ST. PAUL – House Democrats approved a bill Tuesday which Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Silver Township, said ignores a long-term care crisis in our state by severely underfunding this portion of the state budget.
Dotseth roundly criticized the House Human Services Finance omnibus package (S.F. 2934) for its lack of funding for nursing homes, which came to the floor accounting for just .01 percent of the Democrats’ $72 billion budget proposal that consumes the state’s $19 billion surplus and increases state General Fund spending by 40 percent.
“This is a major issue that impacts all residents of District 11A one way or another, at some point in their lives,” Dotseth said. “It is a major disservice to our people who rely on long-term care – and to the essential workers who provide these crucial services – for the House majority to so severely under-fund this portion of the state budget. The fact this is happening at a time Democrats are sending the rest of the state spending skyrocketing is just added insult.”
Meanwhile, Dotseth said Minnesota is in the midst of a “silver tsunami,” with more than 1.3 million state residents aged 65 or older. As these residents age, he said, their need for care grows and it is unfortunate to see Minnesota is not keeping up with these needs.
Dotseth indicated 2,597 nursing home beds have been taken out of service in Minnesota since 2020, the equivalent of shuttering 52, 50-bed homes. The long-term care industry in Minnesota, he said, currently is operating with a worker shortage of 53,000 and that, in the month of October alone, 11,000 elderly residents were turned away from nursing homes – largely due to lack of staff. Dotseth said the inability to fully staff our nursing homes then places added strains on hospitals, with nearly 20 percent of their bed space taken up by people who could be better served recovering in nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
“Fortunately, this human services bill House Democrats passed needs to go through a conference committee before a vote on final passage can take place,” Dotseth said. “There is still time to make improvements that provide our long-term care residents and workers with the support they need and deserve. I will continue pushing for that to happen and encourage citizens of District 11A to reach out to me with their thoughts on this matter so we can work together.”
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