Dear friends,
This week one of my colleagues Rep. Joe Schomacker, the Chair of the House Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, came to Albert Lea to visit with residents and staff at two of our local nursing homes. Joe has been traveling around the state over the past week visiting nursing homes to discuss the reforms made during the 2015 session that will increase nursing home funding and help bolster the long-term care workforce.
Rep. Schomacker and me with residents and staff at Thorne Crest
It was so heartwarming to hear the residents and staff talk about how these reforms will impact nursing homes right here in our community. This was an especially big issue for Greater Minnesota where nursing homes are fewer and farther between. It's important for us to be able to keep our nursing homes open so we can keep our loved ones nearby to their families and not many miles away. For many years the outdated funding formula has left nursing homes, especially in Greater Minnesota, underfunded and struggling to pay competitive wages as the cost of delivering care has continued to increase. Too many have closed in recent years and many more were at risk. These changes mean nursing homes will be reimbursed based on cost-of-care and help keep more workers.
Greeting the animals outside of Good Samaritan Society. Good Sam keeps goats and chickens in a common area for residents to visit from spring until fall.
With our senior population continuing to rise in the coming years, it's so important that nursing homes have the resources and workers to provide the quality care our elders deserve. Thanks to all of the residents and Good Samaritan Society and Thorne Crest Retirement Center for the warm welcome and good conversations.
I also enjoyed getting out and around to a number of soup & pie/lutefisk dinners and chatting with people this past week in Alden, Albert Lea, Blooming Prairie, and Conger. It's definitely "soup & pie season" and those mouthwatering soups taste really good on our chilly fall evenings. As for the lutefisk, as much as I've tried to develop a taste for it, that just hasn't come yet! However, I love the meatballs and mashed potatoes and other side dishes that come with it. Maybe someday I'll develop a taste for that Norwegian delicacy :-)!
If you've got something on your mind or have any questions about this or any other issue, please contact me any time at rep.peggy.bennett@house.mn or call 651-296-8216. You can also follow my updates on Facebook and Twitter at www.facebook.com/RepPeggyBennett and www.twitter.com/PeggyABennett.
Have a great weekend!
Peggy