On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, Governor Mark Dayton hosted a roundtable to listen to concerns about the impact of proposed cuts to senior services. The roundtable discussion was attended by Governor Dayton, Commissioner of Human Services Lucinda Jesson, community members, seniors, and those working directly with seniors. The event took place at City Passport, a community center for people aged "50 and better." City Passport is operated in conjunction with the HealthEast Passport Program and the City of Saint Paul, and is a place for seniors to socialize, learn and get involved in the community. Senior Roundtable participants shown include (left to right) Chuck Heidbrink, Cerenity; Renee Skoglund, City Passport; Department of Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson; Governor Mark Dayton.

The roundtable featured several speakers, who each presented their concerns with the budget; the discussion was then opened up to attendees in the standing-room-only audience. Care Providers of Minnesota Board member Chuck Heidbrink, representing Cerenity Care Centers, had a seat at the table and presented some key concerns to the Governor and Commissioner:

• Older adult services have not been spared in recent years from budget cuts. Nursing homes are in the third year of a rate freeze, and have little ability to increase rates under current state law – even though expenses continue to rise. Assisted living providers are facing another cut, despite dealing with double-digit cuts over the past biennium due to legislative and administration action.

• Cuts to seniors will cost the state thousands of jobs. Long-term care supports 112,600 Minnesota jobs. That’s more than 100,000 people who go to work each day because we’re here. There are currently 60 Minnesota nursing homes in a state of financial crisis, putting 8,400 jobs at risk.

• Cuts to seniors are a drag on the economy that will hinder economic recovery. Beyond the jobs it creates, long-term care contributes more than $6.7 billion to the state’s economy each year, including $1.1 billion in state, federal and local tax revenue.

• Proposed cuts also will undermine the state’s preparedness to meet the needs of the state’s rapidly changing population. The number of seniors over age 85 will increase 100 percent in the next 25 years, yet we’ve closed 59 nursing homes since 2000 – and 60 more are currently facing financial crisis. Closing 60 more nursing homes means the loss of 8,400 jobs.

• Medical Assistance already under funds our costs for care by $25 per day – that means $4.5 million for Cerenity Senior Care’s five campuses; $617,000 for Cerenity Marian alone.

• It’s unfair to balance the budget on the backs of employees who care for some of Minnesota’s most vulnerable. We have contributed to the budget-balancing solution through multi-year rate freezes. Our staff goes without raises while their cost of living increases – food, utilities, health insurance. . . . These caregivers deserve a better, livable wage. They’re angels of mercy.

Governor Dayton was interested in caregiver wages, asking about hourly wages and benefits of Chuck Heidbrink and the worker on the panel representing paid caregivers. Other panel members and audience members told Governor Dayton that they were concerned that the budget cuts would cause real harm, and make it even more difficult for seniors to access both care and services to keep them independent in their communities for as long as possible.

One of the comments from audience members that generated the greatest response came from Jewel Mayer, a senior citizen living in St. Paul. Ms. Mayer told Governor Dayton she supports his plan to increase taxes on Minnesota's top earners, saying: "And Governor Dayton, I just want you to know that I sleep better at night knowing that you're there, and you're going to fend off those people who got the Robin Hood story backwards and want to take from us poor folks!"

Patti Cullen, CAE
952.851.2487
pcullen@careproviders.org