Friends and neighbors –
Great news: On August 1, the first round of emergency payments were distributed to nursing homes and long-term care facilities across Minnesota.
These aid payments were the result of the agreement that Senate Republicans brokered at the end of the 2023 legislative session, and they couldn’t come at a more critical time. A lot of nursing homes in our state have been forced to close up in the past few years. The ones still open are barely scraping by. They’ve desperately asked for help to keep their doors open, hold on to employees, and continue caring for elderly residents who depend on them.
Many were approaching a point where they would have no choice but to shut down for good.
Republicans have been advocating for nursing homes for years. Last year, Senate Republicans put more than $1 billion toward nursing homes but we could not get House Democrats to agree. This year, Democrats once again had little interest in supporting nursing homes. After a lot of work and negotiation, we were able to persuade them of the urgency, and I am glad we were able to secure more than $300 million for nursing homes. It will give these facilities a lifeline that they desperately need.
Here are the facilities in our area that are receiving payments:
- Koda Living Community, Owatonna: $542,305
- LAKESHORE REHABILITATION CTR, Waseca: $393,694
- The Emeralds at Faribault, Faribault: $586,486
- Whispering Creek, Janesville: $365,578
Here is how the program works:
Nursing Facility Grants totaling $173.5 million will be split into two payments in August 2023 and August 2024. Each nursing home will receive at least $225,000, plus additional funds based on active beds for every nursing home in the state, an average 50-bed facility could see $465,000 in grant funding. The grants can be used for various fiscal management strategies to improve the financial health of nursing homes. Unlike loans in the Human Service budget, these grants will not need to be repaid, making their impact much more meaningful for nursing homes.
To further address nursing home staffing issues, $51.5 million in state money in addition to federal funds will enable a temporary $12.32 daily rate add-on for 18 months. Nursing home administrators say that this could translate into a pay raise of about $1 per hour for nursing home staff. The remaining funds from the $300 million are put into a Workforce Incentive Fund (WIF) that facilities can use for hiring and retention bonuses, employee-owned benefits, and employee contributions to a 401k, along with professional development, childcare, meals, transportation, and housing needs of employees. The WIF caps out at $3000 per worker, per year and is available until funds are spent or July 2029.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN AND SPOUSES OF FIREFIGHTERS
Applications are now open for this year’s Minnesota Fire Service Foundation scholarship program, which provides scholarships for children and spouses of firefighters. They will award at least two $1,000 scholarships – one for families of living firefighters, one for families of firefighters who have died. If there’s enough money, more scholarships will be available.
As you know, supporting Minnesota’s brave men and women who keep our communities safe is a top priority for me. We all appreciate the sacrifices firefighters make for us. This scholarship can help make school more affordable for their families. I encourage anyone eligible to apply. It’s a great opportunity.
You can download the application here: https://www.mnsenaterepublicans.com/minnesota-fire-service-foundation-scholarship-opportunity/
One important note is that applications must be postmarked by September 15, so please don’t wait.
Contact me:
If you have any questions about any issues we are working on at the legislature, feel free to contact me any time at sen.john.jasinski@senate.mn or 651-296-0284.
And you can always get the latest news from St. Paul on my Facebook page at fb.com/SenatorJohnJasinski.
It is a privilege to serve you!