiser Family Foundation – COVID-19 Has Claimed the Lives of 100,000 Long-Term Care Residents and Staff – November 25, 2020
Dayton.com – Ohio starts ‘friendly line’ for lonely nursing home, assisted living residents – November 26, 2020

Download the Tuesday Digest 14: DAM Digest 014.docx

Featured in Issue #13 – November 24, 2020

(Website) Alex Goldstein – Faces of Covid – Stories of those lost to COVID per news reports, obits & submissions. They were more than a statistic. Created by Alex Goldstein. Narrated Twitter site. (Click on the arrow)
(Website) Massachusetts Department of Public Health – Crisis Standards of Care Planning Guidance for the COVID-19 Pandemic – This Guidance provides direction for the triage of critically ill patients in the event that the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic creates a demand for in-patient critical care resources that outstrips supply. It seeks to ensure that every patient has equitable access to care from which they might benefit, and that tragically difficult decisions about the allocation of scarce in-patient care resources must be grounded only on evidence-based criteria that are clear, transparent, and objective; biological factors related only to the likelihood and magnitude of benefit from the medical resources; and should at all times minimize inequitable outcomes.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Guidance on Nursing Home Residents and Holiday Visitation – November 2020
Washington Post – A Covid-fighting tool is buried in your phone. Turn it on. – November 20, 2020
Jacobin – Elder Care Should Not Be About Making Profits – November 19, 2020 – Elder Care Should Not Be About Making Profits
Boston25 News – 25 Investigates: Second wave of COVID-19 crashing into Mass. nursing homes – November 16, 2020 – Includes interview with Dignity Alliance Massachusetts members Arlrene Germain and Paul Lanzikos
*Wall Street Journal – How Covid-19 Will Change Aging and Retirement – November 15, 2020

Download the Tuesday Digest 13: DAM Digest 013.docx

Featured in Issue #12 – November 17, 2020

(Website / Event) Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka – 2020 Virtual Senior Health & Wellness Fair – Friday, November 20, 2020, 10:00 to 1100 a.m. – Focus on management of physical and mental health during the pandemic. Keynote speaker Sandra Harris, State President of AARP Massachusetts on strategies to beat social isolation.
Kaiser Health News – Long-Term Care Workers, Grieving and Under Siege, Brace for COVID’s Next Round – November 16, 2020
*Wall Street Journal – Wild Card | As coronavirus soars, hospitals hope to avoid an agonizing choice: Who gets care and who goes home – November 14, 2020
Long Term Care Community Coalition – Nursing Homes Understaffed at Height of Coronavirus Pandemdic – November 14, 2020
Politico – Pandemic invades nursing homes again – November 11, 2020 – Care facilities cannot keep the virus out as it spreads through communities.
World Psychiatry – Increased risk of COVID-19 infection and mortality in people with mental disorders: analysis from electronic health records in the United States – October 7, 2020

Download the Tuesday Digest 12: DAM Digest 012.docx

Featured in Issue #11 – November 10, 2020

(Website) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Long-Term Services and Supports Rebalancing Toolkit – The toolkit provides background information, resources, and promising practices that support state efforts to rebalance Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) in favor of home-and community-based services (HCBS).
AP News – Nursing home COVID-19 cases rise four-fold in surge states – November 8, 2020
Skilled Nursing News – Verma: COVID-19 Shows LTC ‘Relies Too Heavily on Nursing Homes’ – November 4, 2020

Download the Tuesday Digest 11: DAM Digest 011.docx

Featured in Issue #10 – November 3, 2020

The 19th – Pandemic restrictions may impact the nursing home vote – November 2, 2020 – National nursing home advocate and Dignity Alliance Massachusetts member, Penny Shaw, was interviewed for this article.
Tufts Health Plan Foundation – How Innovative Community Responses to COVID-19 Support Healthy Aging – October 28, 2020 – The research focused on six communities particularly affected by the pandemic. Four cities—Brockton, Chelsea, Lawrence and Lynn—are diverse and experienced some of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the state; and Cape Cod and the Hilltowns regions are rural and geographically isolated communities with significant older populations.
(Website) Kaiser Health News – Look Up Your Hospital: Is It Being Penalized by Medicare? – November 2, 2020 – You can search by hospital name or location, look at all hospitals in a particular state and sort penalties by year. Under programs set up by the Affordable Care Act, the federal government cuts payments to hospitals that have high rates of readmissions and those with the highest numbers of infections and patient injuries. For the readmission penalties, Medicare cuts as much as 3 percent for each patient, although the average is generally much lower. The patient safety penalties cost hospitals 1 percent of Medicare payments over the federal fiscal year, which runs from October through September.

