Nursing Home Relocation
Options Too continues to promote community living for all Minnesotans,
even with future funding uncertain
Many non-elderly Minnesotans
with disabilities live in nursing homes,even though they do not
need the 24-hour nursing care provided. In the 1999 Olmsted Decision,
the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that unnecessary segregation and institutionalization
of people with disabilities is unconstitutional. Over the last few
years, Minnesota has made great strides in relocating people from
nursing homes and in avoiding unnecessary admissions to nursing homes
(diversion). The Options Too workgroup, a collaboration among three
state agencies, continues to pursue this inclusion agenda, although
signs at the state capitol suggest that its future funding is uncertain.
Options Too has its
origins in the 2001 “Options Initiative,” in
which the Department of Human Services (DHS) joined with community
stakeholders to address issues of relocation and diversion. This
work resulted in the development of Relocation Service Coordination,
requirements that counties conduct Long Term Care Consultations and
provision of additional transitional funding under the “shelter-needy” grant.
These and other existing programs have been essential in providing
a framework of a statewide system for community living for persons
with disabilities.
In 2005, the Minnesota
Legislature passed a comprehensive bill called the Disability Act.
The Act established a workgroup, Options Too, to research nursing
home relocation and diversion in Minnesota. Three state agencies
convened the work group: The Minnesota State Council on Disabilities
(MSCOD), DHS and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. Group members
included representatives from disability advocacy and service provider
organizations, county social service departments,
“Options
Too was charged with making recommendations to help consumers … relocate
to community living or avoid nursing home admission altogether.”
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nursing home
trade associations, general and specialty hospitals, Centers for
Independent Living, managed care providers, public housing, and
representatives of the three state agencies. The name “Options
Too” was used to link the group’s work to the original
DHS initiative.
Options Too was charged with making recommendations to help consumers
under 65 relocate to community living or avoid nursing home admission
altogether. After receiving input and advice from stakeholders, consumers
and recognized experts in the field, Options Too made recommendations
in five major areas:
• Data and information: We need to collect data and information
that can be used to base policies and programs and to link people with
available housing and services needed to remain in the community.
• Housing: We need affordable, accessible and supportive housing
options for consumers with disabilities.
• Transportation: We need to provide accessible transportation
options for people living in the community.
• Quality Assurance: We need to establish adequate methods of evaluating
quality and safety of consumer services.
• Ongoing Monitoring and Gaps Analysis: We need a systematic statewide
effort to ensure a continuum of care is available to consumers and
that service gaps are identified and filled.
The complete report
of Options Too’s recommendations is available
at http://optionstoo.org.
MSCOD is spearheading
an effort to continue the Options Too activities and to implement
its recommendations. One of these activities is an Options Too
conference, Nursing Home Relocation and Assistive Technology, on
May 7. Information is available at the Council’s
Web site: www.disability.state.mn.us.
The other activity is
a legislative bill that would keep this community-living effort
moving. Currently there is no funding to coordinate the statewide
effort on relocating people out of nursing homes. This bill, if passed,
would do just that. Currently the bill has been heard in both the
House (HF1837) and the Senate (SF1661). This bill is not included
in the Senate Omnibus bill, but hopefully it will be included in
the House Omnibus bill. We urge you to contact your legislators and
tell them to include this very import issue in the Omnibus bill. ![]()
For more information on
Options Too recommendations and activities, contact Ann Roscoe at
651-296-1747.
