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Most nursing home residents will experience the end of their life in the care of nursing home staff, often with the help of a hospice team. Discussions about end-of-life wishes are best to have early on in the person’s admission to the nursing home, before there is a change in condition, so that residents, families, and staff are prepared and unnecessary hospital admissions are avoided.

Governor Charlie Baker has appointed Matthew Salmon, CEO of SALMON Health and Retirement and Mass Senior Care Past Chair, to serve on the Assisted Living Advisory Council (ALAC.)

The Baker-Polito Administration announced plans yesterday to require COVID-19 vaccination for all staff at rest homes, assisted living residences (ALRs), hospice programs, as well as for home care workers (HCWs) providing in-home, direct care services. The plan to expand the vaccine requirement for caregivers is subject to Public Health Council (PHC) approval and is part of the Administration’s continued effort to protect older adults against COVID-19. Last month, the Administration announced a vaccine requirement for employees of skilled nursing facilities.

Discussions on vaccine mandate and exemptions, the Federal COVID-19 Response Team changes in the authorized use of bamlanivimab and etesevimab administered together under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) 094, and reminder to urge Governor Baker to require ALL healthcare and eldercare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Members are updated on temporary nursing licenses and reciprocity, Mass Senior Care comments filed with OSHA in regard to the agency’s COVID-19 Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS), published in the Federal Register on June 21, 2021, and asked to join Mass Senior Care in urging Governor Baker to require ALL healthcare and eldercare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Commissioner of Public Health issued an Order authorizing the issuance of temporary licenses for certain providers, and renewal or reactivation of certain temporary licenses, the FDA released a letter ​yesterday alerting health care providers to stop using certain N95 respirators manufactured by one specific company, and Mass Senior Care asks members to join us in urging Governor Baker to require ALL healthcare and eldercare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Mass Senior Care asks members to join us in urging Governor Baker to require ALL healthcare and eldercare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Last week, The Boston Globe editorial called for Governor Baker to immediately implement a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all healthcare workers in the state. Take action today!

MassHealth has issued an email notice today noting that MassHealth Members in a long-term care facility such as a nursing facility, chronic-disease or rehabilitation hospital, or intermediate-care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities, or admitted to a hospital from such facility or hospital, remain excluded from MassHealth copays.