May 12, 2009 6:45 pm US/Central
Nursing Homes Worry About State Budget Cuts
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
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Some Minnesota nursing homes are worried that whatever budget solution they come up with at the Capitol will make it harder for them to care for the elderly. (File)
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Democrats met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty Tuesday afternoon for their first talk in two weeks. The legislature must adjourn on Monday but they still need to work out how to close the $4.6 billion budget deficit.
Some Minnesota nursing homes are worried that whatever budget solution they come up with at the Capitol will make it harder for them to care for the elderly.
Nursing home resident Emma Brooks will have a birthday soon. She enjoys a good game of cribbage and appreciates life at St. Paul's Episcopal Home.
The state controls payments to nursing homes and 75 percent of the money goes to staff. Now, long-term care facilities are facing budget cuts as much as 25 percent.
Marvin Plakut runs the Episcopal Homes in St. Paul and said they would be forced to cut staff. He said fewer staffers will care for more and more elderly.
"When they pull the call light because they need assistance to the bathroom, or they need assistance with getting dressed, or they need assistance getting out of bed, it's going to take longer," said Plakut.
Balancing the budget is a menu of bad choices -- tax hikes or budget cuts. At the Capitol, many say no more taxes.
"How much is enough? And how much can we raise taxes before it's just too much?" asked Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley.
In Minnesota, nursing home residents are the true face of government assistance programs. Emma Brooks has lived at the Episcopal Homes for 3 years now and Friday marks a milestone.
"And I will be 95 years old," she said.
Democrats passed a bill on Monday that does not make direct cuts to nursing homes, but it delays promised rate hikes and cuts other long term care facilities. Health care spending is the fastest growing part of state budget.
One good sign that the legislature is coming closers to a budget is agreement -- for the first time in several weeks, the governor and legislative leaders sat down together.
But an agreement is far away. And just in case, Democrats are passing a "lights on" bill that will keep basic funding to avoid a government shut down.
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