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eMenuCHOICE®, a leading dining management and point of sale (POS) application for senior living communities, now offers a time-saving integration for its customers who use the electronic health record solution ECS from American Data.

The U.S. Housing & Urban Development Department (HUD) updated its Q&A for Multifamily Housing programs. The July 31 Q&A document relays HUD’s guidance on operational and procedural questions related to the safe administration of HUD-assisted programs during COVID-19. In the Q&A, HUD provides clarity on mask requirements for residents, testing requirements for residents, and management and occupancy reviews. Included in the updates: 

As we previously reported, the Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) Form CMS-R-131 and instructions have been approved for renewal.  

A reminder that the temporary reporting relief outlined in the March 27 CMS memo for the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) and SNF Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) program has expired as of June 30, 2020. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will share information on fiscal year 2021 skilled nursing facility payment policies during a Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)/Long Term Care Open Door Forum this Thursday, Aug. 6 at 1 p.m.  The full agenda will include:     

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is still accepting applications from Medicaid-certified nursing facilities to receive up to $3,000 in Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) funds to purchase communication technology.  

LeadingAge Minnesota and its partner in the Long-Term Care Imperative submitted comments on behalf of older adult service providers on the draft final report of the Blue Ribbon Commission of Health and Human Services. 

A recent survey of LeadingAge Minnesota members illustrates the negative impact of the nearly four-month mandated closure of Adult Day Services on participants and family caregivers. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week issued a proposed rule that announces and seeks public comments on proposed policy changes for Medicare Part B payments, on or after January 1, 2021.  Click here for fact sheet describing the proposed rule.  While policy analysts are still combing through the 1300-page proposal, several issues stand out as important for aging services providers. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final version of the annual Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Payment Rule that updates rates for the second year of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) which starts on Oct. 1. The Oct. 1 rates include an inflation update of 2.2% based on a formula in existing law.  

We have gathered additional details about the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ initiative to supply rapid point-of-care antigen testing instruments and tests to nursing homes throughout the country to aid in identification and mitigation of COVID-19. 

eMenuCHOICE, a leading dining management and point of sale (POS) application for senior living communities, now offers reservation features that support communities’ efforts to reopen communal dining. eMenuCHOICE is a valued partner in the LeadingAge MN Savings & Solutions Center. 

There have been reports of students who have completed Nursing Assistant training but have not yet been able to complete testing, running into roadblocks to being hired. Some of these roadblocks include applications designed to ask students for their nursing assistant registry number before being allowed to move forward in the application process, recruiters expecting applicants to be on the Nursing Assistant Registry and students being asked multiple times for copies of their certification. 

Application forms for the COVID-19 Supplemental Payment funds are due to HUD by Aug. 5. 

Relief funds for private-pay assisted living providers are under consideration by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. 

A Republican proposal introduced in the U.S. Senate this week, the HEALS Act (Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools Act) includes measures that address liability protections.  

As we develop new tools and resources to help you combat COVID-19 and comply with changing state and federal guidance, we remind you to visit our COVID-19 web page where you will find a wide variety of resources. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently provided an update on the status of Assisted Living Licensure in Minnesota that reviewed licensure and the transition process to the new regulatory structure. It also included an overview of licensure, fees and the ability for excluded settings to continue to provide customized living services pending federal waiver approval.  

The 2020 LeadingAge Minnesota Nominating Committee, chaired by Mark Anderson, CEO of Knute Nelson in Alexandria, has announced that nominations are open for board members and officers of the LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors and for individuals eligible to elected as Lifetime Honorary Members.   

Join us Aug. 3 to hear three new approaches to delivering alternative adult day services. Alternative adult day services became a necessity during this pandemic and the services are currently approved by the Minnesota Department of Human Services through June 2021. 

Joe Schmit, long-time sportscaster for KSTP-TV, is the featured keynote speaker at the 2020 Virtual Connect Conference on Aug. 19. His presentation, Living an Impactful Life: Building Positive Connections, delivers a powerful message about our need for human connections and making an impact on others.  

Our beloved fall tradition is going 100% virtual this year due to COVID-19. Join us the mornings of Sept. 16, 17 and 18 for the ultimate in conference convenience, flexibility and value. Registration is open, with 40% lower fee than last year. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has modified certain requirements for home care licensing, survey and enforcement activities. The modifications are allowed based on Emergency Executive Order 20-32  issued on April 8. 

Governor Walz on Tuesday said Minnesota continues to make progress on its work to limit and stop the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities. (Read the Release; Watch the Briefing). 

Our Connect Conference for senior housing, assisted living and home care is Aug. 19 - 20, and it’s packed full of information, updates and networking. Early bird registration ends this Friday, July 24 – register now for lower pricing! See more details on pricing and CEUS that have never been offered before! 

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation (LAMF) last week awarded $660,000 in COVID-19 grants to fund staff support and virtual adult day services. 

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) last week announced plans to supply rapid, point-of-care testing instruments and tests to nursing homes throughout the country to aid in the fight against COVID-19.  

In this week’s Resource Round-Up, we feature three new resources released last week: Essential Caregivers, Visitation Guidance Decision-Making Grid, and Adult Day Re-Opening 

After nearly eight outstanding years as our Vice President of Public Relations, Jodi Boyne is leaving LeadingAge Minnesota for an exciting new opportunity. She is returning to the public sector — where she worked for 16 years before joining us — to become the Director of Public Affairs for the Minnesota Judicial Branch effective Aug. 10. 

While the national prohibition on nonpayment evictions will lift July 25, there are still have ongoing restrictions in Minnesota. Governor Walz last week issued Executive Orders 20-79, which rescinded Executive Orders 20-14 and 20-73 and issued new guidance on eviction suspensions during the duration of the peacetime emergency. Both the rescission and the new order are effective Aug. 4.