Mac users: Increase text size by holding command and +. Decrease text size by holding command and -.Recently, the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Foundation released a report, “Racism and Racial Inequities in Health: A Data-Informed Primer on Health Disparities in Massachusetts.”
While disparities in health outcomes across racial and ethnic groups are often narrower in the Commonwealth than they are in the nation as a whole, clear disparities persist across many key outcome measures in Massachusetts, including: Continue reading
There are always opportunities to access education and training that can help your community or organization become more age- and dementia friendly. Check out the following events listed below:
The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University (JCHS) took “Household Pulse Survey” results from census data conducted on a weekly or biweekly basis since April 2020, which offers a detailed view of how households across the country have been impacted by the pandemic.
JCHS found disparities by race and ethnicity that became more pronounced among older renter households.
The Baker Administration announced additional measures to address a recent rise in COVID-19 cases and to ensure acute care hospitals have sufficient capacity to care for both COVID and non-COVID patients. Continue reading
Use of telehealth has been common during the pandemic among adults age 50 and older, but that use has also brought concerns around equity, according to a survey of adults in America age 50 and older by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
While older adults, according to the poll, like the ease of scheduling visits, doing so sooner than in-person appointments would be available, and with specific clinicians, there is a concern about a lower quality of care. There are also a range of issues with technology access. Continue reading
A growing coalition of partners led by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) has launched a new website focused on fostering the growth of age- and dementia friendly community work in the region. Continue reading
Led by the Public Health Institute of Western Mass., with an expert advisory group and supported by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds, a new study reveals the barriers to housing and healthy aging for older adults with a criminal history.
The research builds off the Springfield Age Friendly City housing assessment in 2019, which found that older Black men in Springfield had a shared experience of not being able to secure affordable housing because of CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) checks. Continue reading
In a letter to colleagues and partners, Executive Office of Elder Affairs Secretary Elizabeth Chen is encouraging communities and stakeholders to promote COVID-19 booster shots.
Most older adults in Massachusetts received their COVID-19 vaccinations in the first half of 2021. By now, almost 1.4 million adults aged 60 and above are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination booster. Continue reading
One in five Americans are providing care to an adult or a child because of a health care need or functional disability, according to a report from the National Alliance for Caregiving, the Diverse Elders Coalition and the National Minority Quality Forum. Continue reading
According to a new report by Generations United, 2.6 million children live in “grandfamilies,” meaning children are raised by relatives or close family friends without their parents in the home. Continue reading