All News

Learn more about the latest upgrades to AgingServicesJobs.org by signing up for a new webinar that will feature success stories, tips on engaging candidates, and additional ways this revolutionary technology can streamline candidate screening and address retention concerns by providing deeper candidate insights than available on a common application or resume. For new users, a live demo of the technology will be shared at the end of the webinar. 

Registration is open for LeadingAge Minnesota’s venerable Nursing Leadership Symposium. This five-part series has a 28-year track record of helping to transform skilled nurses into exceptional nursing leaders in long-term care. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has revised Appendix Q of the State Operations Manual (SOM), used by surveyors for guidance in citing immediate jeopardy (IJ). This revision, known as Core Appendix Q, will provide a template for surveyors to identify the citation and notify providers in a clear, consistent and timely manner.

Teach students about Career Pathways in aging services using these excellent tools developed by the California Assisted Living Association:  

Reminder: The Minnesota Department of Health is currently accepting applications for the bonus round of the HCBS Scholarship Grant. The application deadline is April 19. You can find the application here.  

LeadingAge national has taken an important step toward increasing its impact and influence across the full continuum of services and supports for people as they age by entering into an agreement with the intent to affiliate with the Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) and ElevatingHOME.  

More than 150 LeadingAge Minnesota members participated in yesterday’s Day at the Capitol, bringing their voices and their collective will to give lawmakers a personal perspective on how the decisions they make this session will affect the seniors we serve and those who provide them with care.   

A new proposal that would greatly increase the number of employees eligible for overtime pay is raising concerns for aging services providers. 

In testimony to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said that the moratorium on monetary fines for care centers will expire in May and that providers will soon begin receiving civil monetary fines in eight additional categories.  

The OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training program continues to see success in its second year of operation.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released a free on-line training course in infection prevention and control for nursing home staff in the long-term care setting.  

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee this morning took a rare look at timely topics affecting care center quality, safety, workforce and regulations by holding a "Not Forgotten: Protecting Americans From Abuse and Neglect in Nursing Homes" hearing in Washington DC.  

Bills have been reintroduced in Congress that permanently protect Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) recipients against spousal impoverishment.  

LeadingAge Minnesota’s long-standing Nursing Leadership Symposium program to develop nursing leaders in long-term care is entering its 28th year and is open for registration.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the Provider Threshold Report (PTR). This new report for the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) shows care centers if they are at risk of a 2 percent rate penalty for failure to meet the 80 percent reporting threshold requirement on the quality reporting measures during a calendar year.   

New efforts that improve the quality of life and care for care center residents will receive $6.5 million over two years through funding from the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Congratulations to these LeadingAge Minnesota members for receiving Performance-based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) grants:  

LeadingAge Minnesota has honored four aging services providers with Awards of Merit for Performance Excellence in Aging Services. The providers are: Martin Luther Care Center in Bloomington; St. Crispin Living Center in Red Wing; Madonna Living Community in Rochester; and The Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids.  

You’ve made the pledge, now take the next step in Safe Care for Seniors. Our March 28 Workshop will give you the tools and resources you need to effectively implement the 5-Step Safe Care for Seniors Action Plan in your setting. Join experts in safe care, resident and family communication, leadership, safety and more for this informative, interactive event that will also feature shared learning from your peers and small group work focused specifically on your type of setting.   

The Minnesota Department of Human Services has posted the Jan. 24 webinar that featured Elderly Waiver (EW) rate reform, the rate study that occurred in 2018, and their recommendations to the Legislature; along with updates and training on the Residential Services Tool.  

The Veterans Health Administration has announced a monthly webinar on its Community Care programs and policies. The webinars are geared toward all providers with a contract or provider agreement to provide VA paid services.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Licensing and Certification Program is offering a free one-day MDS class, Basic Training for New MDS Nurses, on March 20. The class is intended for new MDS nurses with less than one-year experience. Space is limited, so register early!  

Employer applications are being accepted for the 2019 Summer Health Care Internship Program (SHCIP). Hospitals, clinics, nursing facilities, home care providers and adult day services facilities are encouraged to participate on behalf of qualified students in their community.  

It’s Careers in Aging Week! This is the perfect time to highlight three LeadingAge Minnesota members – Augustana Regent, Eventide and Ecumen -- who received Stars Among Us awards last month for their work to proactively address our field’s workforce challenges through innovative partnerships that will expose and recruit people to the rewarding, valued careers in aging services. 

Mark your calendars for LeadingAge Minnesota’s Assisted Living Certificate Program. 2019 program dates have been announced (see below), with increased capacity to meet the unprecedented demand for this training series which graduated over 100 professionals in 2018. 

It’s Careers in Aging Week, and we just received great and timley news from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to help with your recruitment and retention efforts -- a bonus round of the HCBS Scholarship Grant. There is approximately $360,000 to distribute. The application deadline is April 19. You can find the application here.   

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the freeze on health inspection ratings at care centers that was instituted in February 2018 will be lifted in April. This is among several changes CMS is making to provide greater support to consumers looking to compare the quality of nursing homes via Nursing Home Compare. Major changes include:   

Join your fellow providers on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 1 p.m. - 1:30p.m. for a free, 30-minute webinar explaining Governor Walz’s budget recommendations and what they mean for senior services.

Do you know about all of the scholarship programs available in Minnesota? Do job applicants know about these opportunities when you are recruiting new staff? 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) surprised all aging services providers on Feb. 21 by releasing version 12 of the MDS 3.0 Quality Measures (QM) User’s Manual. The most significant revisions focused on these key areas: 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has integrated responsibility for federal surveys and federal complaints into the Licensing & Certification (L&C) Program. What does this mean for care centers?