NORTHAMPTON — For nearly two decades, Massachusetts nursing home residents on MassHealth have had less than $75 a month to spend on personal needs, from toiletries to an occasional treat with their families.
Hoping to build support for an increase, Noah Daube-Valois, a Vassar College student, launched the $72.80 Project, a podcast featuring residents, elder care advocates and information on how listeners can contact their lawmakers.
The idea grew out of a summer spent coordinating activities for residents at Rockridge Retirement Community in Northampton. But Daube-Valois’ connection to the facility began years earlier when he volunteered there as a pianist at age 16…