BOSTON (SHNS) - Massachusetts nursing homes might run out of bed capacity years earlier than a task force recently forecast, according to a former budget chief of the secretariat focused on caring for older Bay Staters.

With the state's population of residents ages 80 and older expected to skyrocket over the next decade, nursing homes could hit their breaking point in 2029, said Pete Tiernan, past chief financial officer of the since-renamed Executive Office of Elder Affairs. His projection uses the same data as the task force -- but with a different way to zero in on the surge of Baby Boomers, including those who will soon age into nursing homes.

The Viability and Sustainability of Long-term Care Facilities Task Force pegged the tipping point at 2034, based on the volume of licensed bed

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