Deal Reached for Requiring Licensing of Minnesota Assisted Living Communities

Senior advocacy groups, state regulators, and the senior-care industry in Minnesota have finalized an agreement to revamp the state's system for protecting older adults from abuse and neglect, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune . The deal would for the first time license assisted living communities, and mandate they maintain minimum standards of care. The state Legislature is expected to pass the bill into law, which would bring Minnesota's regulatory oversight of the long-term care sector more in line with the rest of the United States. A broad coalition of consumer advocacy and industry groups warned that failure to pass elder-care legislation "would be catastrophic for thousands of vulnerable adults" in the state. Minnesota's regulations date back to the 1980s, when assisted living was in its infancy and thought to need less regulation because residents were typically younger and required less care than people in nursing homes. Over the years, however, assisted living centers have expanded in size and opened specialized memory care units for people with dementia, which often resemble skilled nursing homes. "With the population aging and growing, and more providers coming into the market, there was a real urgency toward creating a more comprehensive and clear framework," said state Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm.