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Ground Level Blog
Curtis Gilbert

Know a personal care attendant in Todd County?

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As part of our Ground Level: Todd County project, Minnesota Public Radio News is looking into the effects recent cuts to Minnesota's Personal Care Assistance program are having on the county's seniors.

If you know anyone in Todd County who is a personal care attendant or who uses one, I'd like your help getting in touch with them. Please e-mail me or call 651-290-1194 and leave me a message there.

Personal Care Assistance is a state program that pays attendants to provide tens of thousands of elderly and disabled Minnesotans with (largely non-medical) help -- getting dressed, grooming, eating, etc. The goal is to help people stay in their homes, instead of living in an institutional setting such as a nursing home.

The program has surged in popularity over the last decade. State spending on Personal Care Assistance more than doubled between 2002 and 2007 to more than $400 million a year.

That explosive growth made the program an attractive target for budget cutting last year. A report from the Legislative Auditor also found lax regulation made it vulnerable to fraud.

The Minnesota Legislature made a number of changes to the Personal Care Assistance law last year -- tightening eligibility, requiring training for attendants, and limiting the number of hours a personal care attendant can work in a given month.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty made $7.5 million in additional cuts to the program unilaterally last summer as part of his package of unallotments.

I'm curious about what effect those cuts and legislative reforms are having on Todd County senior citizens. I appreciate any help you can give me in answering that question.