The SCAN Foundation gives state award for leadership in aging services
Minnesota was
honored today for supporting people who care for older adults, as part of the
state’s exemplary long-term services and supports system.
Human
Services Commissioner Emily Piper accepted The SCAN Foundation’s Pacesetter Prize at a morning breakfast attended by
key stakeholders in the state’s long-term services and supports system for
older adults.
“The
Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Minnesota Board on Aging are
honored to accept this award on behalf of everyone in our state who contributes
to quality of life for older adults,” Piper said. “Our thanks go especially to
family members and friends who provide the majority of all care needed by older
Minnesotans, which is not only important for the people receiving care, but
also for our state budget – saving Minnesota alone an estimated at $7.9 billion
per year. That is more than Minnesota’s annual Medicaid costs for nursing homes
and other long-term services and supports.”
The SCAN
Foundation, the event sponsor, recognized Minnesota for providing such services
as coaching to help people care for those with dementia; consultation,
information and assistance through the Senior LinkAge Line, a service of the
Minnesota Board on Aging; and services that give caregivers a respite.
“We are pleased this award recognizes our achievements, including
the Senior LinkAge Line as a key resource for older adults and people who care
for them,” said Kari Benson, executive director of the Minnesota Board on
Aging. “For 23 years, Senior LinkAge Line, at 1-800-333-2433, has been helping
Minnesotans figure out how to maintain independence, pick the right Medicare
drug coverage, and get the help they need to live well at home.”
The SCAN Foundation
also highlighted other related Minnesota successes:
- Passage
of the CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable) Act, requiring health care
facilities to notify family members when an older adult is being discharged and
instruct them on how to provide the best care;
- Expanded
employee sick leave benefits for absences due to caring for a relative,
including a parent or sibling;
- The
Working Caregiver Initiative, which educates employers about caregiving issues
and promotes workplace flexibility and sharing of caregiver resources with
employees; and
- Allowing
Advanced Practice nurses to work at the top of their education and training and
delegate tasks, which increases families’ access to affordable care.
“Minnesota’s
commitment to expanding innovative programs that support family caregivers and allow
its residents to live more independently has made it a pacesetter,” said Bruce
Chernof, MD, President and CEO of The SCAN Foundation. “These actions are
fundamental for states to prepare, particularly for the growing population of
older Americans, and we commend Minnesota for leading the way.”
Minnesota
is also noted for expanding the Return to Community initiative, which helps
people in nursing homes or hospitals or who may be candidates for nursing home
placements to return to their homes with needed supports. Under 2017
legislation, Return to Community will provide a stipend to people who are
caregiving to pay for respite or other needed help.
In its
third-ever Long-term Services and Supports State
Scorecard (2017),
AARP ranked Minnesota second after ranking it first in 2011 and 2014.
Washington State, which ranked second those years, took the number one spot
this year. AARP cited both states as “consistently leading the pack” of states
for long-term services and supports.
Piper said
Minnesota’s leadership in long-term services and supports for older adults has
grown from:
- Building a strong
information and assistance network;
- Helping older
adults when their needs are lower and before they need more extensive and
expensive support;
- Helping people
return home from facilities when they can and want to;
- Measuring and
reporting quality in nursing homes and of home and community-based services;
- Rewarding
providers for quality improvements and innovations; and
- Strengthening
protection of vulnerable adults through such services as the Minnesota Adult
Abuse Reporting Center, which is available to take reports 24/7 at
844-880-1574.
The SCAN
Foundation, based in Long Beach, California, is an independent public charity
devoted to transforming care for older adults in ways that preserve dignity and
encourage independence.
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