Paul Thissen: Innovation in Action

Greatest Generation now state’s most vulnerable

COMMENTARY: GREATEST GENERATION NOW STATE’S MOST VULNERABLE

Paul Thissen, Bemidji Pioneer, February 18, 2009

If we could choose the kind of life we want for our loved ones as they age, it would likely be a life surrounded by friends and family, good health and economic security. They have worked hard, raised a family and been a good citizen in their community. Life should be good, right?

Unfortunately, for too many seniors, retirement has become a struggle. Last week, a report released by the Elder Economic Security Initiative shed new light on the increasing economic insecurity many older Minnesotans face. The report bases its analysis on what it really takes for an older adult to maintain their independence in the community and meet the basic costs of living like housing and health care.

For example, single elders in good health living in their own home in Cass County require $16,000 a year to cover basic expenses such as housing, health care, transportation, food and miscellaneous; renters require almost $24,000. The index for elderly couples in good health is $26,000 for homeowners and almost $34,000 for renters. And if a senior requires some long-term care assistance, the amount of money needed to meet basic needs can increase anywhere from $5,000 a year to tens of thousands of dollars more.

At the same time, the average Social Security benefit is $12,000 per year for an individual and $20,000 for couples. While Social Security was never intended to be the sole source of income for elders, in reality it is the only income for one-fifth of Minnesota seniors.

Statewide, a quarter of Minnesotans over age 65 live on $15,000 per year or less. The bottom line is that many seniors are forced to make a choice between basic necessities such as food, housing and health care.

So, what do we do with this information First and most fundamentally, our goal in this state should no longer be limited to keeping people out of poverty. Instead, our measure of success should be whether our fellow citizens are economically secure — whether our loved ones and neighbors can live with independence and dignity while meeting basic needs. The report makes clear that earnings significantly above poverty level may still not be enough to provide that level of economic security.

We also need to support initiatives in these tough economic times that help seniors bridge the gap in housing and health care and provide property tax relief.

Finally, people a decade or more from retirement need to wake up and start realistically planning and saving for retirement. Earlier this session, I introduced legislation that would allow Minnesotans to create tax-advantaged personal savings accounts to pay for future long-term care and service needs, ranging from home health aides to assistive technology to nursing care. Individuals would be rewarded for planning ahead and give them greater control in accessing the services they desire to live as fully and independently as possible. We should not force families to spend themselves into poverty to get the aging services they need.

The bottom line is that Minnesota is growing older. In the next few decades, the number of Minnesota residents who are 65 years and older will double to about a quarter of the population. We must take swift action now to make sure our parents and older neighbors live independently, with dignity and in their community as long as possible.

Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, is a member of the Minnesota House and chairman of the House Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight Committee. He is also a Democratic candidate for governor in 2010.

Star Tribune on MN Bill to Reform Guardian Standards

MINN. HOUSE BILL URGES TIGHTER RULES FOR GUARDIANS

James Eli Shiffer, Star Tribune, February 17, 2009

Lawmakers are moving this week to tighten Minnesota’s standards for guardians and conservators, proposing wide-ranging changes to the largely unregulated system charged with safeguarding the lives and assets of citizens deemed unable to make their own decisions.

The House version of the bill, filed this week, would create a statewide register of guardians and conservators, and require them to alert the court each year if they were convicted of a crime or removed from a case by a judge. The legislation would also provide more opportunities to challenge a conservator’s spending and the guardian’s annual report on a ward’s well-being.

It would create a 15-point bill of rights for wards and protected persons, including the right to treatment with dignity and respect, the ability to marry, vote, and visit with whomever a ward chooses, and to petition the court to end the guardianship.

The bill filed Monday came on the heels of a Star Tribune report Sunday on the case of Peggy Greer of Excelsior. Over a two-year period, Greer’s guardian and conservator spent $672,000 on health care, attorney’s fees and other expenses before she persuaded a judge to restore her rights.

The bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, said the timing was coincidental, but that the reforms will address issues raised in the story: “How can we better protect people who have guardians and conservators assigned to them.” About 22,500 Minnesotans are under the care of guardians and conservators, a number that grows by about 3,000 a year. Nationally, questions about whether the system works well enough to safeguard the nation’s aging population have been raised by groups representing the elderly, as well as guardians and conservators.

