Minnesota State Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller Visits Spring Valley Living
Last week, State Sen. Jeremy Miller (R – Winona) visited Spring Valley Living – a skilled nursing, assisted living, and independent living community in Spring Valley, Minnesota. Heather Sellers, Vice President of Patient Services for Spring Valley Living, hosted the visit. LeadingAge Minnesota staff also attended the meeting.
About Sen. Miller's Visit
The State Senate Majority Leader toured the Spring Valley community to meet residents and their passionate and dedicated staff. They had a lively discussion about the need to fund increased wages for caregivers – noting that hiring for and retaining key positions are incredibly difficult in the current climate. Spring Valley staff shared that their dietician is picking up floor shifts, and crucial leadership staff often fills open shifts throughout the organization to ensure seniors have the care they need.
Rochester local news station KTTC also attended and produced a story for their evening news. Heather participated in an interview and did a fantastic job discussing why we need to support caregivers. Sen. Miller committed to making this a priority in the 2023 legislative session.
Why It Matters
This year, the Minnesota State Senate passed a bill that would have provided significant funding to aging services providers across the state so that they can increase wages to attract and retain staff. However, that bill failed to pass in the House, meaning we were left without a solution in 2022. Senator Miller is committed to bringing forward similar legislation in 2023 and doing all he can to ensure it is passed into law. This visit was a great way to highlight our key issues and get our Senate Majority Leader on record that he will prioritize aging services in the 2023 legislative session.
Take Action
We must connect with our legislators after the election next week and through the 2023 legislative session. You can make a difference by hosting a legislator in one of your communities!
- Set up a visit with your local representatives or candidates. Contact Dan Nelson, Director of Community Engagement for Leading Age Minnesota, at dnelson@leadingagemn.org or 651-497-1707 to discuss having legislators visit your communities.
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