Friends and neighbors –

I’m glad to report emergency assistance is finally flowing to nursing homes in our area. Senate Republicans delivered this funding in an end-of-session agreement after Democrats had resisted nursing home aid all session.

Nursing homes across the state are in crisis. About 50 of them have closed in the last few years, and the ones that are still hanging on are doing so by the skin of their teeth. They have been begging us for assistance to stay afloat, retain staff, and keep taking care of our vulnerable loved ones. Without the emergency funding we secured, many of them would not make it much longer.

Here are the facilities in our area that are receiving payments:

Bayside Manor LLC , Gaylord: $393,694
Cokato Manor, Cokato: $449,925
Glencoe Regional Health Srvcs, Glencoe: $658,783
Good Sam Society Arlington, Arlington: $333,446
Harmony River Living Center, Hutchinson: $706,982
Lakeside Generations, Dassel: $441,892
The Gardens at Winsted LLC, Winsted: $486,073

How it works:

1. The Nursing Facility Grants provide a total of $173.5 million in funding. The grants are split into two payments to be paid out in August 2023 and August 2024. This funding is calculated by a base payment of $225,000 plus an estimated $3,900 per bed.

2. The grants can be used for various fiscal management strategies to improve the financial health of nursing homes. Unlike loans in the Human Services budget, these grants will not need to be repaid, making their impact much more meaningful for nursing homes.

3. Additionally, $51.5 million in state money supplemental to federal funds will enable a temporary $12.32 daily rate add-on for 18 months. Nursing home administrators say that this could translate into a pay raise of about $1 per hour for nursing home staff. The remaining funds from the $300 million are put into a Workforce Incentive Fund (WIF) that facilities can use for hiring and retention bonuses, employee-owned benefits, and employee contributions to a 401k, along with professional development, childcare, meals, transportation, and housing needs of employees. The WIF caps out at $3000 per worker, per year and is available until funds are spent or July 2029.

If you have any questions, please let me know. God Bless.