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Start planning now for your staff to attend the 2021 Virtual Institute – FORWARD.

Our annual conference is virtual this year and boasts four half-days of learning and peer connections.

The 2021 Institute features three general sessions and keynote speakers, 116 breakout sessions and virtual meetup groups for 14 interest groups. Preview this year’s content and watch this space for registration information coming soon!

To learn more about the COVID-19 Courage Fund grant program application process, register for Responders’ Call which will be held tomorrow, March 11 from 11 - 11:45 a.m.

Applicants must be LeadingAge Minnesota members that are located outside of the 7-county metro area based on the guidelines from the regional foundation that awarded LeadingAge MN Foundation these grant funds.

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) is hosting a webinar on "Developing talent through Mentoring” in their Dual-Training Pipeline Speaker Series. The featured speaker will be Deon Clark, owner of TCI Solutions and a military veteran.

The free webinar will take place on March 17, 2021, from 9 to 10 a.m. Register in advance to save your spot.

HUD is overhauling physical inspections and you have the chance to weigh in. LeadingAge, our national partner, is urging HUD to maintain a robust yet feasible approach to portfolio oversight. Using an easy online form, you can help us urge HUD to streamline the process while incentivizing well-performing properties. Add your voice in support of LeadingAge comments to HUD and customize your comments with a brief description of your community by March 15.

The Senate has finally released the complete version of the American Rescue Plan passed on Saturday, and the bill has now gone to the House. It is expected that the House will vote on that bill today – and passage is expected – so the President can sign the bill into law by the end of the week. Because this legislation will provide the State with additional financial support, we are optimistic that its passage will support our advocacy work at the state level to support a Hero Pay Bonus for all caregivers in congregate care settings during the pandemic. 

The Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, is soliciting grant proposals from providers of adult day care, home care, and housing with services to provide educational scholarships for their employees. MDH staff who oversee the scholarship program will be offering a webinar on March 17 at 2 p.m. to provide guidance on the application process and program management.

MDH has convened a group of stakeholders to discuss processes and concerns that may arise related to a need for a resident to relocate due to the upcoming assisted living licensure implementation. The Department anticipates that, in some situations, a current provider may decide to discontinue services rather than pursue licensure, and that some providers may close.

Governor Walz reported on Tuesday that Minnesota has nearly vaccinated 70% of its seniors, weeks ahead of the original deadline of April. In light of this progress, Walz announced that Minnesota will soon transition to Phase Two of vaccine distribution that prioritizes those that are chronically-ill and that qualify as essential workers. Here is what you need to know about what’s happening at the Capitol:

Featuring Dr. Alyson VanAhn from Associated Clinic of Psychology

You’re in good company if you’ve noticed some extra discouragement or frustration during a time when we have some glimmers of COVID-19 hope: vaccines have arrived and been delivered, and rates of death and hospitalization are down. So why do we feel so discouraged, tired or overwhelmed again?

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has reminded providers about the importance of reporting COVID-19 point of care antigen test results.

Many providers, both care centers and assisted living, are administering antigen tests, using the Quidel Sofia or BD Veritor systems, or the Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 card tests. The MDH epidemiology team recently shared with us that it believes some providers are not consistently reporting the results of those rapid, point of care tests, and so we wanted to share a reminder of the requirements.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), 63% of Minnesota’s care centers have completed their third vaccination clinics and 73% of assisted living settings have conducted a second clinic as of March 3. Both numbers rose dramatically in just the last week, keeping the program on track to complete all clinics soon.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) delayed the due date for the cost report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2020 from Feb. 1, 2021 to April 1, 2021. That date is now approaching so members will need to focus on completing that report.

In preparation for licensure of Minnesota’s assisted living settings on Aug. 1, LeadingAge Minnesota has prepared several new tools to help you prepare for implementation.

Assisted living settings will be required to apply for licensure by June 1. Although the rules have not yet been finalized and legislative discussions continue, it is important to prepare for your setting’s application for licensure and for implementation. To aid you in your efforts, we have launched tools and checklists to help you as you prepare for licensure:

Over the past several weeks, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has convened provider, consumer and agency stakeholders in a series of meetings to identify additional changes to the assisted living licensure law in order to pass a bill during the 2021 legislative session. The goal was to reach stakeholder consensus on a set of changes that are critical to the smooth, timely implementation of the assisted living licensure law later this year and work with lawmakers to pass those changes in this legislative session.

