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The 2026 Institute & Expo – Change Makers – is Feb. 11-12, 2026 in St. Paul. Join us for two days of nonstop education for everyone on your team, plus the largest aging services expo in the region, special events, and valuable connections with peers.

Applications to participate in this year's Leadership Academy are open through March 9. Leadership Academy is a nine-month, cohort-based program that delivers high-impact, mission-aligned leadership development for emerging and mid-level leaders in aging services. The 2026 program runs May through November. 

As a reminder, 2026 membership renewal invoices, sent in November, are due this month.

Executives in senior services nutrition and culinary leadership are invited to join our upcoming gathering of your peers. These virtual meetings will provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and best practices, gain insights from colleagues facing similar challenges, and strengthen your professional network across Minnesota.  This forum will foster idea-sharing and collaborative problem-solving.

Welcome 2026, and Happy New Year everyone!

Registration is open for LeadingAge Minnesota’s January district meeting, scheduled for 1–3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15. Register online to join members from across the state for association updates, education and opportunities to connect at the start of the year.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has announced the upcoming launch of the Assisted Living Competitive Grant Program, established under new legislation effective Jan. 1, 2026 (see Minnesota Statutes, section 144G.31). This program supports projects and initiatives that improve resident quality of care and outcomes in assisted living settings licensed under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144G, or organizations with experience in assisted living operations, compliance, resident needs, or best practices.

Some members are navigating increased questions related to immigration enforcement activity reported in communities across the state—including both metro and greater Minnesota communities with higher concentrations of immigrant populations. While LeadingAge Minnesota is currently not aware of any senior living or long-term care facilities with reported ICE raids, we also know that some employers are seeing related activity—document requests or staff concerns stemming from encounters outside of work—and are seeking ways to respond proactively and compassionately.  

OnTrack Medication Aide (TMA) Training is now available. Launching today, Jan. 1, 2026, this new hybrid Medication Aide training program—approved by the Minnesota Department of Health—expands career pathways for caregivers and provides members with a flexible, statewide TMA training option.

The 2026 Institute & Expo – Change Makers – is Feb. 11-12, 2026 in St. Paul. This is two days of nonstop education for everyone on your team, plus the largest aging services expo in the region, special events, and valuable connections with peers.

Sholom is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrea Horvath as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective December 14, 2025. Horvath has been serving as Interim COO and brings more than 16 years of experience within the organization.

AscendRural, a program of Sourcewell, is inviting rural senior-serving nonprofits and government agencies to apply for their Senior Care Community Cohort — a guided pathway focused on identifying high-potential technology solutions that solve your organization’s most critical problems.

Registration is now open for LeadingAge Minnesota’s January District Meeting, set for 1–3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15. The virtual meeting will bring members from across the state together for timely association updates, education and opportunities to connect.

The National Association of Long-Term Care Boards (NAB) has launched the 2025-26 Professional Practice Analysis (PPA) survey. A PPA, sometimes referred to as a Job Analysis, is the practice of gathering and analyzing details about a particular job, such as responsibilities, day-to-day duties, qualifications, etc.

In assisted living settings, unlicensed staff are often the first to respond to resident situations. LeadingAge Minnesota developed member supports to assist in clarifying practical expectations for incident response, reinforcing the use of the airway, breathing, circulation (ABCs), and providing education and tools that help organizations make decisions about when, and whether, to move a resident after a fall.

OnTrack Medication Aide (TMA) Training launches January 1, 2026. Newly approved by the Minnesota Department of Health, this hybrid medication aide training program was developed in response to member requests for accessible, online training and expands career advancement opportunities for caregivers across the state.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services announced on Tuesday that they will implement a licensing pause for adult day settings starting Feb. 1, 2026.

LeadingAge Minnesota, alongside our Long-Term Care Imperative (LTCI) partner, continues to press state leaders for accountability after the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) failed to complete a critical step required to establish 2026 Medicaid nursing facility rates.

As we reported previously, DHS has informed LeadingAge MN that, due to some internal IT challenges, they will not publish Jan. 1, 2026 nursing home Medicaid rate notices during the month of December. Nursing homes need to provide a notice to their private pay residents before the rate increase is effective on Jan. 1, even if the amount of increase is not known.

Mark your calendar now and join us for these webinars happening in January:

The 2026 Institute & Expo – Change Makers – is Feb. 11-12, 2026, in St. Paul. We encourage you register your site and the people attending before the Jan. 7 early bird deadline to save $100 on your organizational site/entity registration fee!

Large events that include exhibitors and overnight accommodations can unfortunately attract fraudulent activity, including unauthorized list selling and hotel room solicitations. We encourage you to exercise caution when responding to unsolicited emails or phone calls.

AscendRural, a program of Sourcewell, is inviting rural senior-serving nonprofits and government agencies to apply for their Senior Care Community Cohort — a guided pathway focused on identifying high-potential technology solutions that solve your organization’s most critical problems.

The holiday season brings increased shopping activity, gift giving and charitable appeals. It also brings a rise in scams that target older adults.

The Low-Income Rental Classification (LIRC) program provides a reduced property tax class rate for qualifying rental housing and can lower property tax obligations.

In November, voters in Duluth, Minnesota approved a Right to Repair ballot initiative, granting tenants a right to repair certain defects in residential rental units when applicable requirements are met.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has indefinitely suspended the Skilled Nursing Facility Off-Cycle Revalidation required by January 1, 2026. It is important to note that only the January 1 (“off-cycle”) compliance date has been suspended.

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is excited to announce our Tenth Annual Silent Auction which will take place as part of the 2026 Institute. All proceeds from the Silent Auction go to the Gayle Kvenvold Commitment to Caregivers Fund to benefit dedicated caregivers throughout Minnesota.

Today, Minnesota officials released its fall economic forecast, which will inform state lawmakers’ priorities in 2026. 

The 2026 Institute & Expo – Change Makers – is Feb. 11-12, 2026 in St. Paul. This is two days of nonstop education for everyone on your team, plus the largest aging services expo in the region, special events, and valuable connections with peers.