April 15, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesMeasles cases in Pa. remain low amid national outbreak, but vaccine hesitancy lays groundwork for spreadby Asha Prihar of Spotlight PAThe U.S. hadn’t seen a measles death in a decade until this year, but vaccine hesitancy has helped fuel spread of the highly contagious disease.
April 8, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesToothless 'child advocate' position should be replaced by empowered abuse watchdog, former officeholder saysby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAFormer Gov. Tom Wolf created a child advocate role in 2019 to prevent abuse in state facilities, but its lack of legal authority has led to turnover.
April 2, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesRecords reveal Shapiro admin stopped tracking why older adults die during abuse, neglect investigationsby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe state started tracking deaths as older adults were dying in alarmingly higher numbers. Then a top aging official halted the process.
April 1, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesLooser education rules floated as fix to Pa.’s troubled home care workforceby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAA bill would require direct care workers to pass a competency exam rather than have a diploma or GED. Advocates argue a more direct solution to the staffing shortfall would be to increase wages.
March 25, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesPrivate funding has created 100s of new child care spots in this Pa. countyby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PABut the money will run out by the end of 2026 and funders want state lawmakers to provide a more permanent solution to the low wages and limited availability common to the child care industry.
March 18, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesHelp with medical bills difficult to access despite hospital charity rules, study findsby Asha Prihar of Spotlight PAHospitals and health systems largely decide how their charity care programs work and who qualifies, which can limit access to this help. A researcher says there’s no “rhyme or reason” to the policies.
March 11, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesDebt from childbirth, other medical care would be relieved under new billby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PASome new Pennsylvania parents pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for pregnancy and childbirth care. When they can’t afford these costs, the resulting debt affects their finances and health.
March 6, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesMore elder abuse transparency, accountability is coming as Shapiro admin denies ‘crisis’by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe Department of Aging will soon disclose county compliance data related to elder abuse investigations. Failing agencies could face harsher penalties.
March 4, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesNursing parents would gain right to pump in public under proposal to expand breastfeeding lawby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAA caucus in the Pennsylvania House focused on maternal health has introduced bills that would protect the right to public pumping and mandate a state agency study access to care.
Feb. 25, 2025Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PAThe children left behind by free lunch programs, and the proposed $250M solutionby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAHunger affects students’ grades and health, but thousands of Pennsylvania kids fall just outside the income threshold for even reduced lunch. Advocates say free lunch for all is the solution.
Feb. 24, 2025Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PADeaths during elder abuse investigations rose in Pa.’s largest city as state regulators took no punitive actionby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAAlarmed state officials did take the unprecedented step of assigning their own staff to help the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging.
Feb. 18, 2025Vitolda Klein / UnsplashMore teens, young adults are balancing caregiving and growing up. It can be a struggle.by Asha Prihar of Spotlight PAA British study found young caregivers experienced a dip in life satisfaction around the time they began providing care. One of the researchers discusses the unique challenges these young people face.
Feb. 18, 2025Photo illustration by Charles Huettner. Credits, from left: Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PA; Courtesy Karen Leung; Commonwealth Media ServicesAiling Pa. woman died after months of pleas for help, a victim of a safety net in tattersby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAAging officials in Philadelphia took months to get Luen Ng help before she was killed. She’s one of 1,511 older adults who died in the state in 2023 with open abuse and neglect investigations.
Feb. 11, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesChild care workers could get a raise under Shapiro plan to address shortageby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PABusinesses and advocates for families say the Democrat’s $55 million proposal would make child care in Pennsylvania more available and keep parents in the workforce.
Feb. 4, 2025Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PA13 states mandate paid family leave. A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants Pa. to be next.by Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAGetting paid time off to care for a kid or recover from illness depends on where one lives and works in Pennsylvania. Lawmakers want to change that.
Jan. 28, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesGhosted by your doc? New law aims to weaken restrictive noncompete contracts, keep physicians localby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAThe rules prevent a health system from pushing dismissed doctors out of town and keeping patients in the dark, but critics say it's still too narrow.
Jan. 21, 2025Commonwealth Media ServicesEmpathy between the person receiving and giving care helps both. What happens when dementia tears that bond?by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAWhen someone with dementia loses their ability to have empathy, caring for them can become isolating and fraught, research shows.
Jan. 14, 2025Sarah Anne Hughes / Spotlight PAState-mandated time off for bereavement is gaining ground. Where does Pa. stand?by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAEmployers in Pennsylvania offer bereavement leave at their own discretion, so workers who experience a death in the family aren’t always guaranteed time off.
Jan. 7, 2025Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PALawmakers tease their plans to address high child care costs, low pre-K attendance in Pa.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PALegislative memos addressing paid leave, pre-K access, and child care costs preview how Pennsylvania lawmakers plan to approach caregiving issues in 2025.
Dec. 24, 2024Sarah Boden / For Spotlight PAMeet the Santas helping Pa. families with sick children weather holidays in hospitalsby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAHospital volunteers and workers observe holiday traditions to help boost the spirits of Pennsylvania kids undergoing exhausting treatments in unfamiliar environments.
Dec. 17, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesMail delays, paperwork problems prevent hungry families from accessing food benefits in Pa.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PASNAP helps low-income Pennsylvanians afford food, but a new report finds paperwork snafus and confusing rules can prevent people from accessing that assistance.
Dec. 10, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesDoctors in Pa. recommend RSV, flu vaccines as winter approachesby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAPhysicians in Pennsylvania don’t anticipate the surges of patients they saw during the first winters of the COVID-19 pandemic, but encouraged RSV and flu vaccinations.
Dec. 3, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesA range of workers provide maternal care in Pa. Learn their roles.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAThe federal government argues a more robust maternal health workforce is key to improving mortality before, during, and after childbirth.
Nov. 26, 2024Sarah Boden / For Spotlight PAState food box program feeds thousands of older Pennsylvanians monthlyby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAPennsylvania’s Senior Food Box Program helps older adults whose incomes or health might cause them to skip meals, eat less than they need, or consume unhealthy foods.
Nov. 19, 2024Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAPaint, pipes, and soil can expose Pa. children to lead. How to stay safe.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PALead is especially harmful to children because they are developing, so knowing potential exposure sources provides a first layer of protection.
Nov. 12, 2024Wikimedia CommonsHoarding disorder can drive families and communities apart. Local support can help.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAPeople with hoarding disorder can endanger themselves and their communities if left untreated. An Irwin nonprofit is stepping up to offer support.
Nov. 5, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesScammers can make the Medicare enrollment period treacherous. Here are ways to protect yourself.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAToward the end of November, scammers try to leverage a Medicare deadline to pressure older people and caregivers into disclosing sensitive information like Social Security numbers.
Oct. 29, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesLawmakers pushed a slate of bills to improve maternal health care in Pa. Why some did — and didn’t — become law.by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAOne law mandates the creation of a postpartum depression awareness campaign. The other allows Medicaid reimbursement for doulas.
Oct. 22, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesBreaking rules intended to keep Pa.’s older adults safe is rarely met with state sanctionsby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PADespite chronic issues, the Department of Aging has never taken punitive action against county agencies that don’t meet state standards.
Oct. 22, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesState agency didn’t disclose complete info on county compliance with elder abuse rulesby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe incomplete information created a false impression about how frequently county aging offices have complied with state regulations.
Booklight PA: Author Sara Novic on finding herself through hearing loss in ‘Mother Tongue’AttendJun 25