A two-part governance workshop series for executive and board teams explores how to position your organization for strength and growth as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Want to know more about Safe Care for Seniors? Join our 3-part virtual workshop A Practical Guide to Providing Safe Care for Seniors on April 6, 13 and 20. This series is for organizations wanting to learn about this initiative and staff in participating organizations who have not yet completed training.

Click here to see details and register.

Calling all members – join our largest advocacy event of the year, the virtual Week at the Minnesota State Capitol, March 15-19. We need your voice to raise awareness for the needs of older adults and their caregivers with lawmakers.

Employer applications are being accepted for the 2021 Summer Health Care Internship Program (SHCIP). Hospitals, clinics, nursing facilities, home care providers and adult day services facilities are encouraged to participate on behalf of qualified students in their community.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), through the State Civil Monetary Penalties (CMP) Initiative, is seeking proposals from qualified Minnesota Medicaid-Certified Nursing Facilities that are interested in implementing an online Dementia Care Training and Certification Program.

As part of our Safe Care for Seniors work, we have a process in place for collaborative learning and sharing called “Safe Tables.” A Safe Table is a safe space to come together and explore a specific and actionable quality/safety issue by conducting a deep dive into the key factors contributing to the issue and developing and sharing successful strategies and tools.

Federal lawmakers continue to move forward with a COVID-10 response package. Last weekend, the House passed the $1.9 trillion package and now the legislation is being considered in the Senate.
While the current package includes investments in infection control teams for care centers and an enhanced Medicaid match for HCBS Waivers, it fails to provide to the existing Provider Relief Fund.

The Minnesota Department of Health will host two webinars on assisted living licensure in upcoming days.

First, on March 4 from 10-11:30 a.m., MDH will host a presentation regarding assisted living licensure in relation to customized living providers. Presentation materials will after the call at Assisted Living Fact Sheets.

Join us on March 17 at 2 p.m. for an open discussion on the application process for licensing as an Assisted Living Director (LALD). To accommodate a Minnesota Department of Health webinar on assisted living licensure on March 18 from 10 - 11:30 a.m., we moved the LALD Coaching Room from its original date and time.

The Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, is soliciting grant proposals from providers of adult day care, home care, and housing with services to provide educational scholarships for their employees. You can find the HCBS Scholarship Program details, application, and forms on the MDH website.

The Minnesota Department of Health Case Mix Review team released information on updated documentation requirements when isolation is coded on the MDS under O0100M. This updated information will be effective for all MDS’ with an assessment reference date (ARD) on or after Friday, March 5. In order to correctly code O0100M, Isolation on the MDS, case mix review auditors will check for required documentation in the resident’s medical record. This required documentation includes:

On Feb. 18, DHS sent a communication to all enrolled customized living providers about new assisted living facility licensure requirements and how they affect providers’ ability to provide customized living services. The communication was sent to each provider’s MN-ITS.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services, through the Nursing Facility Rates and Policy (NFRP) Division and the State Civil Monetary Penalties (CMP) Initiative, is seeking proposals from qualified Minnesota Medicaid-Certified Nursing Facilities that are interested in implementing a Dementia Live Training Program.

If you have questions about applying for a Courage Fund through LeadingAge MN Foundation (LAMF), join a 45-minute Grant Responders’ Call from 11 - 11:45 a.m. on March 11. Register for call in advance.

Featuring Dr. Alyson VanAhn from Associated Clinic of Psychology

In senior care, many of us are doubling up on trauma exposure, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is one thing to experience a traumatic event personally—and another to do this in addition to watching others cope with trauma daily. This can have negative effects on our well-being. Fortunately, we can experience post-traumatic stress without this becoming a long-term issue. Our resilience strategies can help. 

On February 10^th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a MMWR article discussing well-fitting masks. The study shows the better a mask fits around the user’s face, the better the protection against contracting COVID-19. Methods to increase mask fitting include a mask fitter, tucking and looping a surgical or procedural mask, or wearing a cloth mask over the surgical or procedure mask.