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Skilled nursing facilities have the ability to train caregivers quickly using the Basic Care Aide and Paid Feeding Assistant programs from EduCare. The expedited training programs are eligible under the current 1135 waiver, allowing you to train Basic Care Aides in just 9 hours and paid feeding assistants within 2 hours. Basic Care Aides are eligible to work in place of traditional nursing assistants.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued a disaster preparedness toolkit for multifamily housing. Announced yesterday, the disaster preparedness “business continuity” toolkit for multifamily housing providers is now available.  HUD will also be hosting a webinar on Thursday, Dec. 10, from 12:30-2 pm CST to share information on the new resource.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced (QSO-21-06-NH) on December 4 that the Five Star Quality Rating system will resume all updates with the January 2021 refresh. Due to the public health emergency (PHE) first issued in March 2020, the 3 domains of the rating system had previously been held constant at varying times throughout the past 9 months as a result of changes to health inspections and certain temporary regulatory waivers. During this time, CMS also unveiled the new Care Compare site, which officially replaced all legacy sites, including Nursing Home Compare, on December 1, 2020. Complete updates to the Five Star Quality Rating system will be available at the new Care Compare site on January 27, 2021.

The Minnesota Home Care and Assisted Living Advisory Council announced their first project utilizing funds from the special revenue account established from fines related to home care survey findings. The Commissioner has approved an expenditure of $100,000 with a maximum per provider of $2500 to be granted for the purchase of technology and for training of staff to use devices to ease isolation for individuals served in assisted living and through home care agencies. More information and an application will be issued soon with an application period expected in January.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Housing Support team has published a memo regarding the end of the temporary absence waiver that has been in place under the authority of the Governor's Emergency Executive Order 20-12, under which the DHS Commissioner waived certain absence day requirements for Housing Support recipients. The absence waiver allowed for absences longer than 18 days per absence and/or beyond 60 days total in this calendar year. The absence waiver is for people who are temporarily absent due to offsite quarantine, isolation, or hospitalization. The absence waiver is ending on Dec. 30, 2020. There is no authority to extend beyond this date.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) recently released guidance for Adult Day Centers relating to policies and processes for confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst staff and participants. The new guidance must be added to each center’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plans and includes the following elements:

Two COVID-19 vaccines are close to being approved for Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA. To help you prepare staff and residents for vaccination availability, here are some tools to customize.

Featuring Dr. Alyson VanAhn, Associated Clinic of Psychology

Our focus this week is on providing small doses of nurturing—for yourself and your team— in order to build resilience for all. In addition to the compliments we discussed in last week’s article, a focus on what’s most nurturing at a basic level can be very helpful to restore a sense of comfort in the most difficult times.

Safe Care Vaccine Campaign Underway

The COVID-19 vaccine is coming, but we know that it will not be effective if people don’t get vaccinated.  Over the coming weeks we will be promoting the importance of getting vaccinated through the Safe Care for Seniors Living the Pledge Campaign.

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) started distributing the second round of infection control incentive payments to care centers who earned them for the month of October.  They also released the details about which providers received payments and how much the payments were.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) modified how surveyors should look at staff screening procedures and they have removed the requirement for active screening. Requirements for the organization in reference to staff screening include the need for a screening process that all staff must complete prior to or at the beginning of their shift.

First Phase to Include Healthcare Personnel and LTC Residents

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) issued two documents on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 discussing several topics regarding vaccines.  Recommendations for initial Phase 1a vaccination include healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities.

If ever there were a time to develop and support nurse leaders in our field, this is it. They are looked upon to deliver best in class service, meet stringent regulatory requirements, develop an effective quality process, navigate the evolving challenges of a pandemic, lead and motivate a staff team that is stretched to capacity – and so much more.

Appropriate use of gloves and hand hygiene practices related to glove use is an important component of effective infection prevention practices and is a practice that is frequently cited during infection control surveys.

Join Your Colleagues in Creating Safe Hand Hygiene and Glove Use Habits across our communities. The Living the Pledge Campaign monthly infection prevention campaign is now entering its second full month to help keep residents and fellow team members safe from harm.

