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The University of Minnesota School of Public Health, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, invites interested stakeholders to apply to join the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Disparities Advisory Group. 

Earlier this month the Minnesota Department of Health shared with LeadingAge Minnesota the results from Focused Infection Control surveys of Minnesota nursing homes during April and May.  As we reported earlier, 120 facilities were cited for deficient practice(s), all of those at F880 and with only 4 being cited at scope and severity level G or above. 

COVID-19 is not over. The lives of seniors in our settings are at risk. Our healthcare workers are risking their lives without appropriate PPE, testing and funding. Watch this powerful message from our partners at LeadingAge. Then ask the Minnesotans who represent us in Washington for crucial resources and immediate relief to help fight COVID. Here are two thing you can do now:  

The Stars Among Us Awards nominations are open, and we want to hear all about your stars. More than ever, this is a year to recognize your dedicated staff team for their tireless commitment to serving older adults. In addition to our most popular awards, we are excited to introduce a new award this year – the Rising Star Award. 

The Minnesota Legislature’s first 2020 special session adjourned sine die in the early morning of June 20, just one week after Governor Walz called lawmakers back to St. Paul. Lawmakers failed to reach agreement on any of the major issues – including police reform, bonding, and distribution of CARES Act funds for COVID-19.  

Our annual summer conference for senior housing, assisted living and home care is the first major event to be offered in virtual format. Connect Conference is two days of education and networking. Local television personality Joe Schmit is the opening keynote speaker on Aug.19.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has waived the 8-hour training requirement for Paid Feeding Assistants during the public health emergency. Our partners at EduCare have released the only MDH approved expedited curriculum in Minnesota, which is a 2.5 hour online course with competencies. There is no cost to this program.  

In this week’s COVID-19 Resource Round-Up, we share tools to help you plan and communicate outdoor visits, navigating the grief and trauma that accompany a global pandemic and new testing resources, including a vendor list and a webinar featured the experiences and perspectives of our LeadingAge MN members. 

During COVID-19, we have witnessed some needed and long-awaited changes that have been accelerated as a byproduct of our response to this global pandemic. Some of these changes, especially with respect to the use of technology, will most likely reshape our future.  

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.