Bill would require training for assisted living workers in case of residents’ fall

Adrienne Sloan’s father, 79-year-old Larry Thompson, died last March during the seven minutes it took for him to receive care after he fell off his electric scooter at Meadow Ridge Senior Living in Golden Valley.

Reviewing video surveillance, Sloan said “you could watch him breathe, then die” as he attempted to get back on his scooter and ended up suffocating with his neck pinned against a wall. This happened as employees called 911, then stood by and waited for emergency services to arrive.  

After her father’s death, Sloan called Rep. Ginny Klevorn (DFL-Plymouth), who subsequently has sponsored HF3935 that, as amended, would update policies and procedures required of assisted living facilities and would add licensing requirements for workers who are not trained to directly respond to something like a fall.

The bill was laid over Wednesday by the House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee.

“No lift” and “no touch” policies are common in many assisted living facilities across the country, Klevorn said. Facilities put these policies in place to reduce liability, protect staff from injury and comply with safety regulations, particularly when staff are not trained to lift people safely. This means residents who fall often stay on the floor for the duration of the time it takes for staff to call 911 and responders to arrive.

“The expectation of the general public is that when ‘assisted living’ is used, that their family members will in fact receive assistance when something like a non-emergency call is received,” Klevorn said.

Rep. Jeff Backer (R-Browns Valley) and Committee Co-Chair Rep. Joe Schomacker (R-Luverne) asked if the proposed requirements would pose financial burdens for care facilities or workers.

The bill would require workers to complete a 40-hour training that can be completed online and costs around $895, Klevorn said.