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Recent survey trends have revealed a notable uptick in deficiencies tied to the identification of resident changes in condition and the timely completion of follow-up comprehensive assessments.

In a shorter-than-usual State of the State address, Gov. Tim Walz cast Minnesota as a national model of bipartisan cooperation and progressive achievement. He emphasized the state’s leadership in education, labor rights, health care access and economic growth.

On-demand session content from the 2025 Institute & Expo is available for registered participants through April 30. This is convenient way to gain new knowledge and earn CEUs for LNHA members who still need them by this year’s renewal deadline.

Earlier this week, Vista Prairie Communities (VPC) is pleased announced the return of Kacey Kasel, RN, BSN, PHN, LALD as a Regional Director of Operations (RDO). In this expanded leadership role, Kacey will provide additional operational support to VPC’s communities, ensuring a continued focus on excellence in care, team development, and resident well-being.

The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care has opened the application period for the 2025 Workplace Safety Grants for Health Care Entities. Application submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. on June 13. Long-term care facilities are eligible to apply for funding with awards up to $50,000.

Nursing homes must now submit off-cycle revalidations by August 1. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) enacted a final rule in November 2023 implementing portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which added a section to the Social Security Act related to ownership, management, and related parties.

The slow developing HCBS workforce incentive grant program, which was created and funded by the 2023 Legislature, has still not reached the point of sending money to employers, despite a plan to have done so by the end of March.

Assisted living facilities that provide customized living (CL) services to people on the Brain Injury (BI) and Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) waivers must follow specific limitations based on the setting’s CL enrollment date.

Too often, the loudest voices in senior care focus on challenges and shortcomings. But across Minnesota, providers are demonstrating excellence, innovation, and high performance. Our new series, Quality in Action, aims to spotlight these success stories—highlighting senior care organizations that are achieving exceptional results through their commitment to quality and safety.

The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has been accepting grant request applications for its workplace Ergonomic Safety Grant Program since summer 2023. To date, 75 of 79 awarded grants have been provided to nursing home applicants with several more requests due to be awarded soon.

During a roundtable on Tuesday, April 15, Governor Tim Walz said: “If you think we’re in a crisis now, especially for seniors living in rural Minnesota, cut Medicaid and find out what happens. There’s no way the state of Minnesota can come close to back filing what’s lost.”

Nurse Lunch and Learn webinars offer quick, focused sessions for nurse teams, emphasizing staff and direct care nurses. Each virtual webinar begins with a brief presentation on key topics, followed by a small group exercise for hands-on application of the learning outcomes.

Is your organization receiving job seeker matches? CaringCareersStartHere.com is helping connect job seekers with long-term care employers and elevating careers in aging services across the state.

Are you involved in fundraising for your organization? You’re invited to be part of our Fund Developers Professional Network — a supportive community of peers working in senior care.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services has released changes to the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification. Employers should review their current I-9 form’s expiration date and begin integrating the new I-9 form into their employee verification systems and processes.

The Office of Higher Education's (OHE) Dual-Training Pipeline Grant is open for applications until April 15.

The Next Generation Nursing Assistant training program, “NextGen”, ends May 1st, leaving many high schools students unable to afford their state Nurse Aide exams. Now is a perfect time for employers to get involved and support our future workforce.

Did you know that Minnesota has a Reframe Aging Initiative? The Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation and the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging are sponsoring a series of sessions, titled, “Free Framer Fridays” to engage Minnesotans in championing a Minnesota free of agism.

On April 7, 2025, U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk (TX) ruled in favor of the American Health Care Association, LeadingAge, and four nursing homes, finding that CMS exceeded its authority by imposing a federal minimum staffing mandate on nursing homes.

This week, LeadingAge Minnesota members headed to our nation’s Capital to advocate on behalf of aging services providers and the seniors we serve.

This week, lawmakers worked long hours to construct budget bills that direct spending and cuts over the next two years.

Nurse Lunch and Learn webinars offer quick, focused sessions for nurse teams, emphasizing staff and direct care nurses.

Select Rehabilitation is LeadingAge Minnesota Solutions preferred therapy partner. Your partnership with them helps advance our outreach, advocacy, and education at LeadingAge Minnesota, in addition to the many benefits they bring to your community.

HUD has released its income limits for affordable rental communities, effective 4/1/2025.    These income limits are used by providers of affordable rental property to help a property determine eligibility criteria.

Each month, Minnesota Housing posts an update for providers called HOT Topics. This publication recaps top items they’ve been finding in Management Occupancy Reviews (MOR) and other relevant updates for providers of HUD housing.

Effective July 1, 2025, MnCHOICES initial assessments will be valid for 365 days from the interview date to establish program eligibility, extended from the current validity of 60 days.

Data submission for Quarter 1, 2025 is now open through April 30 in the LeadingAge Minnesota Data Portal. Take advantage of this opportunity to track your operational performance over time and benchmark your data against others at the state, regional and other comparison groups, such as groups with similar capacity and services.

Late last week, the House and Senate released budget targets with significant differences. The House proposes $1.1B in cuts this biennium, compared to $754M from the Senate. Those gaps widen in FY2028–29: $2.6B vs. $1.7B, respectively.

Starting April 9, LeadingAge Minnesota’s new Operations Certificate Program is specifically designed for professionals in long-term care settings—including assisted living and care centers—who are looking to expand their operational knowledge and leadership abilities.

Nura is opening a new clinic in Woodbury to make specialized pain care more convenient for people on the east side of the river. We are excited to begin seeing new patients on April 24. Our goal is to provide exceptional, personalized care to help those living with pain find relief and improve their quality of life.