Informed by data and stakeholder interviews, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office released a report, “Building Toward Racial Justice and Equity in Health: A Call to Action,” meant to lay out ways stakeholders should come together to address the systemic health inequities facing people of color. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Access/Equity/Inclusion
JF&CS Hosts Symposium on “How We Talk and Teach About Dementia in Cultural and Linguistic Communities”
On November 10, 2020, JF&CS hosted the virtual symposium Let’s Talk About Dementia and Culture: How We Talk and Teach About Dementia in Cultural and Linguistic Communities. Over 625 participants joined in a far-reaching discussion of disparities in the risk of developing dementia and in access to diagnosis, research, and care, as well as how we can learn from the values and wisdom of many cultural traditions. Continue reading
Disparities in Economic Security Among Older Adults Highlighted by UMass-Boston
Dramatically higher percentages of Black, Latino and Asian older adults live on incomes that don’t meet their cost of living, even with Social Security, according to research by Jan Mutchler, PhD of UMass-Boston’s Gerontology Institute.
The article highlighting the disparities in economic insecurity among older adults is posted on the UMass Gerontology Institute blog and “The Conversation,” a non-profit independent online news organization. Continue reading
Age-Friendly Funding Alert: MassTrails
The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages communities and regions seeking to become more age and dementia friendly to consider the new round of MassTrails grants.
The program supports recreational trail and shared use pathway projects across the Commonwealth. Grant amounts are dependent on the project and its needs, but generally range from $5,000 to $100,000 with grants of up to $300,000 awarded to projects demonstrating critical network connections of regional significance. Continue reading
MHAC Webinar Recording: Understanding Technology as a Social Determinant of Health
As part of several workgroups and initiatives to address the digital divide among older adults – an issue that has been heightened during the pandemic – the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative recently co-hosted a webinar with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs on “Understanding Technology as a Social Determinant of Health.”
The webinar featured research from a team of professors and students at Babson College that focused on equitable technology access and utilization for older adults. Continue reading
For Advocates Working with Veterans, NCLER Shares Recommended Resources
In recognition of Veterans Day, the National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER) is helping advocates and attorneys by releasing a set of recommended resources. Continue reading
Joint Center for Housing Studies Analyzes Which Older Adults Have Access to Livable Neighborhoods
According to a new report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University and the AARP Public Policy Institute, which examines the AARP Livability Index, there are significant differences between who has access to the country’s most livable communities. Continue reading
DPH Extends COVID-10 Community Impact Survey to 10/30
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced an extension to October 30th of the COVID-19 Community Impact Survey (CCIS) – an online survey aimed at collecting data to better understand and identify the social, economic, and health needs and inequities resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading
Community Resource for Strengthening Social Connections Compliments #ReachOutMA Campaign
The work conducted by the Task Force to End Loneliness and Build Community, UMass-Boston researchers and AARP Massachusetts led to a virtual summit early in October and a newly released resource with examples that communities can implement to address isolation and improve social connectivity. Continue reading
Trust for America’s Health Releases Policy Recommendations Includes Support for Age-Friendly Communities and States
The COVID-19 pandemic sharply illuminated weaknesses in the nation’s public health system and ways in which structural racism put communities of color at disproportionate risk of negative health outcomes, according to a new report, The Promise of Good Health for All: Transforming Public Health in America. Continue reading