There’s a new voice for Minnesota’s aging population

12/12/2006

Advocates for policies for the aging have formed a consortium to tackle issues that will come with retiring baby boomers. Its first target: the 2007 Legislature.


Warren Wolfe, Star Tribune
Last update: December 11, 2006 – 11:31 PM


If Minnesota's swelling aged population is to receive adequate care in coming years, the state must solve thorny problems with transportation, housing, health care, a declining ratio of caregivers and other issues, a consortium of advocates and professionals in aging agreed Monday.


But to make that happen before there is a crisis, "we need to figure out what we agree on, what is most needed, and we need to get pretty creative about it," warned Mike Weber, co-chairman of the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging.


About 300 people gathered in St. Paul to launch the council, which represents 13 state groups that work in the field of aging. Top on the agenda was to begin setting priorities for the 2007 legislative session.


The number of Minnesotans 65 and older is expected to double in the next 25 years to about 1.4 million. That could cause massive strain on state and local services, but the growing number of healthy older people also can be a resource to ease some of those problems, the Leadership Council said.


The coalition represents such groups as the Minnesota Senior Federation, Lutheran Social Services, the Minnesota Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Minnesota Home Care Association and the state's two nursing home trade groups.


"There are some areas of broad agreement -- need to better integrate health care, prepare for the boomers and find ways to support caregivers, " said former U.S. Rep Tim Penny, who moderated the discussion.


But he warned that many proposals envision more state spending, "and you shouldn't expect that there's a lot of new money to put on problems, at least not yet. Inflation really will eat up the $1 billion projected [state] surplus.


"You'll have to convince policymakers that spending more for specific programs will yield some very specific results," he said.


He also said that proposals for automatic inflation adjustments in spending for aging programs may fall on deaf legislative ears.


Helping aged remain at home


Much of Monday's discussion was aimed at building services to help older people remain in their homes instead of moving to nursing homes.


"We know that's where people want to be, and we know the demand for nursing home beds will continue to decline," said Gayle Kvenvold, president of the Minnesota Health and Housing Alliance, which represents nursing homes and housing for older people. "But shifting people and money from nursing homes into home- and community-based services will work only if we build those services."


The Leadership Council will first tackle proposals for the next legislative session, but also will work with counties, cities, the United Way, businesses and other groups to "build a state that is actively working on these problems while they are manageable," said Weber, who also is president of the Volunteers of America of Minnesota, another member group.


The council also has started an Internet forum to discuss aging priorities, he said.


"The age wave is here now," said Loren Colman, assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, which regularly convenes state agencies to plan for changing demographics.


"We are facing a situation every bit as dramatic as Hurricane Katrina," he said. "But if we take thoughtful action now, we can ensure that the levies will hold."