opinion

The Star Tribune deserves praise for its powerful series on nursing home falls ("Deadly falls," Nov. 15-17) that have resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 Minnesota seniors since 2002. We couldn't help feeling saddened by the tragic stories that were uncovered. As policymakers, our attention focused on two important themes that ran through the entire series: inadequate staffing and staff training at Minnesota nursing homes.

''If there's one alarm going off in one hall and there's another one going off in the other hall in the other direction, which one do you go to first?'' a nursing home aide told the Star Tribune. ''One of them you're going to save from falling. The other one is going to fall.''

As nursing home expert Charlene Harrington told the newspaper, ''I think it's really related to the inadequate staffing. Totally related. And, you know, the damage is untold.''

Nursing homes depend on state and federal dollars to keep their doors open. As funding has been stripped away, these facilities have been forced to reduce staff, freeze wages, delay needed upgrades and repairs, and sometimes cut corners when it comes to providing quality care, as was shown by the Star Tribune series. Inadequate staffing leads to poor working conditions for caregivers, which in turn significantly increases the risk of serious mistakes.

While we can't know how many of the stories covered in the investigative report could have been avoided through better staffing, we do know that the budget cuts are forcing caregivers to be responsible for more and more vulnerable adults without adequate resources or proper tools.

When fall-related deaths occur at nursing homes, grieving families should be assured of a thorough and timely investigation. Unfortunately, this is frequently not the case. According to the Star Tribune report, fewer than 10 percent of fall-related deaths are properly investigated by the Department of Health, which is overseen by the governor. This is not acceptable, and the Legislature will hold a hearing on this matter. We will invite the department, nursing homes, caregivers, and senior organizations to participate in the hearing, and we will use their testimony to help implement changes needed to correct this problem.

While these stories are deeply troubling, it's important to note that Minnesota is home to some of the finest long-term care facilities in the nation, run by some of the most dedicated and caring people you'll ever meet. Our goal is to supply nursing homes with the tools and resources they need to provide quality care to their residents, and to ensure that when accidents occur, every step is taken to prevent future mishaps and to provide seniors and their families with the answers they deserve.

John Doll, DFL-Burnsville, and Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona, are members of the Minnesota Senate.