Boston Globe: State elder affairs office shelved citizens advisory council before coronavirus crisis, Panel offered feedback on conditions in Massachusetts nursing homes

Boston Globe: State elder affairs office shelved citizens advisory council before coronavirus crisis, Panel offered feedback on conditions in Massachusetts nursing homes

May 9, 2020
Boston Globe: State elder affairs office shelved citizens advisory council before coronavirus crisis, Panel offered feedback on conditions in Massachusetts nursing homes
by Robert Weisman

Another member of the citizens advisory council, Arlene Germain, policy director of the Massachusetts Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, said members had asked state officials in recent calls to add a consumer voice to a state task force that included representatives from nursing home operators and unions seeking higher MassHealth reimbursement. Some have blamed inadequate reimbursement rates for the low pay and chronic staff shortages at facilities even before the pandemic.

“The council would have had value right now,” Germain said. “It could be an overall umbrella of expertise from people who have been in the field for decades that could help in coordinating the state response to the coronavirus.”