Draft #1

Op-ed for Imperative Members

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Care with Dignity begins with Reforms in Older Adult Services

By (NAME/TITLE)

Minnesotans don't believe that when they will need care and support in their older years, the services will be there or that they will be affordable. In fact, 94 percent believe it will be increasingly difficult for people to afford care for themselves or loved ones as they age.

That finding is from a new survey of Minnesotans conducted by the Long-Term Care Imperative, a collaboration of older adult service providers. The survey's bottom line is this: Minnesotans want to invest in a system of older adult services that will allow them to live independently for as long as possible and provide quality choices for assisted living and skilled nursing facilities when they need more care. And through all their older adult years, more than anything else, Minnesotans want to live with dignity.

Even more striking is this survey result: nearly two thirds of all Minnesotans -- 62 percent -- would support an increase in their own income or sales taxes to pay for these reforms.

Unfortunately, Minnesota is moving in the opposite direction. Instead of expanding care and living choices and investing in community-based services that support independent living, assisted living and nursing care, the state's budget problems are forcing deep cuts. The state, which dictates the rates nursing homes charge, has frozen payments for the past two years. Many of these employers were forced to freeze wages or cut benefits to caregivers who are already among the lowest paid health workers. In addition, many facilities postponed needed maintenance. An estimated 26 percent of all Minnesota nursing homes are in serious financial trouble.

There are solutions, but investments need to begin today. According to the U.S. Census, the number of Minnesotans over age 60 is expected to increase 70 percent by 2020, with the fastest growth coming in the over-85 age group. These demographic changes and the rising cost of health care threaten to consume the state’s budget if not checked, as Governor Tim Pawlenty has said.

But the answer isn't to freeze spending and pretend the problem will take care of itself. Smart, strategic investments made today can provide affordable care choices when the population boom hits. The Imperative is supporting increases in funding for older adult services including a proposal for a 3-percent increase in long-term care reimbursement rates for each of the next two years.

The Imperative also is proposing older adult services reforms in three areas.

  • First, assure that all Minnesotans are adequately served by nursing homes. While there may be too many nursing home beds overall in Minnesota, nursing home beds aren’t evenly distributed throughout the state. For example, at least nine Minnesota counties have only one skilled nursing facility.
  • Second, community-based services, assisted living and other cost-efficient care and living options should be adequately funded. Many older adults could stay out of nursing homes if alternatives were available.
  • Third, individuals and families need to be more involved in funding older adult care. As policy makers have pointed out, the state budget can’t keep absorbing the cost. But if individuals are going to be asked to plan for their own care costs, then we need to do things like making long-term care insurance more affordable through tax credits and through public/private partnerships where the government will reward a person or family for paying for a long term care insurance policy.

In the coming weeks, the Minnesota Legislature will be making decisions that will directly affect the quality and affordability of care available to older adults today and in the future. Legislators need to hear that Minnesotans support reform. If the survey results are converted into calls to legislators, it will make a difference. We will begin on the road to reform.

The time for action is now. Without smart investments today, we will be that much closer to the day when the cost will be measured in declining care for our parents and grandparents.

Minnesota has the chance now to make sure that day never arrives.

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