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LeadingAge recently released guidance for coding Risk for Pressure Ulcers in section M0100 and M0150 of the MDS, which includes an overview of each section, key definitions, an overview of risk factors and steps for assessment.  

The updated skilled nursing facility Provider Preview Reports from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are available for review. Members have until May 30 to review their performance data prior to it being displayed on the Nursing Home Compare site in July. 

In just a few short weeks, LeadingAge Minnesota will release the list of members who have made the Safe Care for Seniors pledge and are committed to the 5-Step Action Plan. Are you on the list?

Long term care providers in Minnesota have a lot on their plates. As much as you may want to build your workforce pipeline by starting a Nursing Assistant Training Program, it may feel like more work than you can handle. 

With less than 2 weeks to go in the legislative session, much work remains to be done. LeadingAge MN and its members are in the trenches advocating for our priorities and leaving no stone unturned as we push to the finish line. Here is a quick update on where things stand: 

Many companies have gotten creative with their employee benefits as a way of recruiting, rewarding and retaining staff. Tech companies, in particular, have a reputation for working some fun into the work-lives of their teams. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will host a statewide Nursing Home Regulatory telephone call on Monday, May 13 from 11 a.m. to Noon. Here are the connection details for the May 13 event:  

Safe Care for Seniors is a movement that we will bolster through the support of all who live and work in in our communities, and those who help guide our work. One key group to engage is your Board of Directors. 

The U.S. Housing & Urban Development Department is proposing changes to the national physical inspection process. Because HUD’s in-person listening sessions on this topic filled so quickly, D. J. Lavoy, Director of the Office of the Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC), has agreed to provide a special opportunity for LeadingAge members.  

The May 15 PDPM workshop is nearly sold out; just a few seats remain. Successful Leadership Strategies to Prepare for PDPM is designed for your executive leadership team with important information as you prepare your organizations for the transition to PDPM.  

LeadingAge has created a toolkit with social media ideas to make participating in this month’s Older Americans Month easy. The 2019 theme is Connect, Create, Contribute, which encourages older adults and their communities to: 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking public comment for the next 30 days on the second batch of evidentiary packages written for home and community-based settings across the state. A number of LeadingAge MN members who provide Adult Day Services or Customized Living Services are included in this batch of evidentiary packages.

The next submission deadline for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) is fast approaching. MDS data for Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2018 must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on May 15.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has posted to its website Information Bulletin 19-02: Update: MDH Nursing Home Facility Reporting Related to Federal Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation, or Mistreatment; and Minnesota Vulnerable Adults Act.  

The Legislature returned from its spring recess and picked up the pace on passing its major finance bills, including the Health and Human Services budget. 

Countdown to the Oct. 1, 2019 implementation of Patient-Driven Payment Model, the new classification system for Medicare Part A payments, is now just five months away. Get ready by attending these crucial training sessions: 

Recruitment needs to be more than a generic “Now Hiring!” sign or tired newspaper advertisement. What can you do to create a more focused recruitment campaign? Know your community and create a targeted recruitment campaign.  

A National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) study released last week projected that at least 54% of the 14.4 million middle-income older adults in 2029 in the United States will lack the financial resources to pay for senior housing and care. 

Changes are coming to care centers regarding hazardous medications disposals. To help your organization be ready and compliant, make plans now to participate in a Hazardous Medications – Delivery to Disposal webinar on May 16 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has posted the instructions and goal sheet for the 2019 Quality Improvement Incentive Payment (QIIP) program. The deadline for care centers to submit their selected quality improvement topic is 11:59 pm on July 1.  

Last week’s first installment of the webinar series, Top 10 Life Safety Code Violations and How to Avoid Them, covered how to prepare for your federal life/safety recertification survey, and was met with great enthusiasm and accolade. Now, get ready for parts 2 and 3 – the Top 10 Violations and how to avoid them. 

Listening and connecting with the people you serve and actively using their feedback can drive performance excellence and quality care. Do you have an effective way to connect?  

The final Safe Care for Seniors workshop has been scheduled. It will take place Monday, May 13 at LeadingAge Minnesota in Saint Paul. See the Workshop Conference Brochure and Register Today!   

Calling all senior housing, assisted living, home care and adult day providers – let’s CONNECT this August! We’ve combined our most popular conferences into one unique and interactive experience to leverage the connections we all share in serving older adults. 

The deadline for submission of Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) data for the reporting period Jan. 1–March 31 is May 15. Timely and accurate submission of PBJ data is critical, because CMS uses the data to calculate staffing measures in Nursing Home Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System. The following rules apply: 

The OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training is excited to announce our expansion into North Dakota!  

Become an Early Adopter of Align’s Employee Engagement Solution (manager/supervisor evaluation and training!), and/or two Customer Experience Solutions and receive special pricing! The Early Adopter deadline has been extended to Monday, May 13!  

The Minnesota Legislature returned from its spring recess this week and wasted no time in getting down to business. Today in the Minnesota House, lawmakers will be voting on the House HHS Finance omnibus bill (HF2414). Tomorrow AARP will host a Telephone Town Hall with Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan on their key priorities for the remainder of the legislative session, which will include discussion on the protection of older adults in assisted living settings.  

As we reported previously in Advantage, the Nursing Home Compare Five Star Rating system has implemented some significant updates effective today (April 24) that could reduce scores for many providers. We have prepared an Issue Paper to help members understand how these scoring changes work as well as provide suggested talking points for use with external stakeholders.  

Our recent Housing with Services (HWS) legislative survey shows mixed results on the key workforce indicators we track annually. While employee vacancy rates declined for all HWS staff, employee turnover rose dramatically for home care aides.