Minnesota Senator Karin Housely got emotional, when she spoke about a law that will protect Minnesotans who live in assisted living. She said she got all choked up and saw her mother and a colleagues’ mother, both who died of Alzheimer’s, smiling down on them.
WCCO’s recent article, “Minn. Legislature Approves Licensing System For Assisted Living Centers” reported Senator Karin Housley’s personal comments, when discussing the piece of legislation that will help 40,000 Minnesotans currently in assisted living.
Although the state’s nursing homes have been licensed for many years, Minnesota was the sole remaining state that did not license its assisted living facilities.
The legislation will require assisted living facilities to be licensed by August 2021.
The legislation has two levels of licensing, one is for assisted living facilities, and the other is for those facilities that provide dementia care.
Amanda Vickstrom, Executive Director of the Minnesota Elder Justice Center, commented that the bill is badly needed.
“Someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s—their needs are going to be higher,” Vickstrom said. “The assisted living licensing structure is really critical, and then some consumer protections, some retaliation protections that sort of level the playing field.”
In addition, the law permits families to put a hidden camera in an assisted living facility beginning in January 2020, if abuse or neglect is suspected (for a period of 14 days). After 14 days, a family will be required to reveal the camera to a state ombudsman. However, they can still leave the camera in the room.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has indicated that he will sign the bill into law, and $30 million has been earmarked by the legislature for the state government to create the licensing system.
Reference: WCCO (May 20, 2019) “Minn. Legislature Approves Licensing System For Assisted Living Centers”