Mac users: Increase text size by holding command and +. Decrease text size by holding command and -.As of Monday, April 5th, residents 55+ and residents with one certain medical condition are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at any of the Commonwealth’s over 300 vaccination locations, including 269 pharmacy locations. With this group, more than 1 million additional residents are eligible for vaccine in the Commonwealth. Continue reading
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New Data on Advance Care Planning During Pandemic Coincides with Preparations for Healthcare Decisions Day
As the toll of COVID-19 continues to climb, newly released poll data suggest an opportunity to use the pandemic as a prompt for discussing and documenting older adults’ wishes for care, in case of seriously illness or injury.
Overall, 59% of the 50- to 80-year-olds polled said they had had a conversation with loved ones about their preferences in case they became severely ill. That percentage was even higher — 70% — among those over age 65. Just 7% of all older adults polled said COVID-19 had motivated them to have such conversations. Continue reading
US HHS to Expand Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL), will provide nearly $100 million to help increase vaccinations among older adults and people with disabilities. Continue reading
Older Adult Population Driving Growth in Mass. ‘Dual Eligible’ Membership
According to Mass Medicaid Policy Institute’s report, “A Primer on the Dual Eligible Population in Massachusetts,” over the past five years, MassHealth dual eligible membership, which currently stands at 312,000 residents, has seen growth driven by its older population. Continue reading
Baker Administration Releases Phase 4 Updated Guidance to Health Care and Human Services Providers
As Massachusetts begins Phase 4, this week the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and respective agencies released a series of new guidance documents for health care and human service providers that supports the safe reopening of programs and provider sites and protects workers, patients, families, and the public. Continue reading
CMS Updates Nursing Home Guidance with Revised Visitation Recommendations
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued updated guidance for nursing homes to safely expand visitation options during the COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency (PHE). Continue reading
CDC Offers Interim COVID-19 Safety Guidance for Fully Vaccinated People While Mass Opens Vaccine Pre-Registration System
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offered the first set of public health recommendations for people fully vaccinated from COVID-19. This guidance will be updated and expanded based on the level of community spread of SARS-CoV-2, the proportion of the population that is fully vaccinated, and the rapidly evolving science on COVID-19 vaccines. Continue reading
Governor Baker Announces Vaccine Equity Initiative, Opens Eligibility to Age 65+
The Baker Administration announced a targeted outreach initiative in 20 cities and towns most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and $1M to the MA League of Community Health Centers to support vaccination in historically underserved communities.
The Administration also announced separately that individuals ages 65 and older, individuals living with two or more medical conditions that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and residents and staff of senior affordable housing are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts. With this announcement, almost 1 million individuals are newly eligible for vaccine. Continue reading
In Their Own Words: Family Caregivers from Across the Country Share their Priorities and Recommendations
A new report by the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass-Boston and published by NASHP’s RAISE Family Caregiver Resource and Dissemination Center documents the concerns and recommendations for change shared by 1,613 family caregivers and organizations that work with them. Continue reading
New 2020 LTSS Scorecard Ranks State-Level Service and Support Systems
The fourth edition of the recently released 2020 LTSS (Long Term Services and Supports) State Scorecard ranks Massachusetts as 10th among state systems supporting older adults, people living with disabilities and their caregivers, according to state-level data compiled and analyzed by AARP, the Commonwealth Fund and the SCAN Foundation. Continue reading