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Featured in Issue #9 – October 27, 2020

Center for Medicare Advocacy – COVID-Only Nursing Facilities: What Happened to A Good Idea? – October 15, 2020 – Dignity Alliance Massachusetts member Massachusetts Advocates for Nursing Home Reform is referenced in the article
Commonwealth Magazine – Nursing home residents need more help voting – October 19, 2020 – Authored by Dignity Alliance Massachusetts members Alison Weingarten, Arlene Germain, Bill Henning, and Alex Green

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Featured in Issue #8 – October 13, 2020

(Website) Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) – COVID-19 Rapid Response Network for Nursing Homes – The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, offers the COVID-19 Rapid Response Network for Nursing Homes to support nursing home leadership, staff, residents, families, and communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Included is access to webinars, online and print resources, and links to relevant sites. The site requires free registration.
STAT News – Covid-19 long-haulers and the experience of ‘hidden’ disabilities – October 7, 2020
Mathematica – A Study of the COVID-19 Outbreak and Response in Connecticut Long-Term Care Facilities: Final Report – September 30, 2020
Pioneer Network – Carter Williams, Advocate for the Rights and Dignity of Nursing Home Residents, Dies at 97 – September 16, 2020 – Founder of the Pioneer Network for Culture Change, Carter Williams fought for the dignity and rights of nursing home residents for more than a half century. She advocated through her teaching, writing, congressional testimony, and gentle, but effective perseverance. May she rest in peace and her legacy long endure.
DisABILITY Issue – October 2020
- The Opinion Corner I: The Desire to Be Free – By Penny Shaw, Member of Dignity Alliance Massachusetts
- The Opinion Corner II: Managing a Small Nursing Home in this Pandemic – By Anonymous
Long Term Care Community Coalition – Fall 2020 LTC Journal – The LTC Journal covers important issues in long-term care by highlighting policy updates, news reports, and academic research.

Videos / Films:

Netflix – Crip Camp – A Disability Revolution – 2020 – feature film – Groundbreaking documentary, premiering at Sundance, depicts summer camp operating from the 1950’s through the 1970’s for teens with disabilities which helps build a movement, forging a new path toward greater equality. Executive producers: President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.
Netflix – Deaf U – 2020 – docuseries – In this reality series, a tight-knit group of Deaf and hard of hearing students share their stories and explore life at Gallaudet University.

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Featured in Issue #7 – October 6, 2020

(Website) AARP – Long-Term Services & Supports State Scorecard – The fourth edition of the LTSS State Scorecard, released in fall 2020, takes a multi-dimensional approach to measure state-level performance of LTSS systems that assist older adults, people with physical disabilities, and family caregivers. Unlike many other rankings that focus on a particular aspect of LTSS system performance, the Scorecard compares state LTSS systems across multiple dimensions, reflecting the importance and interconnectedness each has on the overall LTSS system. Open the Massachusetts scorecard pdf.
(Website) Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) – COVID-19 Rapid Response Network for Nursing Homes – The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, offers the COVID-19 Rapid Response Network for Nursing Homes to support nursing home leadership, staff, residents, families, and communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Included is access to webinars, online and print resources, and links to relevant sites. The site requires free registration.
*The Boston Globe – Last Words – September 27-29, 2020 – A three-part Globe Spotlight Team series exposes the inequities that follow people in Massachusetts to their very last breaths. It is a deep examination into the uncomfortable topic of death and confronts the state’s failure to protect its most vulnerable in the early days of a historic pandemic.
*The Boston Globe – We need to transform the way we pay for and provide long-term care – October 2, 2020 (updated) – Letter to the Editor by Dick Moore, Dignity Alliance Massachusetts member
Next Avenue – 10 Things You Can Do to Support Aging with Dignity and Independence – January 2, 2020
Next Avenue – 10 Things Every Family Should Know About Aging with Dignity and Independence – November 9, 2020

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Featured in Issue #6 – September 29, 2020

