A Home Safe from COVID

Jerry Halberstadt Sun, 10/25/2020 - 23:23
Apartment building, fall foliage, clouds
In many communities the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths is on the rise. This increases the risk of spread to and within housing. Those of us who live and work in housing for elderly and disabled, including public and subsidized housing for elderly and disabled, as well as nursing homes, assisted living, rest homes, market rate, and affordable housing are at an elevated risk of serious impacts and even death from COVID-19. Our best protection is to avoid infection. We know how to protect ourselves. And to be effective, everyone in the housing community must be part of the solution. The new activities that protect us take continuing effort, positive reinforcement, and sometimes sanctions, to become ingrained habits.

Tags

public health
COVID-19
housing
elderly
disabled

The Little Red Hen Method for Fighting COVID

Jerry Halberstadt Sun, 10/04/2020 - 13:42
The Little Red Hen, illustation by Florence White Williams
Tenants in public and subsidized housing for elderly and disabled, as well as market rate and affordable housing, are vulnerable to an outbreak of COVID-19. Once COVID-19 gets into our residence, it can spread like wildfire. To stop an infectious disease like COVID-19, we need to know where it is. But no agency is looking, no agency is guiding landlords and tenants. Like the Little Red Hen, it is up to us. We'll do it. Please join us!

Tags

COVID-19
public health
housing
elderly
disabled

Editorial: Let's Protect Elderly & Disabled Tenants from COVID-19

Jerry Halberstadt Mon, 09/07/2020 - 16:00
Storm clouds loom over apartment building
In Essex County, there are unofficial reports of current cases of COVID-related deaths and illness in public and subsidized housing. This as just the beginning of what can swiftly become a statewide disaster unless there is rapid and immediate implementation of protocols based on best practices and enforcement of public health rulings. For this, we need new legislation.

Tags

legislation
COVID-19
elderly
disabled
public health

Open Letter to the Joint Committee on Public Health

Jerry Halberstadt Sun, 07/19/2020 - 21:25
The purpose of the recently passed law, Acts (2020) Chapter 93, https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2020/Chapter93 is to protect the public health. As tenants in public and subsidized housing for elderly and disabled people, we are highly vulnerable to infection and severe outcomes. Only good information, openly and transparently available, can alert us and the public to a local danger and enable us to make renewed efforts at personal and community protection. Our housing providers in too many cases simply do not care to do their part, and with information we can hold them accountable. The Governor is voiding provisions of that act of the Legislature which he had signed into law on June 7, 2020 by failing to implement certain provisions in a timely fashion. The law mandated the Department of Public Health to collect and publish data on infections and deaths from COVID-19 in a timely and transparent fashion covering "elder care facilities," defined in that act to include

Tags

legislation
public health
elderly
disabled

We can't relax as everyone reopens

Jerry Halberstadt Fri, 06/19/2020 - 17:12

Preventing hospitalization, death from COVID-19

Those of us who are elderly and/or disabled are at increased risk for COVID-19, especially those who live in public and subsidized multifamily housing, do now seek effective public health measures.

We must speak out at this time of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic out of concern for the well-being of tenants of public and subsidized housing for elderly and disabled residents.

Tags

COVID-19
elderly
disabled
public health

Do Commonwealth Triage Protocols Apply Fair and Just Social Values to Elderly & Disabled?

Jerry Halberstadt Tue, 04/14/2020 - 01:00
The social norms that devalue people of age and disability are choices. The choices made by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Crisis Standards of Care: Planning Guidance for the COVID-19 Pandemic attempt to avoid bias, but nevertheless are affected by bias. Other choices can and should be made.

Tags

elderly
disabled
COVID-19

Essential services for elderly & disabled

Jerry Halberstadt Fri, 04/10/2020 - 17:25
White flowers, black tree, blue sky

We seek your advice and your assistance for our people, the 92,000 residents of the Commonwealth who live in public and subsidized housing for elderly and disabled persons.

We are looking for people with experience who can share their ideas and skills in order to develop solutions to the problems arising from social distancing, specially for elderly and disabled in public or subsidized housing communities.

Tags

elderly
disabled
housing
COVID-19