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As the U.S. continues the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Massachusetts Guardianship Policy Institute is concerned about the ability of persons who may lack legal capacity to provide consent to accept the shot if they don’t have a health care proxy or guardian to act for them. Since residents of nursing homes have been…
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As a college student, I was required to complete an internship in order to receive my certificate in Gerontology. Like many of my classmates, I assumed I would help in Activities at a Nursing Facility or do some administrative work at a Council on Aging. But when my advisor suggested that I intern at an…
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If you or a loved one may be facing admission to a skilled nursing facility, you should understand the basic facts of long term care, how to pay for a nursing home stay, and, perhaps most importantly for most of us, how to avoid going to the nursing home. Planning cannot start soon enough. Paying…
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Courts Will Continue to Conduct most Business Virtually until at least September. By: Wynn Gerhard, JD The Massachusetts Courts continue to monitor the evolving risks from COVID-19, and have recently updated new Standing Orders and updates on Court procedures. Outlined below is the status of these Orders as of June 24, 2020, for the Supreme…
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The Massachusetts Guardianship Policy Institute members have compiled a report titled “Nursing Home Policy Reforms Signaled by the COVID-19 Crisis”. The report offers four cost-effective proposals for improving the care of nursing home residents, especially those who are cognitively impaired and unable to communicate their own needs.
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Recap of the National Guardianship Association Meeting by Heather Connors, Ph.D In October, the Guardianship Institute sent three representatives to the National Guardianship Association Annual Meeting in Palm Springs California. The conference brings together guardians and guardianship stakeholders from across the nation to learn, network and share resources. Educational opportunities included keynote speakers, breakout sessions…
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A Guardianship Policy for the 21st Century by Peter Macy, Ed.M, J.D. The Massachusetts Guardianship Policy Institute (the “Institute”) advocates two important reforms to the guardianship/conservatorship system in Massachusetts: (1) a public guardian for the most isolated and indigent individuals in need; and (2) a state office to oversee the quality, impact, cost‐effectiveness and adequacy…
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Former Attorney General Speaks on Guardianship By Hon. Scott Harshbarger Former Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts “Guardianship” today means both less and more than it has in the past. Less, because we now understand that decisional support is a spectrum: one size does not fit all, and informal supportive relationships with friends, family…
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