Understaffing, low pay, and increasing reliance on outside staffing pools have created a crisis in long-term care in Minnesota, argues a coalition of caregivers and organizations who represent workers at those care facilities and senior citizens who live there.

As the situation continues to get worse, much of the blame can be placed on the state and federal governments, they say. Long-term care is emerging as one of the major issues at the state Legislature this year.

Long-term care providers are heavily dependent on state funding and subsequent federal funding through Medicaid. This funding has been anything but sufficient, said Jon Youngdahl of Steel Workers District 11 and co-chair of the Union Coalition for Long-Term Care Workers.

State's funding increases are minimal
According to Youngdahl and others, staff shortages are a direct result of low pay for employees, which is a direct result of state funding.

What little increases the state has provided have not gone automatically toward workers' wages, the coalition said. In fact, Gov. Jesse Ventura's budget proposal for the next fiscal biennial provides no increase for long-term care in the first year and only a 2 percent increase the following year.

As in past years, Youngdahl said, workers might not see even this small increase because nothing in the proposal guarantees that the money will go into the wages of care providers.

The union coalition and others are advocating a different approach by the Legislature. Companion bills would provide a 12 percent increase in funding over the next two years, of which 80 percent would go directly to wages. Additionally, the bills implement a cap on the amount of money that could be given to temporary staff.

Sen. Don Samuelson, DFL-Brainerd, is chief author of the Senate bill (SF372); the House bill (HF559) has more than 20 authors. Both bills have cleared their initial committees and been reported to a second committee.

Staffing pools detrimental in long-term
'Wages are well below what other industries are paying,' Youngdahl said.

Low pay, coupled with minimal health benefits, has made working as a long-term care provider significantly less appealing, the coalition said. The level of staff vacancies at Minnesota long-term care facilities is now among the worst 25 percent in the nation.

Temporary-work agencies are exploiting this shortage by offering more money for work in staffing pools. That development, workers said, actually has been detrimental to overall staffing levels. The pools not only are attracting less-experienced workers, they are also prompting experienced staff members to quit and chase the higher pay.

The staff shortages mean both the quality of care and continuity of care for seniors is suffering, residents and workers said.

The union coalition includes the Steel Workers, Food and Commercial Workers, AFSCME Council 96, Service Employees and UNITE. The union coalition is one of several members of the Seniors and Workers for Quality Coalition.

Erin Geary is an intern this semester with www.workdayminnesota.org and The Union Advocate newspaper.