Sometimes lawmakers forget seniors are people, too:

If a 40-year-old wants to move to an apartment, there’s no governmental agency that makes that person go through government counseling and get "certified" to move. But that’s exactly what is being proposed in Minnesota for seniors who decide to make a move to an apartment that has assisted living services. It is in the Senate version of the Health and Human Services Omnibus Budget Bill (HF1362/SF695) currently being negotiated in Saint Paul.

Ecumen supports efforts to provide seniors with in-depth information on their options. In fact, in Minnesota, assisted living providers are required to give prospective residents the number for the Senior LinkAge Line to contact if they’d like to explore various options. However, this proposed legislation is overreach and is going down the road of treating seniors as people who can’t make any decision on their own.

"Mandatory counseling" impacts a person’s right to choose where he or she wishes to live. And it does it for the simple reason that the person is a senior. We believe older adults should be able to choose whom to involve in their decision-making and should not be required to go to a governmental agency for counseling.

Minnesota Changing Aging readers can contact legislators directly by going here.

Conference committee members you can contact are:

Representatives:

Tom Huntley

Jim Abeler

Karen Clark

Larry Hosch

Paul Thissen

Senate:

Linda Berglin

Tony Lourey

Yvonne Prettner-Solon

Julie Rosen

Kathy Sheran