Nornes, Stumbo support seniors

District 10A

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Finding people to work in nursing homes as caregivers and coming up with funds to pay fair wages is a big challenge in Minnesota. Both incumbent Rep. Bud Nornes, who represents western Otter Tail County in House District 10A, and challenger Greg Stumbo feel this can and will be a top priority in the 2009 legislative session.

“Health and human services, along with education, would be at the top of my list for committee assignments,” said Nornes during a candidate forum Tuesday afternoon, sponsored jointly by Pioneer Retirement Community — where the open forum was held — and Broen Memorial Home.

“Paying taxes to fund care for senior citizens is an investment,” Stumbo said. “An analogy would be taxes being the sail on a sailboat.”

Another issue, pointed out during the candidate forum, is that Minnesota and North Dakota prohibit nursing homes from charging more than the Medicaid reimbursement rate.

Jim Roers, MC for the open forum and legislative liaison for the Pioneer Foundation Board, interacts with legislators while outlining challenges with long-term care in Minnesota.

Others who asked questions of Nornes and Stumbo Tuesday afternoon were Norma Worden, former LPN at Pioneer and now a member of the Pioneer Auxiliary; Nellie Duckwitz, currently an LPN at Pioneer Retirement Community; and Harriet Wicklund, an employee of Broen who works in medical records.

Wicklund said the issue of adequate wages for nursing home employees needs to be addressed not only by the legislature, but by Minnesota residents in general. Duckwitz agreed.

“Nursing home employees oftentimes need to pick up second jobs,” Duckwitz said. “They’d rather work one job, and focus on what they do at the nursing home.”

As for LPNs being attracted to places such as Broen and Pioneer, Nornes and Stumbo both agreed that a strong nursing program needs to be maintained at MSCTC, Fergus Falls.

In recent months, MSCTC curtailed offerings for potential nursing students. Nornes, Stumbo and others said that community support for MSCTC, however, has played a big role in nursing classes being reinstated at the campus in Fergus Falls. All agreed that those nursing classes need to be maintained.

Worden also sees the need for more support of nursing homes throughout the state of Minnesota.

Attending the candidate forum was Kari Thurlow of Aging Services of Minnesota. The organization has, through state residents, petitioned the legislature and governor’s office to make funding for older adult services a top priority in 2009.

“Minnesota is growing older. By the year 2020 Minnesota will have more seniors than school children,” Thurlow said. “Investments are needed in 2009 so we can reform the system for the future.”

She said that nursing home caregivers deserve adequate wages and benefits.

“Many of those who care for older adults are not paid adequate wages and many don’t have adequate health insurance,” she said. “Quality care for seniors depends on quality caregivers.”

Eight in 10 Minnesota voters, according to Aging Services of Minnesota, places aging services in the top three of their priorities, along with education and transportation. Six in 10 Minnesotans, according to the organization, supports increased funding for senior citizen caregiving even if new taxes are needed.