The following statement may be attributed to Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). "Gov. Mark Dayton's plan to assemble a panel to make recommendations at next year's legislative session on how the state should respond to the elder abuse crisis is woefully inadequate. "An average of 69 acts of abuse, neglect, theft and other crimes are reported every day at senior care facilities across Minnesota. Waiting until after the 2018 legislative session begins in late February will mean that thousands of older adults could suffer acts of abuse and neglect, and could even die, while the state does little to nothing.
"As a recent series of Star Tribune reports has shown, the Minnesota Department of Health has a current backlog of more than 25,000 abuse complaints that have not been investigated. Abusers will continue to abuse if their crimes are not investigated or prosecuted. "The time for action is now. Gov. Dayton and the State of Minnesota must take immediate action to address the dangerous conditions at nursing homes as a public health crisis. The safety of care facility residents cannot be set aside for two and a half months. Our vulnerable senior citizens must be treated with dignity and respect, and their protection and safety must be an absolutely top priority of state government."