St. Paul, MN – Today, State Representative Todd Lippert (DFL – Northfield) presented two bills in the House Long-Term Care Division focused on caregiver support. The bills, HF 3074 and HF 3077, would update the state’s Self-directed Caregiver Grant program and establish an Alzheimer’s respite program.
“As more Minnesotans receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, we can’t continue to pretend we’re solving this crisis through the tireless work of unpaid caregivers,” said Rep. Lippert. “The pair of bills brought forward today make programs that are already in place more efficient and effective, and also create a new respite program that specifically helps these families that are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.”
In 2017, the Minnesota Legislature established the Self-directed Caregiver Grants to support family caregivers of vulnerable Minnesotans. HF 3074 would update statute concerning the grants by requiring the Board on Aging to work with Areas Agencies on Aging and caregiver stakeholders in administering grants, adding a reporting requirement on grant use, and by allowing all family caregivers of older adults to apply for grants by removing language setting priority access to consumers referred to the program through the Senior Linkage Line.
HF 3077 would create a new respite program for family caregivers, specifically for Alzheimer’s. This program would be within the same parameters of the federal Caregiver Support Program by providing $200,000 to the Board on Aging for caregiver support programs that include Alzheimer’s specific respite services. It would also expand the list of services covered in the Essential Community Supports Program to include respite care and companion services, which currently authorizes things like adulty day services, homemaker support, and home-delivered meals.
At the end of the committee, HF 3074 was placed on the general register, and HF 3077 was referred to the Health and Human Services Finance Division.
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