The next election will shape the future of long-term care—We need every member engaged
By Toby Pearson | July 23, 2026 | All members
Every election cycle brings promises. Candidates talk about affordability, healthcare, public safety, education, and taxes. Yet one issue that affects nearly every Minnesota family continues to receive far too little attention: how we will care for our rapidly growing aging population.
As I travel across Minnesota visiting our members, I hear the same concerns over and over again. Providers are doing everything they can to deliver exceptional care, support dedicated employees, and serve residents with dignity but they are doing it while operating under tremendous financial and workforce pressures that have been building for years.
The reality is this: Minnesota does not have a comprehensive long-term care plan.
Too often, long-term care is viewed through the narrow lens of a two-year state budget. Funding decisions are made biennially, reimbursement rates are debated for a few weeks each legislative session, and then policymakers move on to the next issue. Meanwhile, the demographic reality continues to march forward every single day.
The "Silver Tsunami" isn't coming. It's already here.
Minnesota's older adult population is growing rapidly, while demand for nursing homes, assisted living, memory care, and home and community-based services continues to rise. At the same time, LTC providers across our state are struggling to fill approximately 11,000 open positions. Those workforce shortages are already limiting admissions, reducing capacity, and making it harder for families to find care when they need it most.
This is not simply an industry issue. It is a family issue. Every Minnesotan either has aging parents, grandparents, neighbors, or will someday need these services themselves.
That is why member engagement during this election cycle has never been more important. No one can tell your story better than you can. Invite candidates to tour your community. Let them meet the caregivers who show up every day to care for vulnerable older adults. Introduce them to residents and families who depend on these services. Show them what it takes to operate a high-quality care community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Attend town halls. Ask questions. Meet with legislators in their districts. Build relationships before the legislative session begins.
Don't assume elected officials understand the realities you face every day. Many have never walked through a long-term care community or seen firsthand the complexity of caring for individuals with dementia, chronic illness, rehabilitation needs, or end-of-life care.
Help them understand that reimbursement has not kept pace with inflation or the true cost of providing care. Explain that providers cannot simply increase prices to cover rising labor, food, insurance, utility, pharmaceutical, and regulatory costs because our reimbursement is determined by government programs. The result is a system that expects more while often providing fewer resources.
We also need policymakers to recognize that Minnesota's workforce challenges cannot be solved without serious conversations about immigration. Long-term care has been strengthened for decades by dedicated immigrant caregivers who have chosen to make Minnesota their home. Nationally, immigrants represent a substantial share of the direct care workforce, and in Minnesota, foreign-born workers make up a large portion of nursing aide and home health occupations.
This should not be a partisan conversation. America needs a comprehensive immigration system that is secure, orderly, and recognizes our workforce realities. Without a stable pipeline of legally authorized caregivers, the workforce shortages facing long-term care will become even more severe as demand continues to grow. Recent workforce experts have warned that reducing the available immigrant caregiving workforce will only intensify shortages across aging services.
Our advocacy cannot end with reimbursement. We need leaders who are willing to think ten, twenty, and thirty years ahead. We need a statewide strategy for workforce development, housing, education, immigration, technology, and long-term services. We need policies that encourage innovation while ensuring seniors have access to quality care close to home.
Most importantly, we need elected officials who understand that long-term care is not just another line item in a budget. It is the infrastructure that supports Minnesota families during some of life's most important moments.
This election cycle gives every Care Providers of Minnesota member an opportunity to educate future decision-makers before they begin casting votes at the Capitol.
Your voice matters. Your story matters.
And if we want Minnesota to finally develop a long-term vision for aging services instead of simply reacting every two years, that work begins now—with each of us engaging our communities, our candidates, and our elected officials. The future of long-term care depends on it.
Toby Pearson | President/CEO |
[email protected] | 952-851-2487