“You’re seeing the result of a lack of oversight and accountability in a lot of areas,” Thissen said Tuesday, when it comes to personal care attendants, home health care, and guardians and conservators. “That’s sinking in with legislators.”

One of the advocacy groups supporting the bill, the Mental Health Association of Minnesota, has heard numerous stories of guardians and conservators failing to protect people under their care, said Ed Eide, the group’s executive director.

“Somebody in the court system or somewhere needs to hold them accountable for making the ward’s life worse than when they came into the guardianship and conservatorship system,” Eide said.

Thissen said his proposal is the most far-reaching effort yet to professionalize and screen those who would work as guardians and conservators. While past reform attempts have failed, Thissen said that a study group’s work over the past year could go a long way toward building consensus this year.

Last month, the study group reported that Minnesota needs a better system for handling complaints and tracking the decisions of guardians and conservators, among other changes.

The Minnesota Association for Guardianship and Conservatorship, a trade organization, supports the recommendations of the study group, said Daniel Steinhagen, an attorney and the organization’s past president. But he said certification of guardians and conservators — something not proposed in Thissen’s bill for Minnesota, but implemented in some other states — would likely discourage competent people from doing the work, while failing to stop those intent on abusing their power.

A companion bill is expected in the Senate this week. Thissen said he expects hearings on the bill to begin in March.

A New Direction for Minnesota Children and Families

An Issue Briefing, Social Gathering and Fundraiser

Minneapolis Club

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
7:30 – 8:45 am.
729 Second Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Briefings by

-Jill Stever-Zeitlin on Education Reform
-Carole Specktor on Children’s Healthcare
-Rep. Patti Fritz on Supporting Longterm Caregivers

Host Committee

Kara Barrow • Jeanette Bazis • Marianne Budde • Andrea Carruthers • Julie Chosy • Kathy DiGiorno • Christine Esckilsen • Suzanne Fenton • Paula Goldberg• Janis Heaney • Andrea Kaufman • Anne Mahle • Olivia Mastry • Jennifer Prestholdt • Carol Prince • Amy Rotenberg • Elizabeth Schmiesing • Christine Smalley • Robin Sternberg • Mary Wahlstrand • Karen Wilson Thissen • Kathy Woodruff Luehr • Holly Ziemer

Budget Symposium on Feb. 10

Tuesday, February 10
7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Richfield Community Center
7000 Nicollet Ave. S. – Richfield, MN

Minnesota faces one of the largest budget deficits in decades. The current shortfall is exacerbated by the global recession. But a recent commission report to the legislature warned of a long-term problem, with expenses outpacing revenue growth.

Join elected officials from District 63 to hear ideas from Minnesota leaders for addressing our budget challenges. The event is open to the public. There will be time for audience questions.

Symposium participants include:
-Jay Kiedrowski, former Minnesota Finance Commissioner
-Bill Blazer, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
-Mark Haveman, Minnesota Taxpayers Association
-Dane Smith, Growth and Justice
-Javier Morillo, SEIU, Minnesota State Council

Ensuring Opportunity for Minnesota College Graduates

Minnesotans value higher education, and we all agree education is key to remaining competitive in today’s fast-paced global economy.  But college tuition in Minnesota has been rising for years, and with it, student loan debt.  More Minnesota students are borrowing to go to college and those that borrow do so at amounts greater than the national average. (Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education)

Repaying those debts can dramatically affect where a graduate will live and work and what career they will choose. And for smaller Minnesota communities, this can add up to a real brain drain.

That’s why I authored legislation to support low- and middle-income college graduates so they can continue to live, work and pay taxes in Minnesota.  Under the Education Opportunity Credit, any Minnesota student who earns an associate or bachelors degree from a Minnesota college with a student loan can receive a 50 percent tax credit on tuition loan repayments. The degree can be from any Minnesota two- or four-year college or community college, public or private.

Minnesota is facing a dramatic shift in population. More Minnesotans are retiring, leaving a smaller workforce pool to support an aging and dependent population. This legislation will help us retain the skilled and educated work force necessary to remain competitive and attract well-paying jobs. And only Minnesotans who live, work and pay taxes in Minnesota after graduating will benefit.

Minnesota’s past success is largely due to our highly trained and motivated work force.  Helping Minnesota college graduates to live and work in our state ensures the Minnesota promise works for everyone.