Time-off options critical to those providing homecare for loved ones

Not all communities have adult day care programs and senior centers. Even in communities with these services, they may be unaffordable or unequipped to care for people with memory loss. This limits a caregivers’ ability to take care of themselves and can lead to burnout, Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL-Austin) told the House Subcommittee on Aging and Long Term Care Wednesday.

She sponsors HF941 to provide free relief to caregivers through a $200,000 appropriation to be divided between Minnesota’s seven area agencies on aging. The funding would help these agencies provide free, short-term, community-based respite care.

Rep. Jeanne Poppe

“This is designed to … provide some respite care in a community setting that would be a very short-term, very abbreviated, but it would provide for those family caregivers … a chance to maybe get away for an hour and a half,” Poppe said.

The bill was referred to the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee. Its companion, SF897, sponsored by Sen. Kent Eken (DFL-Twin Valley), awaits action by the Senate Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee.

By supporting people who provide at-home care for their loved ones with dementia, the state saves money by avoiding the Medical Assistance costs associated with nursing home placements, Poppe said.

The exact shape, location and frequency of these respite programs would be determined by the area agencies and include training, if needed, Poppe said.

While the distribution of funds through the Board on Aging would not be determined by assessments of geographic need, area agencies would be free to target communities with the greatest needs throughout the state.

Care could be provided through smaller organizations and community groups at senior centers, churches, and schools and include programming beneficial for the people with dementia. However, the focus of the bill is to provide caregiver relief.

“This is just a very small aspect of what I think could be done, maybe should be done, to help us with the big picture,” Poppe said.