Policy Priorities
Our call to lawmakers: Enact common-sense reforms to improve access to care and remove barriers for caregivers
Minnesota’s long-term care sector has reached a critical point. The state’s senior population continues to rise while we face an ongoing and severe workforce shortage, making it increasingly difficult for seniors to find care where they live.
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature invested $300 million in one-time nursing home funding. This critical funding has helped to temporarily preserve access to care for older adults across Minnesota. However, the state continues to underinvest in our seniors – even as demand for care continues to rise.
Priority: Raise senior caregiver wages and reform reimbursement
Nearly 20 percent of caregiver positions in Minnesota remain unfilled, causing seniors to be turned away from the care they need. Caregivers are leaving long-term care for higher-paying, less stressful jobs that do not face the same workforce shortages as long-term care.
Our Solutions:
1) Raise wages for caregivers in nursing homes to a $25/hour minimum by 2025.
2) Annually update wage data used to calculate Elderly Waiver rates set for Medicaid beneficiaries.
3) Add an inflation factor to state reimbursement to minimize the impacts of delayed reimbursements.
These common-sense solutions will help senior care providers attract more workers to the caregiving profession and provide the financial support needed to meet the real costs of care.
Priority: Remove workforce barriers
Across Minnesota, the pervasive workforce shortage in senior care is limiting access to care for some of our state’s most vulnerable residents. Today, 17,000 caregiver positions remain unfilled, causing seniors to be turned away from the care they need.
Our Solutions:
1) Ensure equal opportunity for foreign-trained nurses by allowing all nurses to equally access Medication Aide programs approved by the MN Department of Health.
2) Require accommodation for the written Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) exam to be available in languages other than English.
These measures will remove barriers for an evolving talent pool and ensure we’re able to leverage valuable skills and expertise in our workforce.
Priority: Regulatory adjustments
Minnesota’s seniors deserve access to safe, quality care that meets their individual needs. As caregivers, we know those we serve well and pride ourselves on the person-centered care we provide to everyone who walks through our doors.
To meet these needs, we must find a way to balance the regulatory requirements that ensure standards are met, while delivering timely, person-centered and affordable care given our significant workforce shortages. As those directly responsible for care, we urge the state to consider regulatory changes that will improve the care we’re able to provide.
Our Solution:
Remove statutory barriers that prevent Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) from performing the full scope of their training.
This basic regulatory changes will expand the number of qualified caregivers in nursing homes and assisted living settings.
