Fred is wrong about the funding of nursing homes. The majority of people
receiving services have their services paid through the Medical Assistance
program where the state pays about half the cost, and the federal government
picks up the rest.
People should contact their legislators and express support for the efforts
to pass a cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for nursing home, home care, and
direct care staff serving persons with disabilities. There are proposals to
grant a COLA but the percentage has not been set yet, although a 3% COLA
each year of the biennium is under consideration.
Gene Martinez
Minnehaha, Ward 12
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of
Fran Guminga
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 10:42 AM
To: Mpls Issues
Subject: [Mpls] Nursing homes
David Brauer writes:
"One final thing: there's a state law that says once nursing home beds are
removed from a facility, they can't be put back. It's part of a state policy
to cut nursing home beds, of which the state believes there are too many,
and drive people toward cheaper, in-home or alternative care. "
The motivation for this policy is that the state does not pick up the costs
for in-home care (county does, and Hennepin County has been less than
generous lately). Those agencies that provide in-home care are getting out
because of the low subsidies (and getting lower) from county boards. As to
whether there are too many nursing home beds, with the number of homes that
have closed over the past few years, we could be moving to the opposite
problem -- not enough beds in the near future.
Many more seniors could be served by assisted living facilities and in-home
care providers, but the funding for these facilities and services is not
there, and again the pay is so low that it is difficult to attract and keep
good employees. That's our future. You heard it here first.
Fran Guminga
Bottineau, Ward 3
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