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Minnesotans enrolled in Minnesota SeniorCare Plus (MSC+) and Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO) will have the same health plan choices in 2020 as they did in 2019, except in Morrison County, Todd County and Wadena County. 

The Diversity & Inclusion Council at Ecumen was recently recognized with a Make Zero Harm Possible award from LeadingAge Minnesota. The award recognizes individuals and staff teams in aging services settings who demonstrate their commitment to safe, quality care and to treating people with respect and dignity – always.  

LeadingAge Minnesota members can now access a new, free tool that will help address one of the biggest needs we hear from providers across the state: behavioral health. The Behavioral Health Training Series: Improving Care With Curiosity and Empathy provides easy-to-understand concepts, practical tips, and professional development that will help prepare staff to work with older adults with behavioral health needs.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the submission deadline for the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program MDS assessment data for April 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019. All data must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 18.  

The U.S. House of Representatives this week voted unanimously to pass the Dignity in Aging Act, which reauthorizes the Older Americans Act (OAA) and increases funding for vital programs that help aging Americans live independently and with dignity.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will host a Home Care and Assisted Living Program teleconference on Thurs., Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Featured topics include regulatory updates and issues affecting home care in Minnesota.  

The Activities Team from Divine Providence Community Home of Sleepy Eye was recently recognized with a Make Zero Harm Possible award from LeadingAge Minnesota.  

Dr. Mary Tjosvold, Founder & CEO of Mary T. Inc., has been selected by the Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-MN) as a 2019 inductee to the Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame.  

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is excited to announce our 4th Annual Silent Auction that will take place at the 2020 Institute & Expo. Thanks to your generosity in previous years, we have raised over $25,000 to support the critical work of the Foundation. With your help, we can make this year’s auction even more successful!  

Evan Shulman, national Director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Division of Nursing Homes, offered a Regulatory Update during this week’s LeadingAge national conference in San Diego.  Here are a few highlights from his Oct. 29 remarks:  

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has extended the deadline for responding to the RFP for a grant program to improve the resident experience in  Customized Living. The deadline to submit a proposal is now Dec. 9. 

Focusing on an individual team member’s strengths is more effective than focusing on improving weaknesses. One study showed a stark difference in engagement scores: 67% were engaged when their supervisor focused on strengths, as opposed to only 30% being engaged when their supervisor focused on weaknesses.  

Social isolation is a growing epidemic among older adults. Nearly half of older adults feel isolated, alone or left out, and seniors who experience social isolation face a 29% increased risk of mortality. U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) is addressing this challenge by introducing legislation to counter the detrimental and physical effects of social isolation among seniors. 

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is excited to announce it is now accepting Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the second round of the Project ECHO Assisted Living Communities program. The deadline for submission is Friday, Nov. 15. 

Thinking of ways to expose potential employees to your community for possible recruitment? Give the prospective employee – and you – a chance to try out older adult services by creating a new position called a Resident Concierge Representative (RCR). Cassia, an affiliation between Elim Care and Augustana Care, created this new position at a few of its sites and is already seeing positive outcomes in recruitment and retention.   

Assisted living residents, family members, advocates, providers and other stakeholders can help the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) develop a new Assisted Living Report Card by completing an online survey and/or attending a statewide livestream event in November. 

Providers in Minnesota have said that one of the biggest needs in communities is training for staff on behavioral health. We listened, and it’s coming soon and it’s free! 

Are you a Safe Care for Seniors Safety Champion in your setting? We need your contact information so you can be a part of our new Champion Connection!  

Get the latest news on federal regulation and legislation on this week’s Capitol Insights Call hosted by LeadingAge. Sign up here for the Thursday, Oct. 24 call that begins a 1 p.m. 

Adult Day Services providers will soon benefit from two new webinars that take place in November – Writing Person-Centered, Measurable Goals for Client Care Plans and Protecting Clients and Maintaining Compliance with the Vulnerable Adult Act. 

Matt Johnson, Physical Therapist, and Rob Hendrickson, Occupational Therapist, were recently awarded the Make Zero Harm Possible Award. The award recognizes staff in older adult service settings who demonstrate their commitment to safe, quality care and to treating the people they serve with respect and dignity – always.  

As Best Buy continues its push into healthcare, senior care remains a strong focus—and could make the company the leader in the space. Key to this expansion will be Best Buy’s ability to strike strategic partnerships with payers like Medicare Advantage and Managed Care Plans; but what shouldn't be lost in this push for a competitive advantage is the relationship with senior care providers.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a pair of administrative memos related to State Survey Agencies’ performance in the survey process: Admin Info: 20-01-ALL details results from the State Performance Standards System (SPSS) for FY 2016 – 2018, and Admin Info: 20-02-ALL announces revisions to the FY 2020 SPSS Guidance.  

In response to feedback from partners who requested a simplified process, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has consolidated all Rate Management System (RMS) worksheets for day and employment services into a single form. 

We have launched our new membership database, and are excited to introduce you to a new feature that gives you more control over your user account, event registration, ordering from our online store and more! Meet My.LeadingAgeMN.org. Our new Community Hub is a member-facing online portal that allows you to:  

Despite advocacy from LeadingAge, its members and other stakeholders (see McKnight’s Long-Term Care News for reporting on recent efforts and this opinion piece from LeadingAge CEO Katie Sloan), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will proceed with its plan to use a Consumer Alert Icon on Nursing Home Compare beginning Oct. 23 to identify settings with instances of non-compliance related to abuse, neglect and exploitation. It will also cap the Health Inspections rating under the Five-Star Quality Rating System at two stars for settings that receive the icon.  

Staff recognition builds morale and increases retention. Research shows it doesn’t have to take a big investment of time, effort or money to recognize team member contributions in a meaningful way. One of the most impactful, low-cost or no-cost strategies is meaningful, personal recognition.   

LeadingAge has just released the IMAGINE Initiative – a bold set of proposals to increase the number of foreign-born aging services workers available in the United States. 

As we featured in this week’s Advantage, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will begin issuing a Consumer Alert Icon on the Nursing Home Compare website to identify nursing homes with instances of non-compliance related to abuse, neglect and exploitation and will cap the Health Inspections rating under the Five-Star Quality Rating System at two stars for facilities that receive the icon shown below: 

Learned how to develop a framework for culture competence at all levels of your organization and explore the integral link to person-centered, thinking, planning and practice in an Oct. 29 webinar.