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At an Assisted Living Licensure Rulemaking Advisory Task Force meeting last week, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported that it is hoping to have a complete draft rule prepared and posted to its website and sent to the Revisor by mid-April.  

Now more than ever, staff may be experiencing housing, food, and childcare insecurities. If you have staff who need additional support from community organizations such as Emergency Housing Assistance, Minnesota Food Helpline, or energy assistance programs, please see the Community Support Resource Guide for referral sources.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a National Nursing Home Initiative that will coordinate and enhance civil and criminal efforts to pursue nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care to their residents. 

It’s a statistic that can’t be ignored: 54% of the 14.4 million middle-income older adults in 2029 will lack the financial resources to pay for seniors housing and care. We know it will take public and private collaboration to address this looming crisis. We also know there are steps providers should be taking now to be best positioned for these partnerships.  

Regulations. Payment. Consumers. What do they all have common? Quality. You need a comprehensive strategy for continuous quality improvement, and we have the solution. Your first step to Performance Excellence in Aging Services begins March 30.  

The development of an Assisted Living Resident and Family Survey and Assisted Living Report Card are well underway, reported Peter Spuit, Home & Community Based Services Program Consultant for the Aging and Adult Services Division at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), at last week’s LeadingAge Minnesota Assisted Living Committee meeting.  

More than 100 nursing homes across Minnesota, including several LeadingAge Minnesota members, have begun kicking off 36 projects to promote better care and quality of life for their residents. The Performance-based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) projects, funded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), range from efforts to improve mental health and social connections to reducing falls and infections.  

The American Red Cross will stop offering nursing assistant training courses in April. Organizations that utilized the Red Cross courses are encouraged to reach out to OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training to continue developing a pipeline of caregivers.  

The Minnesota Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators (BENHA) has published the proposed rule for Licensed Assisted Living Directors and is accepting public comments through May 4. 

A bill to enhance Elderly Waiver rates to better reflect the actual cost of care passed its first hurdle on Monday in the Minnesota House Long-Term Care Committee.   

LeadingAge is seeking feedback from affordable housing providers on a proposal to transition five-year Section 202 Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRACs) from their current annual renewal cycle with budget-based rent increases to a five-year renewal cycle subject to annual appropriations with an operating cost adjustment factor.  

In a word, a lot. The senior housing market is different than almost any other, and sales and marketing professionals need specific skills to effectively position your community and assist consumers in one of the most important decisions of their life.  

Dr. Sharon Aadalen, a member of the Board of Directors for Jones-Harrison in Minneapolis, was recently named Board Trustee of the Year by LeadingAge Minnesota. 

Have you signed up for our annual Day at the Capitol yet? It's not too late! Join us at the Capitol on March 19 to show lawmakers that we are committed partners in our shared goal to assure access to safe, quality care for older Minnesotans in the communities they call home.   

We are in the process of filling our open Director of Clinical Care/Nurse Consultant position. In the meantime, we are pleased to announce that Kari Everson, RN, BSN, MSN, MHA, LNHA, has been engaged by LeadingAge Minnesota to provide clinical support to our members until a permanent replacement is found.   

Minnesota’s latest budget forecast shows a slight increase in the projected budget surplus - $1.513 billion, up $181 million since November. What does this mean for this legislative session and aging services providers?  

The House Health and Human Services Policy Committee last week heard a bill to expand the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) employee scholarship program to allow loan forgiveness and expenses related to obtaining a licensed assisted living director credential.  

Ecumen advanced legislation last week to launch a pilot project that will provide, short-term shelter, safety and advocacy for older adults affected by elder abuse.  

Effective March 1, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will impose Discretionary Denial Payment for New Admissions (DDPNA) on an accelerated basis for actual-harm level citations. The CMS-Chicago regional office has directed survey agencies in all Region V states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin) to implement this new policy, citing a heightened level of surveys resulting in a deficiency at scope/severity level G or above during federal fiscal year 2019.  

Registration is open for the Minnesota Health Care Engineers Association (MHCEA) Spring Conference, set for Friday, May 1 at Treasure Island Resort & Casino.  

Applications to become a fellow in the 2020 Leadership Academy are due on March 2. This acclaimed program focuses on developing and strengthening personal and professional leadership qualities. 

Quality. It’s the leading indicator of your reputation, reimbursement and capacity to thrive in the evolving healthcare and consumer marketplace. Need help removing the roadblocks and detours on your path to quality improvement? We have a new direction. Take the first steps toward Performance Excellence in Aging Services in March. 

Craig Stewart has been described as the enduring spirit of Ecumen Meadows in Worthington who makes life better for residents and staff alike. He recently received our prestigious Volunteer of the Year award for his deep commitment to the well-being of others and mission to give people with dementia the gift of memory. 

Visionary Leader. Consummate professional. Highly skilled operator. Those words define Jennifer Pfeffer, Senior Regional Director of Operations at Ecumen, who was recently honored by LeadingAge Minnesota with the Kal Michels Outstanding Leadership Award.  

It’s been five months since the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) went live. What have we learned since then? Let’s check in with Health Dimensions Group, who recently shared some early learnings at our Institute & Expo and recapped their presentation in a new blog post “The Real Truth of PDPM.” 

There are strong bipartisan concerns from federal lawmakers about the proposed federal rule that could eliminate up to $50 billion from the Medicaid program annually and have serious implications on aging services providers’ supplemental payments.   

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule on Feb. 20 that would revise requirements for Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR). While many of the changes seek to clarify or reinforce requirements already in statute, this overhaul could have significant implications for nursing homes.  

Safe Care for Seniors has released a new training video that will help staff know the right thing to do when they find a resident unresponsive or respond to urgent or unexpected situations. The 10-minute Rapid Evaluation Team video demonstrates a real-life scenario, provides an implementation action plan, and showcases the positive outcomes Carris Health Care Center & Therapy Suites in Willmar is experiencing as a result of this process. 

The LeadingAge Minnesota Comprehensive Home Care Manual – 3rd Edition is now available. This vital tool for Home Care Managers and RNs includes more than 140 sample policies and procedures, forms and checklists to comply with and manage operations of a Comprehensive Home Care Agency. Other new features include:  

The Minnesota Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators (BENHA) has published the notice of proposed rules for the Health Service Executive, which applies to individuals eligible or desiring the national Health Service Executive credential.