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Audacious Inquiry (Ai), a health information technology company, will present a free webinar on May 25 from 9-10 a.m. to share information with LeadingAge Minnesota nursing home members about a health information exchange opportunity.

The assisted living licensure law represents a significant and historic change in how assisted living is provide and regulated in Minnesota and goes into effect Aug. 1. There is much for providers and individuals to do to prepare for its implementation.

Can you mandate staff get the COVID-19 vaccine? Can you ask staff if they have been or will get vaccinated? What about offering incentives? Know your risk before you act.

Vista Prairie Communities (VPC), a nonprofit provider of assisted living, independent living, memory care and care suites in Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin, has announced the appointment of Dewey Pettit as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

LeadingAge Minnesota members have access to several new attorney-developed resources related to management agreements under assisted living licensure. The three documents include:

• Assisted Living Licensing Scenarios - Selected Pros and Cons
• AL Management Agreement Considerations
• AL Management Agreement Scenarios

On Thursday, HUD provided more information about their June restart to physical inspections for both regular UPCS and NSPIRE demonstration properties, including an FAQ document, a flyer for residents, a memo to property owners, and an inspector notice. HUD has also informed us that they are working on several translations for the resident flyer.

On April 27, President Biden issued an Executive Order to increase the federal minimum wage for employees of federal contractors to $15 per hour.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), through the Nursing Facility Rates and Policy (NFRP) Division and the State Civil Monetary Penalties (CMP) Initiative, is seeking applications from qualified Minnesota Medicaid-Certified Nursing Facilities that are interested in applying for grant funds for several project opportunities.

This week, lawmakers are starting to reconcile the differences in significant budget bills passed off the House and Senate floors in conference committees. Conference committees mark one of the final steps in the budget-making process before the bills are sent to the Governor for his approval. We expect our most important issues to be debated in conference committees in the upcoming days.

LeadingAge Minnesota has pulled together recent data on vaccination rates for long-term care staff in Minnesota and the general population in Minnesota and nationwide.

Even as assisted living licensure applications opened last week and state legislators entered their final weeks of the legislative session, there continue to be substantive and technical issues with the assisted living licensure law, jeopardizing the access to needed assisted living services for Minnesota seniors. 

Registration is now open for the Minnesota Healthcare Engineers Association (MHCEA) 2021 Spring Conference on May 27-28.

This year’s event will be virtual given the on-going impact of COVID-19. It features two half days of educational opportunities on regulatory compliance, maintenance, and safety issues, and sponsors will build virtual exhibit booth pages with information, photos and videos for you attendees to review and connect with them within the virtual platform.

LeadingAge Minnesota will host a Community Conversation with Metro Mobility on Monday, May 3 from 10 – 11:15 a.m. via Zoom. Metro Mobility will share information on important service updates and much of the time will be used for questions. Our goal is to facilitate a discussion on barriers for service and potential improvements. If you have questions you would like shared with the Metro Mobility team in advance, please let us know. Please RSVP to Roni Falck if you would like to participate. 

On May 4 from 3-4 p.m., LeadingAge Minnesota will focus the regularly occurring Coaching Room on applications for assisted living licensure and the Uniform Checklist Disclosure of Services, a component necessary for application.

LeadingAge Minnesota is seeking volunteers to help facilitate sessions at the 2021 Institute, which is occurring virtually from May 18-21.

Even in a virtual environment, it takes a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work to make the Institute run as smoothly as possible. There are two opportunities to serve. One is acting as a session host. The role requires no previous experience, no public speaking, no need to appear on the screen and a very minimal time commitment, particularly for a session you might have been planning on attending anyway. We will provide a short list of simple instructions.

Safe Care for Seniors “I Pledge” pins  are now available for purchase on the LeadingAge Minnesota store for you to use as you bring new staff on-board, or take steps to engage or re-engage your staff in Safe Care. These pins have been a visual way for staff to show their on-going commitment to care that is safe from harm and provided with respect and dignity – always.

On April 23, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge announced that HUD will substantially increase housing inspections for Multifamily Housing communities and Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) during the public health emergency, including properties participating in the NSPIRE demonstration program, beginning June 1. The restarted inspections will temporarily provide properties with 28 days advance notice instead of the regular 14-day notice.

As we reported earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued memorandum QSO-21-15-ALL providing updated guidance (Appendix Z) for all providers covered by the federal Emergency Preparedness requirements.

This week, lawmakers are debating the Health and Human Services (HHS) omnibus budget bills on the House and Senate floor. The proposals contain most of the policy priorities affecting the senior services sector. Here is what you need to know about each version of the bills and what the next few weeks ahead look like as we approach the end of the legislative session:

The LeadingAge Minnesota and our partner in the Long-Term Care Imperative recently completed analysis of care center occupancy in 2020, which showed a historic drop due to the pandemic. While providers wait to see what happens with occupancy going forward, they do have a couple of options to address that issue.

Governor Tim Walz has signed Chapter 12, HF 2253, into law, extending presumptive workers’ compensation eligibility for emergency first responders and front-line workers.

Featuring Dr. Alyson VanAhn from Associated Clinic of Psychology

Just when things are looking hopeful on the COVID front, we may find ourselves less than elated. We may have encouragement from lower COVID case counts, hospitalizations and death rates. This is progress. But, sometimes progress and hope improve our outlook and at the same time we are left perhaps more discouraged when losses continue or resurface.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is notifying providers that they have applied federal relief to 2020 unemployment insurance charges. Many not-for-profits are “reimbursing” providers under that program, meaning that they do not pay the regular unemployment insurance tax but must cover actual unemployment insurance costs. During the pandemic, those costs spiked due to employees who did not want to take the risk of working during the pandemic.

In the most recent Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) update, staff rates for full vaccination were 58% in all reporting care centers and 49% in all reporting assisted living settings. These numbers both increased 1% from the previous week. To reach the MDH goal of 70% staff vaccination rates, providers will need to continue encouraging vaccinations among staff. MDH is now limiting reporting for providers who are meeting the goal rates for residents and staff, and as of the most recent report, 26% of providers are meeting the goal.

On April 16, MDH filed a response to the Proposed Assisted Living Licensure Rules to the Office of Administrative hearings and requested that Chief Judge Starr review and approve the rule with the modifications proposed. Modifications were made necessary dues to the disapproval of certain aspects of the rule as originally submitted. Other modifications were suggested by the Administrative Law Judge for clarity. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published updated infection prevention and control recommendations in response to COVID-19 vaccinations yesterday. Following closely behind the CDC, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published two revised memos yesterday as well: QSO 20-38 and QSO 20-39. The QSO memos are revised with the recent CDC guidance updates.

The Minnesota Department of Human Service’s Waiver Reimagine project team is hosting open office hours to discuss and understand the recent changes to Minnesota’s waiver programs. DHS will provide updates and review some common questions received about how to implement changes related to the simplified service menu.

The deadline to apply for LeadingAge Minnesota’s Leadership Academy is Monday, April 26. Invest in developing your leaders through this multi-session program that includes leadership theory, applied learning and coaching by seasoned mentors.

LeadingAge and Argentum, our national partners, are joining the Gerontological Society of America and AHCA/NCAL to promote Careers in Aging Week from April 18-24.

On April 15, HUD updated the Frequently Asked Questions associated with the Section 202 Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA), applications for which are due May 26. Based on the questions submitted, HUD has updated the FAQs. The new update includes questions on Opportunity Zones, FHA-insured financing in the development of projects, Environmental Review contacts, Appraisals, Physical Design, and Income Restrictions. The new questions are numbered 4, 16, 17, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 61 in this updated FAQ on the 202 NOFA website.