Seniors and Workers for Quality Coalition
www.seniorsandworkers.org
CALL TO ACTION!
On Monday, March 30th, a member of the House of Representatives asked if nursing homes were really hurting because he had not heard from any of his constituents asking him to protect Long-Term Care!
Please take 5 minutes to call and/or email your legislator immediately to remind them that nursing facilities and older adult services are crucial to our communities and that the residents and workers have suffered enough!
Find your legislator here:
http://www.gis.leg.mn/mapserver/districts/
Please ask your legislator to protect Long-Term Care!
Talking Points:
• Reducing funding to Long-Term Care means cutting staffing in facilities that are already short staffed. Losing these jobs does not help the Minnesota economy.
• 40 percent of direct-care workers rely on public benefits, such as Medical Assistance or food support, reflecting the enormous subsidies required to compensate for low wages and insufficient benefits.
(http://www.directcareclearinghouse.org/download/PHI%20FactSheetNo2.pdf)
• Minnesota is expected to have almost 800,000 elderly by 2015 and 1,00,000 elderly by 2025 (www.demography.state.mn.us). Short term planning in Long-Term Care leaves Minnesota even less prepared for the baby boomers when they begin to require services.