(Website) Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) – COVID-19 Rapid Response Network for Nursing Homes – The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, offers the COVID-19 Rapid Response Network for Nursing Homes to support nursing home leadership, staff, residents, families, and communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to webinars, online and print resources, links to relevant sites. Requires free registration.
*The Boston Globe – A home to die in – September 27, 2020 – Front page in-depth Spotlight Team report covering Covid-19 pandemic impact in Massachusetts nursing homes and the state’s response. Second in a series of three.
*The Boston Globe – Lives Lost – September 27, 2020 – A video essay.
U. S. Senate Special Committee on Aging – The Cost of Inaction: An Update on the Trump’s Administration Response to Covid-19 in Nursing Homes – September 22, 2020 – US Senate report released by U.S Senators Bob Casey and Ron Wyden.
Dig Boston – Child Care: Who’s Watching Over Children who Watch After Sick or Disabled Relatives? – September 22, 2020
The National Academy of Medicine – Reimagining Nursing Homes in the Wake of COVID-19 – September 21, 2020

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Featured in Issue #5 – September 22, 2020

Report of Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes – Penelope Ann Shaw, PhD, Nursing Advocate, Resident of Braintree Manor, and member of Dignity Alliance Massachusetts. Dr. Shaw was a member of the Commission.
STAT News – Millions of family caregivers struggling to balance work with caring for loved ones – September 2020
*New York Times – Nursing Homes Oust Unwanted Patients With Claims of Psychosis – published September 19, 2020
*Washington Post – Pandemic isolation has killed thousands of Alzheimer’s patients while families watch from afar – published September 16, 2020
*New York Times – Inside a Nursing Home Devoted to Treating Those With Covid-19 – September 15, 2020
Long Term Care Community Coalition – Protect Voting Rights of Nursing Home Residents – September 15, 2020

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Featured in Issue #4 – September 15, 2020

CommonWealth Magazine – Baker unveils nursing home aid package – published September 10, 2020 – Governor proposes nursing home related legislation that ties staffing and occupancy reforms to additional, stable long-term funding ($82 million) and short-term aid ($60 million) in the event COVID-19 infection rates begin to rise again this fall.
*Health Affairs – Mortality Rates From COVID Are Lower in Unionized Nursing Homes – published September 10, 2020- Union staffed facilities in New York had 30% relative decrease in the COVID-19 mortality rate compared to facilities without health care worker unions
*New York Times – The Forgotten History of the Radical ‘Elders of the Tribe’ – published September 8, 2020 – Historical perspective about the Gray Panthers and the relevance of their philosophy and activities today
The Atlantic – The U.S. Is Repeating Its Deadliest Pandemic Mistake – published July 6, 2020 – More than 40 percent of all coronavirus deaths in America have been in nursing homes. Here’s how it got so bad.
*Washington Post – The pandemic exposed a painful truth: America doesn’t care about old people – published May 8, 2020

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Featured in Issue #3 – September 8, 2020

*The New York Times – How Many of These 68,000 Deaths Could Have Been Avoided? – published September 6, 2020 – Lead editorial in the Sunday edition of the New York Times
*Boston Globe Magazine – Preparing a child to be independent is ‘the best gift parents can give’ – Published August 30, 2020 – Reflections of Jo Ann Simons, CEO of Northeast, regarding how her 41-year son who has Down syndrome experienced independent life during Covid-19.

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Featured in Issue #2 – September 1, 2020

*The Atlantic – Ageism is Making the Pandemic Worse – published March 28, 2020 – Article by Louise Aronson, geriatrician and professor of medicine, University of California, San Francisco and author of Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, and Reimaging Life
Kaiser Family Foundation – Key Questions About the Impact of Coronavirus on Long-Term Care Facilities Over Time – published September 1, 2020 – Just released analysis of COVID-19 cases and deaths in long-term care facilities
Kaiser Family Foundation – Overlooked and Undercounted: The Growing Impact of COVID-19 on Assisted Living Facilities – published on September 1, 2020 – Just released analysis of impact of COVID-19 within assisted living facilities
Kaiser Family Foundation – State Actions to Sustain Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports During COVID-19 – published on August 26, 2020
Manatt Health – Recommendations to Strengthen the Resilience of New Jersey’s Nursing Homes in the Wake of COVID-19 – published on June 2, 2020 – Detailed PowerPoint presentation – See especially pages 13, 22-50, 53-54

Download the Tuesday Digest 2: DAM Digest 002.docx

Featured in Issue #1 – August 25, 2020

The Nation – It’s Time to Abolish Nursing Homes

Download the Tuesday Digest 1: DAM Digest 001.docx