Mass. lawmakers want to raise nursing home wages

Direct care staff at Massachusetts nursing homes could see a raise.

The state House of Representatives proposed a budget for the state to spend at least $35.5 million on "wages, benefits and related employee costs of direct care staff" at nursing homes.

The proposal is a modification of the budget proposed by Gov. Charlie Baker in January, which called for an increase in state spending but did not specify how nursing homes spend the additional funding. 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East lobbied for the changes.

The House plan has charged MassHealth, the state Medicaid office, to prepare a cost analysis of wage increase by Jan. 30.

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.