Minnesota Grants $1.7 Million to 21 Agencies for Elder Care

The Minnesota Department of Human Services announced on Jan. 7 $1.7 million in grants to 21 agencies to "develop home and community-based services" for senior citizens, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The grants come two weeks after the state ended a month-long temporary freeze on approximately $200 million in funding for not-for-profit organizations and local governments, an effort to curtail spending in the face of Minnesota's projected $1.95 billion budget deficit. Department of Human Services officials said the grants are "an integral part of broadening services for older people and their families." The grants will go to build small assisted-living apartments for low-income seniors, expand a grocery delivery program, train caregivers and provide "adult day services for Latino elders and care coordination" for Native American seniors. Officials said that without these programs, reaching a "legislative goal" of saving the state $44.5 million by closing 5,140 nursing-home beds "might be difficult." The Star Tribune reports the state has yet to negotiate the amount of the individual grants, which require local matching funds. Two additional rounds of grants are expected to be announced over the next two years, with total allocated funds reaching $10 million (Wolfe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 1/8). For data and other information on health in the states mentioned in today's Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, visit State Health Facts Online.