SAINT PAUL, MINN. – Late last month, Gov. Mark Dayton directed AARP Minnesota to convene an Elder Abuse Consumer Workgroup to form recommendations to the Legislature aimed at improving the safety of seniors cared for in Minnesota’s residential care facilities. State Rep. Liz Olson (DFL – Duluth), a member of the House Aging and Long-Term Care Subcommittee, thanked Gov. Dayton for creating the group and is calling on Minnesotans to come forward with their experiences and provide ideas for improvements.
“Like so many Minnesotans, I was saddened to learn about the maltreatment, abuse and neglect of seniors, and that in many cases, nothing was being done about it,” Rep. Olson said. “Many in the community have already come to me with stories of their own loved ones’ challenges in these facilities and their roadblocks in wanting complaints investigated. This workgroup is critical in giving Minnesotans a venue to share more of their experiences with these situations. I hope that people will feel empowered to answer this call for input and from that, we can enact overdue changes ensuring seniors can live with the dignity they deserve.”
A spotlight was put on this issue after the Minneapolis Star Tribune published a five-part series on rampant assault, abuse, neglect and other crimes in Minnesota’s senior care facilities and a lack of adequate response from state investigators to complaints. Subsequently, there have been bipartisan calls to improve oversight, hold abusers accountable, and protect the rights of residents and their families. The workgroup gives Minnesotans a process through which they can influence policy changes by sharing elder abuse experiences of their family members and offering potential solutions.
In forming recommendations, the workgroup has outlined five specific objectives on which they are seeking comment:
1. Recommend necessary changes current state and federal regulatory, licensing, compliance, and enforcement requirements to deter potential abuse and protect seniors and families from retaliation from providers.
2. Clarify and strengthen the statutory definitions of memory care, assisted living, and housing with services so consumers and families can make informed decisions on proper placement for seniors.
3. Recommend changes to current law to ensure that family members are informed about how to report suspected abuse and neglect, including the Minnesota Vulnerable Adults Reporting Center and the Ombudsman for Long-Term Care.
4. Recommend changes to current law to remove barriers and improve communication with family members when there is alleged abuse, including the complaints and investigations processes within the Office of Health Facility Complaints and self-reports from providers.
5. Recommend changes to current law to ensure proper reporting to law enforcement about potential abuse.
“In entrusting our parents and grandparents to these facilities, we have a responsibility to ensure they can live in an environment free of this awful behavior, and when something happens contrary to this, families have the right to get to the bottom of it,” Olson continued. “Keeping all Minnesotans safe is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of government. This issue transcends political labels, and after listening to Minnesotans and their own stories, we must all come together to take whatever actions necessary to protect the health, safety and well-being of our seniors.”
In addition to AARP Minnesota, other consumer organizations participating in the workgroup include the Alzheimer's Association, Elder Voice Family Advocates, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and the Minnesota Elder Justice Center.
Those interested in sharing any experiences or providing input are encouraged to do so via email at aarpmn@aarp.org with the subject “Elder Abuse Workgroup” by January 10. The group hopes to have recommendations drafted by January 26 to be forwarded to the Legislature for its consideration, which convenes the 2018 session on February 20.