The current emphasis on paperwork and documentation must be refocused to ensure achievement of good outcomes for the consumer. More quality data needs to be collected and made accessible to consumers and providers. Because of smaller families and increasing labor force participation rates among women, family caregivers need more support than they have received in the past to manage continued provision of large amounts of assistance to older, frail relatives. While there is no one single strategy that achieves a solution, a number of actions can be taken to more adequately compensate workers and improve recruitment, retention and training of workers. The task force identified 15 strategies as priorities for action in the 2001 legislative session.
Major savings result from the closure of excess capacity in the nursing home system.
Several of the other individual strategies have minimal costs. In addition, staff work on some strategies can begin immediately without legislative or budgetary action. Ensure adequate funding for the Elderly Waiver and Alternative Care programs to serve elderly diverted from nursing homes, and equalize the rate limits between these programs and across all Minnesota counties. Create an inter-agency competitive capital fund to develop new or retrofit existing buildings to provide assisted living, supportive housing, and to help nursing homes improve their physical plants. Develop a process for the voluntary closure of nursing homes, that includes incentives for nursing homes to close, a method for determining excess capacity and gaps, a regional planning process, a state level RFP process, and a nursing home planning and transition grant program for rural nursing homes.