Senator Amy Klobuchar and the Maze of Caregiving

For consumers, navigating the world of long-term care can be absolutely exhausting and frustrating. People don’t know what to look for, what questions to ask, where to turn for information and how to cut through all the jargon. And if they want to keep their loved one at home, they often have no idea where to turn.Minnesota U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar clearly wants to get rid of the maze and make it easier for the customer. Yesterday she announced the introduction of the AGE Act (American Giving Care to Elders). Its goal is to establish the National Caregiving Resource Center as a central clearinghouse where families, public agencies and private organizations can learn about best practices and promising innovations to support families in their caregiving roles. It also would expand the Federal Dependent Care Credit to include elder care costs and help make sure that those people who buy long-term care insurance get the benefits they signed up and paid for.Kudos to her for taking on an issue that is growing larger every day: helping seniors live where they want to live, how they want to live, and making it easier for family members who are providing care. The Age Wave is coming and you can feel the winds blowing.The Vermont Model (Why don’t we tell people about it in Minnesota?)One tool that would help Minnesota seniors stay in their home is Minnesota’s version of The Vermont Model. Last fall the Wall Street Journal did a front-page story on Vermont’s new ‘Choices for Care’ program. If a person qualifies for Medicaid, they can use dollars to pay a family caregiver rather than spending that money in a more expensive nursing home. Turns out Minnesota has the same program … and has had it for three years. But no one knows about it. In fact there are approximately 11,000 seniors who are eligible for it and only 164 use it. Look at our Age Wave Study, you’ll find that baby boomers LOVE the program … Read the testimonials on the Minnesota Department of Human Services web site of people who use Minnesota’s Vermont Model … they LOVE it. Don’t you think we could find some marketing dollars somewhere in the state budget to tell people about this program and keep people out of nursing homes?