Day of Remembrance: Honoring Nursing Home Lives Lost

Staggering. Incomprehensible. Recently, the number of nursing home deaths was determined to be 182,000 and climbing. In response, Gray Panthers is presenting a National Day of Remembrance, a virtual event, May 20, 2021 from 5-6 PM ET, during Older Americans Month. This represents an opportunity for the nation to collectively grieve while raising public awareness of the need for nursing home transformation. Out of grief can come change. Notables in the event program include: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; testimonials from nursing home residents, staff, and families; interfaith clergy, including Reverend Lynn Casteel Harper from Riverside Church; National Medal of Arts recipient, Ralph Lemon; Gray Panthers NYC President Jack Kupferman; and others eager to lend their talents and support. The pandemic painfully revealed structural, operational and other failures which necessitate the reimagining of long term care systems. Commenting on the need for this initiative, Jack Kupferman, President of Gray Panthers NYC, notes, “We must be able to express that basic human need – to collectively grieve and honor our loved ones. This issue affects everybody – young and old, urban and rural, every member of society. We welcome all to join us on May 20th to honor nursing home lives lost.”