UPHOLDING THE PROMISE I MADE TO MY COMMUNITY.

>> Barry: ALL RIGHT.

WE HAVE HAD A QUESTION FROM A VIEWER IN STEARNS COUNTY WHO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT NURSING HOME EXPENSES AND REIMBURSEMENT RATES, WHICH THE VIEWER REGARDS AS LATE AND OFTEN INADEQUATE.

THIS VIEWER HAD SOME EXPERIENCE IN SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER ON ONE OF THESE NURSING HOME BOARDS AND WANTS TO KNOW WHAT THE PLAN OF ACTION IS FOR THIS IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

LET'S GO TO YOU, SENATOR CWODZONSKI.

LET'S START WITH YOU.

NURSING HOME ISSUES.

IT'S PART OF THE LARGER DISCUSSION ABOUT CARE EXPENSES, I'M SURE.

BUT THIS VIEWER IS CONCERNED ABOUT NURSING HOMES.

LET'S START THERE.

>> WELL, THIS IS HITTING CLOSE TO HOME FOR ME.

WE HAD TO PUT MY MOM IN A NURSING HOME IN A SECURED UNIT IN AUGUST AT THE HEIGHT OF THE CAMPAIGN.

SHE'S AN ONLY CHILD, AND I'M AN ONLY CHILD, SO IT'S JUST HER AND I.

SO ALL THE THINGS THAT I HEARD ABOUT NURSING HOMES, LIKE SHORTAGES AND IMPROPER PAY AND LACK OF STAFFING AND JUST WHO AND WE HAD TO SELL MY MOTHER'S HOUSE TO PAY, $10,000 A MONTH.

IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE.

THIS IS ALL NEW TO ME, BUT BOY, MY LEARNING CURVE IN THE LAST FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS HAS BEEN VERY STEEP, AND I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM THE LEADERS THE HOUSE THAT HAVE A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE.

BUT I'M FULL ON BOARD FOR ANY IDEAS THAT COME FORWARD BECAUSE THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAVE BEEN A NIGHTMARE FOR MY FAMILY BECAUSE OF MY MOM, SO ANYWAY, I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR WHAT THE OTHER THREE HAVE TO SAY FOR SOLUTIONS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN AT THIS A LOT LONGER THAN I HAVE.

>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE FEIST, YOUR THOUGHTS.

>> SO I HAVE DEFINITELY RECEIVED A LOT OF E-MAILS FROM CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THE WAIVER REIMBURSEMENT RATES.

I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THERE'S A LARGE CONSENSUS AROUND ON RAISING THOSE RATES.

THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT TO ENSURE NURSING HOME HIGH LEVEL CARE FOR OUR LOVED ONES.

TODAY IN THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE WE HEARD A BILL THAT WOULD CREATE AN ADVISORY BOARD TO CREATE OVERSIGHT WITHIN THE NURSING HOME INDUSTRY.

TODAY I ALSO PRESENTED A BILL TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT MINNESOTA IS THE ONLY STATE IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WHERE IF YOU HAVE A LAWSUIT, IT DIES WITH YOU.

WE HAD A LOT OF FOLKS WHO HAD FOLKS IN CARE FACILITIES THAT SUFFERED EGREGIOUS ABUSE.

DRAWING OUT THE CLAIMS AND WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO PASS AWAY.

WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE THAT.

BIPARTISAN BILL.

IT'S COMMON SENSE.

WE WANT OUR HUSBANDERRING HOMES TO BE WELL STAFFED AND A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR FAMILIES, OUR LOVED ONES.

THIS IS GOING TO ENSURE WHEN THEY DON'T RISE TO THAT HIGH STANDARD THAT WE HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT THAT THEY WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

SO THAT BILL HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, AND I'M REALLY PROUD TO CARRY IT.

>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE MUELLER.

>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

I LOOK AT THIS A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS.

SO I WOULD LIKE MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE THAT I HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL E-MAILS AND SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE COME TO MY OFFICE TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THE DIRE NEED THAT WE HAVE FOR WORKERS IN NURSING HOMES.

THEIR SALARY IS LEGISLATIVE.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE AS A LEGISLATURE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO RAISE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DEFINITELY.

THEY ARE TRYING TO BE COMPETITIVE AND UNABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF BARRIERS THAT WE ARE PUTTING UP.

THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND COMPENSATE FOR.

REMEMBER I'M AN EDUCATOR.

SO I THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE GET MORE PEOPLE INTO THIS FIELD, AND HOW DO WE GET THE PIPELINE BUILT BACK UP.

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON THAT MAY DETER PEOPLE FROM COMING INTO NURSING HOMES TO WORK, AND SO I HAVE LOOKED AT HOW WE HAVE APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR OLDER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, ALSO LOOKING AT HOW WE HAVE AN APPRENTICESHIP OR RESIDENCY PROGRAMS THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPLY SORT OF THE PATIENT PROGRAM SO THAT WHEN A STUDENT GRADUATES FROM HIGH SCHOOL, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE DUAL CREDITS THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THAT WOULD THEN, ONCE THEY GRADUATED WITH THE LOCAL COLLEGE OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE THAT ONCE THEY GRADUATE FROM THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO BE READY TO BE HIRED, ABLE TO BE RIGHT THERE IN THAT POSITION, AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS REALLY -- THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT FROM ALL OTHER ANGLES.

WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE NEED TO SPEND ON AN ISSUE, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T, BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE LOOKING STRUCTURALLY HOW WE ARE GOING TO GET MORE PEOPLE INTO THE WORKFORCE.

>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE RARICK, THOUGHTS ON NURSING HOME ISSUES.

>> THIS ISN'T AN AREA THAT I TYPICALLY DEAL IN.

NEVER BEEN A COMMITTEE I SERVED ON.

WE ALL HEAR FROM FOLKS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND FACILITIES AND THE WORKERS, AND THE REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR THE FACILITIES AND PAY FOR THE WORKERS ARE WAY BEHIND WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.

THE STORIES THAT WE HEAR OVER AND OVER, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOSING THE WORKERS IN THOSE PLACES TO THE HOSPITALS JUST BECAUSE THEY MAKE MORE MONEY.

SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS YEAR.

OTHERWISE I HEAR OVER AND OVER PEOPLE WHO ARE IN HOSPITALS, THERE'S NO BEDS AVAILABLE, AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE THE BEDS AREN'T THERE, BUT IT'S BECAUSE THE STAFF ISN'T THERE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE FACILITIES BE ABLE TO HAVE AS MANY PATIENTS AS THEY COULD HANDLE.

SO STAFFING IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN SO MANY SECTORS, BUT THIS IS A BIG ONE, AND IN HIGHER EDUCATION TODAY, WE HEARD TESTIMONY AROUND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

THE NUMBERS, I BELIEVE THEY SENT 30,000 PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE TURNING 80 OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE LOSING WORKERS, BUT THE DEMAND IS GROWING.

DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE HAVE TO