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A new White House commission focused on protecting nursing home residents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond was announced last week. Providers who were appointed to that commission are seeking deeper collaboration with regulators that is focused more on solutions, not penalties.  

Affordable housing providers should plan to participate in a RAD for PRAC call with HUD on Tuesday, June 30 at 1 p.m. The call will feature information about RAD flexibilities during COVID-19 and other updates, as well as a discussion on the new RAD for PRAC forms.  

As part of the response to COVID-19, the federal government has also been offering forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans to qualified small businesses through local lenders. Funding remains available for additional loans, so members who qualify and have not yet received a loan can still apply. 

Applications are still being accepted by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) from Medicaid-certified nursing facilities to receive up to $3,000 in Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) funds to purchase communication technology. 

For the ninth time in 10 years, there is a legislative special session. It began on June 12 and we do not yet know the length of this special session nor is there any agreement on what issues will be resolved during it. Where do our key issues stand in terms of special session priorities?

As we enter the fifth week of nursing homes reporting to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), we thought it would be worthwhile to highlight some of the information we’ve shared with members through our daily updates over the past couple of weeks.  

Brittney Thoreson, Vice President of Housing at Knute Nelson in Alexandria, has been a named to the inaugural cohort for LEAD, the Leadership Advancement & Development Program for the senior living field sponsored by Argentum. She is one of 27 professionals selected for this leadership excellence program.  

Shelley Kendrick, President and CEO of Ecumen, joins select thought leaders and prominent industry associations from across North America on the International Council on Active Aging's (ICAA) COVID-19 Senior Living Task Force.  

LeadingAge National is hosting the Basic Care Aide through its Learning Hub. All non-EduCare users should have new students login through this portal beginning June 15. EduCare users should continue to access the training through their own EduCare library. 

Families and older adults may be confronting end-of-life questions that they have not prepared for before the COVID-19 pandemic. Advance Care Planning and POLST (Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment) are commonly talked about in our field, yet people may still be surprised when the situation arises when they may need to be used to make decisions. Or, the COVID-19 pandemic may be the trigger for them to complete the documents.  

LeadingAge has called upon the U.S. Housing & Urban Development Department (HUD) to release the $50 million for the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program and remaining $200 million of Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance funds.  

The U.S. Supreme Court this week ruled that existing federal law forbids job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation of transgender status. The ruling will affect LGBTQ workers across the country, because most states don’t provide protections from workplace discrimination. However, that decision followed a federal announcement stripping transgender health protections from the Affordable Care Act.  

Six weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it would coordinate a shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE), totaling a 14-day supply, to Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes across the United States, significant numbers of facilities across the country still have not received a shipment. Some that have received supplies have found them to be low quality, even expired in some cases, or delivered in quantities smaller than expected. 

Testing a nursing home resident for COVID-19 more than once in a 24-hour period is not being encouraged, according to consolidated recommendations released by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) over the weekend. The updated guidance includes: 

Minnesota will soon become the first state in the nation to including house stabilization as a new state Medicaid benefit for people with disabilities and seniors.   

The COVID-19 emergency has had significant negative financial impacts on many providers, including loss of revenue as well as higher costs associated with responding to actual and potential outbreaks of the virus.  Fortunately, the state and federal governments have both responded with large programs of aid to providers, including the most recent development at the federal level - the Medicaid provider distribution from the CARES Act provider relief fund. 

As Minnesota starts to see a downward trend in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19, there is increased pressure from families and loved ones to re-open congregate care settings to visitors and restart communal dining, programming and other activities. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) advises that people should not let their guard down, and we know we must remain vigilant as elders in our settings continue to be at a greater risk than the rest of this population.   

If we know one thing to be true during this global pandemic, the media and public will continue to focus on the number of positive COVID-19 cases and deaths related to the virus in long-term care settings. The best way to counter inaccurate media stories and public perception is with consistent transparency of your COVID-19 responsem, including the number of people who have been afflicted by the virus or died from it in your setting.  

LeadingAge National is hosting the Basic Care Aide through its Learning. All non-EduCare users should have new students login through this portal beginning June 15. EduCare users should continue to access the training through their own EduCare library.  

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it will distribute funds to Medicaid providers who do not participate in Medicare, including Assisted Living and Adult Day, through the Provider Relief Fund through a time-limited  application process vs. automatic payment. The application portal opens June 10 (today). Here’s what we know so far: 

The 5310-program vehicle grant application process is open for fiscal year 2022 and 2023. Grant awards fund 80% of vehicle purchase cost with the 20% match required from non-Department of Transportation (MnDOT) sources. The program only includes lift-equipped buses.  

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is considering how best to move forward with previously planned work, including Waiver Reimagine, during COVID-19. DHS is seeking input from disability services providers in their availability to participate in this project.  

The Minnesota Department of Health recently agreed to waive the 8-hour training requirement for Paid Feeding Assistants, in accordance with a waiver from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Our partners at EduCare have released the only MDH approved expedited curriculum in Minnesota, which is a 2.5 hour course with competencies. There is no cost to this program. 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is spotlighting COVID-19 survey results on the Nursing Home Compare home page. The results of surveys conducted since March 4 (complaints and infection control focused surveys) will be listed and available for the public to download, including a spreadsheet summarizing the findings from each inspection.  

Events of the past week illustrate the power of data to shape the public’s understanding of COVID-19 and how the virus impacts aging services providers and the people you serve.  Unfortunately, these examples are a powerful reminder that inaccurate data or inaccurate reporting can distort that understanding.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) yesterday released updated data on the status of COVID-19 in long term care settings during a Senate Family Care and Aging Committee hearing.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced this week (QSO-20-31-All) that it will expand survey activity and increase enforcement remedies relating to nursing home infection control requirements, effective immediately.  Several story lines arise from this memo.   

The pressure is building for nursing homes and assisted living to be able to provide salon services in thier settings and host outdoor visits with residents and families.

If you want to be considered for future Provider Relief Fund payments from HHS you need to register and submit information by the end of today (June 3). 

Testing continues to be a focus of our resource development over the past week, and we have also developed resources to help you facilitate discussions that may involve in advanced care planning, grief and bereavement.