The Minnesota Senate yesterday approved Governor Walz’s and the DFL Majority’s Human Services budget agreement. Though this legislation provides meaningful support to ensure Minnesotans have access to in-home care, it fails to provide resources needed to help stabilize the state’s struggling long-term care facilities. The original bill received strong bipartisan support off the Senate floor. Yesterday’s version reflected significant changes made in conference committee.
Instead of providing permanent funding to address the severe workforce shortage issues facing nursing and group homes, this legislation contains an unworkable $100 million loan program and one-time staff retention grants. Minnesota nursing homes have been closing due to significant pressures driven by decisions made at the state level. Without adequate staffing, nursing homes have been forced to turn away seniors in need.
“Nursing homes across the state are facing a life-or-death crisis, and Democrats have decided against addressing the problem,” said Senator Eric Pratt (R-Prior Lake). “This is one of the most pressing issues facing our state. With a historic surplus, we could have easily allocated funding to address staffing and resource shortages. These long-term care homes are being forced to close at record rates, and despite their repeated requests for help, the Democrat trifecta chose to completely disregard their requests. These are the homes we send loved ones to for their final years—they deserve our support.”
Equally troubling is the lack of support for non-emergency medical transportation, like trips to dialysis, or other life-saving care. The Senate went in with a strong position on the issue, but the conference committee report reduced the funding by over 50%. This means that necessary medical rides for dialysis, blood transfusions and other key needs will no longer be available for thousands of frail elderly and persons with disabilities.
In Minnesota alone, there has been the equivalent of 45 nursing home closures. When nursing homes close, hospital patients who are ready to transition to nursing home care are forced to stay in hospitals, where they pay higher rates for their care, or families rush to find space for their loved ones and are sometimes forced to move them many miles from the people and places they love.