LTC Issues at the Capitol Garner Headlines and Gain Momentum Online

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Libbie Chapuran

On Sunday, the Star Tribune ran a story covering the long-term care workforce crisis and the dynamics at the Capitol playing out this legislative session. The article outlines the $1 billion spent in Sen. Jim Abeler’s proposed human services bill. Specifically, it highlights the $358 million targeted at increasing the wages of professional caregivers in long-term care settings.

The story ran on the front page of Sunday's edition of the Star Tribune, Minnesota's most prominent daily publication.

The coverage and the legislation itself are both huge wins for aging services providers in Minnesota, but we've got more work to do before the end of the session.

We are thankful the Minnesota Senate set a goal to spend $358 million on permanent solutions to support caregivers with the wages they deserve and ensure access to care across our state. It's not all we asked for, but this funding will allow Minnesota's long-term care communities to raise wages, recruit new workers, and retain the dedicated professionals who care for older adults – whether they live in nursing homes, assisted living or other home- and community-based settings.

For more on the details of the Senate’s proposal, we invite you to look back to last week’s edition of Advantage.

The Senate's proposal is an important step forward, but budget conversations are far from over. Unfortunately, the House and the Governor have next to nothing in their budgets to permanently increase wages for caregivers in our sector. One-time measures will do very little to fill the 23,000 open caregiver positions across the state.

The differences between the House, Senate, and Governor's proposals will have to be worked out over the remaining five weeks of the legislative session. We are prepared to make our case and share the stories of professional caregivers and the seniors they serve every step of the way.

Below we’ve outlined three ways you can continue to lift up your voice and share your story.

Email Your Lawmakers

Contacting your lawmakers is how we gain traction, and it's why we are in the position we are in! We've sent over 5,000 contacts to the State Capitol already this session! But now it's time to double down. We want to thank the Senate for their leadership and encourage the House and the Governor to do more for seniors and their caregivers. We've made it easy for you. Just CLICK HERE, enter your contact information, then send. Feel free to personalize each email, but please note that three different emails go to your senator, representative and the governor.

Sign Then Share a Petition

On behalf of the Long-Term Care Imperative, we are sharing a petition to support an important bill that would help raise your wages and address the staff shortage in senior care. We encourage you to add your name to the petition by clicking here.

We also ask that you share the petition with your key stakeholders: your residents, their families, and your employees.

#OneMillionMNSeniors; Share on Social Media

Minnesota is now home to over one million adults over 65. We have launched a social media campaign to celebrate, educate, and build support for seniors and their caregivers with public policy solutions. We've made it easy for you to join in. Here's how:

• Print the “I am ONE of One Million Seniors” Poster
•  Take photos of residents, family members, or employees who are 65+ holding the poster.
• Share the pictures on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #OneMillionMNSeniors.

If you would like to do more by hosting your lawmaker or submitting an article to your local paper, please reach out to Libbie Chapuran, Communications Director at LeadingAge Minnesota, at any time.