Media Round-up: Advocates from Around the State Share Stories with Their Neighbors

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Libbie Chapuran

Around the state, LeadingAge Minnesota members have been lifting their voices and sharing their stories in the media to advance our goal of supporting seniors and their caregivers through legislative action.

If you’d like to submit a letter to the editor, an op-ed, or pitch a story to the media, contact Libbie Chapuran, Director of Communications at LeadingAge Minnesota.

Minnesota Matters on Minnesota News Network

Minnesota News Network includes a weekly senior care feature in its Minnesota Matters news show. You can listen to all three weeks that have run so far:

• Minnesota Matters featuring Dustin Lee, Prairie Senior Cottages
• Minnesota Matters featuring Sue Knutson, Samaritan Bethany
• Minnesota Matters featuring Kari Thurlow, LeadingAge Minnesota

Op-eds and letters to the editor

Several members have submitted letters to the editor and op-eds to the newspapers in their communities. Below you’ll find several that have run in the past week:

• Duluth News Tribune: Readers view: Legislature positioned to fix senior care system, Chet Fishel,  Viewcrest Health Center and Franciscan Health Center in Duluth

• Perham Focus: State lawmakers need to act to fix staggering workforce shortage at nursing homes, Tracy Hendrickx, Perham Health

• Winona Daily News: Minnesota should invest in elderly care, Sara Blair, Sauer Health Care
• Rochester Post Bulletin: Time for state to contribute more for senior care, Sue Knutson, Samaritan Bethany
• Star Tribune: Readers Write - The root cause of trouble, Barb Klick, Sholom, and Kari Thurlow, LeadingAge Minnesota
• Star Tribune: Editorial counterpoint - Health care ailment spreads far beyond hospitals, Josh Berg, ASI

Caregiver Conversations

LeadingAge Minnesota has launched a new series: Caregiver Conversations. We’re helping lawmakers and their constituents have critical conversations about the aging services sector. Then we’re sharing the recordings far and wide, so Minnesotans and leaders at the Capitol better understand the issues we are facing.

• ROCHESTER: Listen to the latest Caregiver Conversation from Rochester with Sen. Liz Boldon and Rep. Kim Hicks and members from Samaritan Bethany and Benedictine Madonna Towers. LISTEN HERE: https://fluence-media.co/LeadingAgeRochester
• MANKATO: Our first Caregiver Conversation featured members from Mankato and St. Peter who discussed the caregiver crisis with Sen. Nick Frentz and Rep. Jeff Brand. LISTEN HERE: https://fluence-media.co/LeadingAgeMankato
• COMING SOON: We’re planning two more conversations with lawmakers from the northwest corner of the state and the east metro area of the Twin Cities.

Thanks to all the members who used their voices to share their stories in the media.