We’re fixing the elder abuse backlog, officials say

State officials apologized to the House Subcommittee on Aging and Long-Term Care Wednesday for a now-infamous backlog of senior mistreatment investigations, and explained what they are doing to fix the crisis.

The issue centers on the Department of Health’s Office of Health Facility Complaints, which is supposed to field complaints from consumers about maltreatment at elder care facilities. But, as media reports revealed late last year, the office had a backlog of thousands of complaints, languishing without being investigated. As of the start of this year, 3,147 reports and investigations remained pending, according to data presented Wednesday.

Health Commissioner Jan Malcom told the committee how “deeply sorry” the agency was for a problem she termed “unacceptable.” However, she added that staff has done an impressive job working to eliminate the backlog. As of the week ending Feb. 25, there were 540 reports and investigations remaining in the backlog, even as an average of 58 new reports were received daily.

To help fix the problems, workers tasked with reforming the office helped institute a workflow procedure that more clearly lays out how reports should be handled and began to get away from the paper-based processing system that caused literal stacks of paper to pile up.

An interagency agreement between the departments — signed Dec. 19 —allows the Human Services Department (which had its own issue with maltreatment backlogs in 2014) to aid its sister agency in recovering from the crisis.

Additionally, the agreement tasks the Health Department with finding a “technology solution” within 120 days. Deputy Health Commissioner Dan Pollock said the computer system used by the office was created in the 1990s, and getting a new one won’t be cheap.

Rep. Debra Kiel (R-Crookston), the subcommittee chair, said it was uncertain whether the subcommittee would hear bills, as legislative deadlines are approaching and any bill would have to be referred to the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee regardless. 

Health Department officials said Minnesotans who want to check up on the status of a maltreatment investigation can contact family liaison Lindsey Krueger at Lindsey.Krueger@state.mn.us or 651-201-4135.