ST. PAUL, Minn, - Monday evening, KARE 11 news aired a story following-up on a 2017 investigation showing countless cases of abuse, neglect, assault and other horrifying behavior inside Minnesota senior care facilities. With just a week left in the legislative session, the report highlighted a lack of meaningful progress at the State Capitol to address the issue as promised by prominent lawmakers.
State Rep. Liz Olson (DFL – Duluth), a member of the House Subcommittee on Aging and Long-Term Care, issued the following statement:
“Minnesotans have urged the Legislature to take steps ensuring their parents and grandparents can live with dignity in our senior care facilities. Unfortunately, after three months, all Republicans have done is talk about how much they care about the issue while burying some industry-proposed half-measures in an omnibus budget bill. This doesn’t suffice.
“With just days left, we can’t let down these Minnesotans who deserve genuine, consumer-driven reforms and protections to stop elder abuse, like those proposed by the AARP and in my bill. These are all reasonable steps, like creating new licensure framework, strengthening the state’s reporting, investigation and enforcement abilities, and making sure older adults and their families are clear about their rights. There’s no reason we can’t find consensus around this critical issue and give Minnesota families the peace of mind they deserve.”