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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. 

We've extended application deadlines for both LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation grant programs to allow for more members to participate during this chaotic and stressful time. We realize everyone is juggling many priorities and there aren’t enough hours in the day. 

A new guide from the National Center for Creative Aging, the Creative Caregiving Guide©, is a free, web-based resource specially designed for family and professional caregivers of adults who live with Alzheimer’s disease and related cognitive disorders.  

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) this week published a funding allocation update on COVID-19 relief from the CARES Act. Of the $1 billion approved for Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), HUD will complete $800 million in funding allocations during the week of June 1 to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus through regular operations.  

Senior services providers are called to join in advocacy for priority personal protective equipment and testing, and the financial support to continue caring for our nation’s seniors now and after the pandemic recedes.  

The Minnesota Department of Human Services recently prepared the data needed for all nursing facilities in the Medical Assistance program to select a new goal to work on for another round of the Quality Improvement Incentive Payment Program (QIIP).  Each year, based on their progress toward the goal they select, care centers receive a rate increase of up to $3.50 per resident day. 

The LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors will meet for a virtual strategic planning retreat on June 17. We are asking each member site to respond to a quick, 3-question survey to inform its work.  

Join us on Thursday, May 28 at 12:30 p.m. for a recap of the 2020 legislative session. Our team will review the outcomes of the unprecedented session and share information about what to expect next. 

You have PPE needs. Value First has solutions that will help you prevent and detect COVID-19 in your setting. From reusable gowns and face masks to test kits and alarm systems that prevent anyone with a temperature from entering your building, check out these solutions:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hosts several recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts. Here are call details for opportunities this week:  

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) recently issued an updated interim enforcement response plan for dealing with workplace investigations during COVID-19. In addition, OSHA released revised enforcement guidance for recording cases of COVID-19. These two requirements went into effect on May 26 and replace the previous interim enforcement response plan and recordkeeping guidance, respectively, on that date. Finally, OSHA also released an alert on COVID-19 Guidance for Nursing Home and Long-Term Care Workers.  

As the federal government continues to provide funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, senior living providers continue to express concerns that the support leaves assisted living, memory care and independent living behind.  

There is a new process for waiving maximum charge limits for Supplemental Nursing Service Agencies (SNSAs) when they are providing staff to work in Medicaid-certified nursing facilities that serve residents with COVID-19.   

Applications for grants to support staff (COVID-19 Courage Funds) and to fund virtual services for Adult Day Services (COVID-19 Adult Day Services Virtual Visits & Support) are being accepted from rural LeadingAge Minnesota members. The application deadline is June 4 at 5 p.m. 

The most-recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) update to COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers (see pp. 25-27) includes waivers of a few life safety code provisions that may reduce disruption of patient care and potential exposure/transmission of COVID-19.  In all cases, it will be important to consider these waivers in the context of your existing life safety policies, procedures and plans.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) posted a list of awards of emergency response grant recipients who received almost $100 million in state funds to prepare for and respond to the outbreak of COVID-19. 

This week’s COVID-19 Resource Round-Up features a new training video on specimen collection, an updated FAQ on testing and a link to the new process MDH is using for COVID-19 case management. 

In a press release and memo to state officials on May 18, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlines critical steps that nursing homes and communities should take prior to relaxing protective restrictions currently in place and identifies factors state officials should consider in deciding when it is safe to re-open. While the guidance is specific to nursing homes, it may serve as a foundation for decisions affecting housing with services and assisted living communities as well.  

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the 2020 legislative session, resulting in legislative breaks, remote hearings, limited public engagement and challenges to the governor’s peacetime emergency executive powers. The difficulties culminated to an inconclusive finish at midnight on May 18. Governor Walz will likely call the Legislature back on June 12 in order to extend his current peacetime emergency authority. 

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has amended service delivery for Adult Day Services in response to COVID -19. Allowable services, with the consent of the Veteran as allowed by state plan, include: 

Time is running out to register for the Dementia Care Certificate Program that begins next week.  

The 27 fellows in our 2020 Leadership Academy kicked off the second decade of our leadership development program with a unique start: meeting via Zoom due to social distancing guidelines.