THE HEADLINE for a recent story iminously noted, “Massachusetts nursing home job vacancies hold at historic highs.” That isn’t news to anyone in government, the nursing home industry, or the job placement industry. Worker shortages in nearly every aspect of life are a fact of life in most job fields, but in professions like education […]
Richard T Moore
Posted inOpinion
Legislature misses opportunity with nursing home reform
MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN about the legalization of sports betting in the Commonwealth. The introduction of this much-debated and formerly illegal pastime is a tribute to the power of the gambling industry in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, with the conclusion of the Legislature’s formal sessions, a bill that would have taken some of the gamble out of […]
Posted inOpinion
Nursing homes need support — and more accountability
A WEEK AGO CommonWealth featured an op-ed by a representative of the nursing home industry entitled “Nursing home situation grows dire again.” The gist of the article was a plea to the Massachusetts Legislature for $238 million in additional funding for nursing homes, ostensibly to raise the pay of the caregiving staff. A more accurate title […]
Posted inOpinion
Nursing homes face uncertain future
COVID-19 has cast a pall over the nursing home industry. Older adults and their families never looked forward to moving into a skilled nursing facility, resulting in loss of choice, independence, and privacy. But now, after more than 115,000 deaths linked to long-term care institutions, the fear of infection and isolation is making an unpopular […]
Posted inOpinion
Elderly challenges go well beyond COVID
THE EMERGENCE of promising vaccines to fight COVID-19 is certainly good news, but those older adults on fixed or limited incomes will continue to face serious issues in daily living in a variety of areas. Many of these issues existed before the pandemic, and some have been made worse as a consequence of the deadly […]
Posted inOpinion
We need to do more to support the elderly
MASSACHUSETTS NEEDS to clearly demonstrate that it values older Massachusetts residents and is committed to building an age-friendly Commonwealth so that all residents of Massachusetts can age with dignity and independence. That means tackling the systemic problem of ageism – prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age. There are more reasons for […]
Posted inOpinion
Turning nursing homes around won’t be easy
THE HIGH RATES of COVID-19 infections and deaths among residents of skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, and rest homes in Massachusetts and the nation laid bare the urgent need for significant improvements in infection prevention. If, after the coronavirus pandemic subsides, there is even a market for nursing home beds, lawmakers and state regulators need […]