Senior Connections Senior Connections June 2019

Landmark elder care protections, assisted living licensure signed into law JAKE SCHNEIDER, (507) 215-2034 MNSRC, May 22, 2019 SAINT PAUL, MN – On Wednesday, monumen- tal legislation that includes a series of protections for elderly and vulnerable Minnesotans and an extensive framework for the licensure of assisted living facili- ties was signed into law. The Elder Care and Vulnera- ble Adult Protection Act of 2019, authored by Senator Karin Housley (R-St. Marys Point), is the most signiﬁ - cant reform to state law for elder care in decades. The bill passed with wide, bipartisan support before being signed into law by Governor Tim Walz. “For more than two and a half years, we have been working with consumer advocates, families, care pro- viders, state ofﬁ cials, and others on legislation to pro- tect our seniors and most vulnerable. That hard work led to a bill of which Minnesotans can truly be proud,” said Senator Housley, the bill’s author. “This is a bi- partisan bill that gives elderly and vulnerable Min- nesotans the consumer protections they deserve and brings Minnesota in line with the rest of the nation in licensing our assisted living facilities. Caring for our seniors and most vulnerable must be a priority.” The legislation, HF90, includes a comprehensive package of consumer protections designed to ensure the rights of elderly and vulnerable adults, including protections for residents against retaliation in nursing homes or assisted living facilities and a clear process for residents to appeal a termination of housing or services. The bill also enhances oversight of the state Ofﬁ ce of Health Facility Complaints and provides needed funding for the Ofﬁ ce of the Ombudsman of Long-Term Care. In addition, the bill contains provi- sions giving nursing home and assisted living resi- dents the explicit right to use electronic monitoring devices in their rooms. In addition, the bill includes an extensive frame- work for licensing assisted living facilities in Minne- sota. Once the licensure system is in place, the cur- rent housing with services system will be eliminated. There are two levels of licensure, one for assisted liv- ing facilities and another for facilities with dementia care services, which are subject to additional training requirements. A Resident Quality of Care and Out- comes Improvement Task Force is created to make recommendations on how to apply safety and quality improvement practices to long-term care services. The rights of assisted living facility residents are protected by a new consumer bill of rights and qualiﬁ - cations for assisted living directors and nursing home administrators are outlined in the bill. In addition, as- sisted living facilities will be subject to the oversight and regulatory authority of the state health depart- ment, which will have the ability to issue correction orders and ﬁ nes to ensure facility standards are being upheld. Licensure requirements go into effect by Au- gust 1, 2021. Finally, the legislation includes more than $30 mil- lion to implement assisted living licensure and allow state agencies to address recommendations made in a far-reaching legislative audit, such as enhancements to agency reporting, administrative systems, and op- erations. Increased funding will also allow the Ofﬁ ce of the Ombudsman for Long-Term Care to hire ad- ditional staff. The bill comes after an historic consensus was reached among major stakeholders and advocacy groups, including state regulators, AARP Minnesota, LeadingAge Minnesota, Minnesota Elder Justice Cen- ter, Care Providers of Minnesota, Elder Voices Family Advocates, and Alzheimer’s Association. “In the next decade, for the ﬁ rst time ever, more Minnesotans will be over the age of 65 than in our public schools. This isn’t just important; it’s urgent,” said Senator Housley. “After years of hard work, the bill is now law. Our seniors cannot wait.” Senator Karin Housley, of St. Marys Point, repre- sents the Forest Lake area and the St. Croix River Val- ley in the Minnesota Senate. Senator Housley serves as chairwoman of the Family Care and Aging Com- mittee and is an assistant majority leader. DAYCARE from Pg 2 The kids’ favorite day of the year at Debbie’s Daycare was “backwards day,” when Debbie would make a homemade slip and slide in the backyard. SUBMITTED PHOTO from disbelief to sadness. A few asked where she was moving to, so Burandt took them for a walk to see the where her new house was being built. Some children were upset that she was closing. “One girl was mad because she thought she’d never see her friends again, which is funny, because they are in the same class,” Burandt said. Other kids reacted with silence, not exactly sure how they felt when they heard she was retiring. On the last day she was open, Burandt told the children, “Instead of me asking you guys questions about your day, today I’m going to tell each one of you what you mean to me.” The kids giggled, predicting Burandt couldn’t make it through without crying. She didn’t. All Debbie’s Daycare families are invited for a celebration Saturday, May 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the basement at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Dassel. A group picture will be tak- en at 3 p.m. Debbie is excited to celebrate her retirement with her past daycare children and their families. Senior Connections HJ.COM Senior Debbie’s most recent group of kids (2018) included Heidi Midthun, Caroline Berggren, Mason Holmquist, Sophia Rauschendorger, Reese Smieja, Adeline Berggren, and Ellen Berggren. Connections June 2019 SUBMITTED PHOTO 7

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