Why It Matters
Hebrew SeniorLife, which operates more than a dozen facilities across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, faces a convergence of workforce and funding pressures that threaten care capacity across the region. As the largest nonprofit senior care provider in New England, its struggles signal broader challenges facing the long-term care industry in Massachusetts at a moment when demand for services among elderly residents is accelerating.
What Happened
In summer 2026, Hebrew SeniorLife terminated 35 employees in a single day—the largest one-day staffing reduction in the organization’s history. All 35 workers were Haitian nationals, many with deep tenure at the organization. The terminations followed a June U.S. Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian nationals.
The departures represent the culmination of mounting staffing losses. The organization shed approximately 100 employees over the past year, according to Adam Scott, who became president and CEO one year ago. The terminated workers had averaged 13 years of service with Hebrew SeniorLife, most having begun employment after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Scott acknowledged the human toll of the workforce contraction. “These are important jobs and they’re meaningful jobs. And people make a difference in people’s lives. And what’s hard is replacing that loyalty,” according to reporting by Commonwealth Beacon.
By the Numbers
35 — employees terminated in a single day in summer 2026
100 — employees lost by Hebrew SeniorLife over the past year
13 years — average tenure of the 35 terminated workers
75 percent — share of Hebrew SeniorLife’s long-term care patients covered by MassHealth
45,000 — Haitian TPS holders in Massachusetts
2,000 — estimated number of Haitians working in Massachusetts nursing facilities and home care roles
34 — skilled nursing facilities closed in Massachusetts since 2020
3,500 — nursing beds lost in Massachusetts since 2020
1,200 — hospital patients per day waiting for discharge due to limited skilled nursing facility bed space
Zoom Out
Massachusetts has been losing long-term care capacity for years. Since 2020, the state has shuttered 34 skilled nursing facilities and eliminated 3,500 nursing beds, even as demand for care has grown among residents over 85. At the same time, approximately 1,200 hospital patients are waiting each day for discharge into skilled nursing facilities that lack available beds—a bottleneck that strains both hospitals and the patients awaiting placement.
The TPS terminations touch a workforce particularly vulnerable to immigration enforcement. Massachusetts is home to roughly 45,000 Haitian TPS holders, with at least 2,000 estimated to work in nursing facilities and home care roles. Their loss removes workers who had been integral to operations in an industry already struggling with retention.
Compounding workforce pressure is Medicaid reimbursement strain. MassHealth covers 75 percent of Hebrew SeniorLife’s long-term care patients. The state’s long-term care services consume 10 percent of a MassHealth budget already stretched to $22.7 billion. Massachusetts is also facing an estimated $2 billion annual funding loss to the state from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act when fully phased in—reductions that could further tighten Medicaid reimbursement rates to providers.
Scott raised the affordability crisis facing middle-class seniors. “The middle class really has no way to pay for care except by impoverishing themselves,” according to reporting by Commonwealth Beacon. The reality stands in contrast to other states’ approaches: Washington’s long-term care benefit program provides a $36,000 lifetime payout to help residents cover care costs.
What’s Next
Hebrew SeniorLife and other long-term care providers in Massachusetts will likely face continued pressure as TPS cases are resolved and the state monitors Medicaid reimbursement decisions. The organization’s ability to attract and retain workers in a tightening labor market—particularly as immigration enforcement reshapes the composition of the care workforce—will be critical to maintaining service levels across its network.