A key lawmaker proposes special working groups be established to recommend improvements to elder care in Minnesota — on the day a scathing report from the legislative auditor finds serious failures in how the state investigates allegations of abuse. Republican Representative Debra Kiel from Crookston says there are a lot of fine employees at care facilities, but “we have people that are bad actors that do things that they should not do, and we need to stop that, and certainly the facilities need to address that.”
Kiel’s bills would set up a working group to examine crimes against vulnerable adults, and another panel to look at assisted living and dementa care facilities — with both groups reporting back to the legislature by January 2019.
Kiel was asked if the comprehensive reform she’s calling for should include higher wages for care facility personnel. She says, “I won’t go as far as to say we would… push a rate increase, however, I think it needs to be examined. I think we need to really look at it, because we’re having some real challenges.”