DHS recently posted 2021 calendar year Medicaid rate notices for almost all care centers in the Nursing Facility Provider Portal. These rates are based on the cost reports for the year ended September 30, 2019 and will not reflect any COVID-19 related cost increases.

The Minnesota Board of Executives for Long Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) has published the draft rules for the licensure of assisted living directors and has reached the hearing process. Included in the draft rules (pages 515-539) are requirements for licensure, courses, the director in residence requirements, course provider program review and continuing education. The draft rules and Statement of Need and Reasonableness (SONAR) for the Licensed Assisted Living Directors (LALDs) can be accessed on the BELTSS website.

In a special “Home Care Matters” call this week, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) provided basic information on assisted living licensure and the transition for settings currently registered as Housing with Services Establishments with “arranged home care providers” to licensure as assisted living facilities.

CMS last week posted updates to several nursing home survey tools and documents:

Information is circulating that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is updating its quarantine guidance to say quarantine can be shortened to 7 days if the individual is asymptomatic and has a COVID negative test.

Long-term care providers were asked to sign up with a pharmacy partner to administer vaccines to residents when a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. The PPP program sign-up deadline has passed and LeadingAge Minnesota recently received several questions about what to do if an organization was unable to sign up for the PPP program within previous deadline.

If you have not signed up with a pharmacy vaccine partner and would still like to, please email MDH at health.covid.vaccine@state.mn.us as soon as possible.  MDH and CDC would like this finalized by the end of day on Friday, Dec. 4, 2020.

Due to the overlapping mandates for testing of staff and residents during outbreaks and of staff based on the positivity rate in the county, the Long-term Care Imperative has been working with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) on clarifying how staff testing should be billed when both requirements apply.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) shared updated information this week on the issue of whether a healthcare worker who experiences a high risk exposure to COVID-19, but who is asymptomatic and has not tested positive for the virus, may return to work prior to the end of his or her 14-day quarantine if staffing needs are acute. The information is consistent with prior guidance from MDH, but we want to be sure members have access to the latest published standards on this and on the related issue of asymptomatic staff who have tested positive.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) held an emergency meeting on Dec. 1 to review allocation recommendations for vaccines in phase 1 distribution. The advisory committee voted to include resident’s of long-term care communities in Phase 1A of vaccination. Long-term care residents now join healthcare workers in Phase 1A vaccination recommendations. For more information on ACIP you can visit the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices website.

Earlier this year, the state produced two special budget updates to look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state’s economy. Those updates showed disturbing projected budget shortfalls of $2.4 billion for the current biennium and $4.7 billion for the biennium starting July 1, 2021. Since that time, state revenue collections have exceeded expectations and the budget looks more positive.

Today the Minnesota Department of Health published guidance entitled “Long-term Care Guidance Under Executive Order 20-99” specific to residents who leave a long-term care building for reasons other than essential medical appointments. The document references the Governor’s executive order 20-99 and makes the following points:

Registration just opened for one of the hottest tickets in the field of aging. Each year, the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging (MLCOA) gathers the state’s leading minds for a Summit to discuss the policies and practices needed to create communities and systems that support aging with dignity and a spirit of well-being in Minnesota. Last year at the Summit, Governor Walz signed an executive order to establish the Council for an Age-Friendly Minnesota that recently submitted their recommendations.

Nurse leaders in aging services settings must possess the leadership and operational skills to provide best in class care and effectively support their staff and residents. This year, when the COVID-19 pandemic has staff teams stretched to capacity, the need is even more urgent.

Members interested in submitting one or more proposals for the May 19-21 LeadingAge Minnesota Institute have until 5 pm on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 to respond. Proposals can be sent using this link. Questions may be directed to Heidi Simpson at hsimpson@leadingagemn.org. Individuals and companies who submitted proposals in the summer 2020 CFP round have been contacted and asked to make a choice about how they would like their original proposal(s) handled. Copies of original proposal submissions may be requested by contacting Terri Foley tfoley@leadingagemn.org.

On November 23^rd, HUD announced the continued availability of supplemental funds for HUD-assisted multifamily housing providers responding to COVID-19. In July, HUD announced the initial request period for COVID-19 Supplemental Payments. The new HUD notice establishes a second request window and updates the submission requirements.