Working behind the headlines to improve Minnesota's nursing home care

BY STAFF WRITER —
The issue of care in Minnesota’s nursing homes has been in the headlines recently because of alleged abuse of the elderly in Albert Lea and Montevideo. But behind the scenes, a variety of organizations have been working to protect older, vulnerable adults, improve the care in nursing homes and examine or create alternative ways of delivering long-term care services.

Here’s a summary of programs addressing these issues:

Vulnerable Adult Justice Project

Several organizations, agencies, and state departments have formed the Vulnerable Adult Justice Project to support reform for the prevention of elder abuse. The Project’s priorities are to:

• push the State Legislature to pass the Older and Vulnerable Adult Act reform bill which would streamline the Vulnerable Adult Act reporting system, ensure first responders have the tools to serve a growing and changing population, and help to better protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation,
  

• improve the training provided to paid caregivers on dementia care and on prevention and reporting procedures of problems in care, and
  

• raise awareness statewide of the signs of elder abuse and how it should be reported and investigated.

The Project has developed an awareness campaign on elder abuse and will be distributing posters and cards that list the warning signs of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation to clergy, law enforcements prosecutors, families, and other key community members so more people can serve as watchdogs.

The Vulnerable Adult Justice Project, which formed in January, includes the Long Term Care Imperative, Minnesota Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care, AARP Minnesota, Aging Services of Minnesota, Alzheimer’s Association of Minnesota and North Dakota, Care Providers of Minnesota, Eldercare Rights Alliance, the Elder Justice and Policy Center at William Mitchell College of Law, and the Minnesota HomeCare Association.

View the Elder Abuse pocket card.

View the Elder Abuse flyer.

To get more information about the project or to get copies of the flyer, card, or poster, call the ElderCare Rights Alliance at 952-854-7304 or 800-893-4055.

ElderCare Rights Alliance

The ElderCare Rights Alliance (ECRA) is a nonprofit that promotes quality of life and quality of care for elders in need of care services whether in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or home health care.

ECRA has resources for care recipients or family caregivers to help them understand rights, choices, and what actions to take to prevent and solve issues when receiving care. This includes training on how to speak up for the care needed, how to build a helping network, and how to navigate the long term care system. They have a variety of checklists, information on paying for care, and state laws and policies concerning long-term care.

ECRA acts as a advocate to ensure individuals know their rights. Its Website has information on the Vulnerable Adult Act and on how and to whom to report concerns, such as the Office of Ombudsman for Long-term Care or a country social services office.

The organization also offers guidance and advocacy for individuals and group education for community members and professionals, group education and training sessions. It works with other organizations to push for legislation concerning elder care.

For more information, go to the ElderCare Rights Alliance Website or call 952-854-7304 or 800-893-4055

Long-term Care Imperative

Aging Services of Minnesota (Minnesota Health & Housing Alliance) and Care Providers of Minnesota are in their fourth year of a collaborative effort, called the Long-term Care Imperative, to advance “a shared vision for older adult housing, health care, and supportive services.” The two organizations are member-based trade associations of aging service companies such as senior housing communities and long-term care providers.

The Imperative develops goals for legislative action and lobbies for passage of related legislation. Examples of goals for the 2009 Legislative session include:

• Provide a cost-of-living adjustment for all older-adult-service providers.
  
  
• Continue nursing-facility payment reform through consistent implementation of operating rate rebasing.
  
  
• Support capital investment in nursing facilities.
  
  
• Improve and streamline consumer access to home and community-based services.
  
  
• Implement long-term care financing reform.

Read full agenda (PDF).

Nursing Education Collaboration

One of the issues concerning care in long-term care facilities is there are not enough long-term care nurses, and with the growing number of elderly, this problem will only get bigger if not addressed.

Two senior housing communities are joining with the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul to offer a program they hope will attract more students of the long-term care field. Under the collaboration, St. Cate’s nursing students will spend most of their week for an entire academic year at either Catholic Eldercare and St. Therese New Hope nursing homes.

Search GrayTimes directory for Minnesota nursing homes
and care centers.

According to representatives of the program, the students gain real world experience, gain an appreciation of working with seniors, and develop the skills necessary to work in an interdisciplinary team approach, necessary for the care of older adults.

(Posted February 2, 2009)