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The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is recommending the development of proposed licensing standards for Adult Day Services, among other recommendations, in a report that was recently provided to the Minnesota Legislature. 

During our recent round of District Meetings, we received several questions regarding changes that were made to the Elderly Waiver policies based on our legislative efforts in 2017. We are reprinting this helpful synopsis as a quick reference guide, which many LeadingAge Minnesota members have found helpful when working with case managers. 

Connections with local high schools are a great way to get young people thinking about careers in our field. Maybe you’ll even see some immediate applications for entry level positions such as direct caregivers or dietary aides! What should you do?   

Registration is open for the 2019 APIC Minnesota two-day Basic Infection Prevention course. The first day of the course offers a comprehensive foundation for professionals specializing in infection prevention in all settings. The second day provides setting-specific information and education.  

An agreement was reached last week to end the partial federal government shutdown and reopen affected agencies, including the U.S. Housing & Urban Development Department, for three weeks. 

LeadingAge Minnesota is pleased to announce that Sue Boyd will join our team as the Director of Clinical Care and Nurse Consultant. Sue’s first day is Thursday, Jan. 31 and she will hit the ground running at next week’s Institute & Expo. 

Technology governs more and more aspects of senior care, from managing databases of personal information to keeping older adults safe through wearables and motion detection software. While much of this technology has been the status quo for years, areas such as dining operations are ripe for revolutionary change. 

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Commissioner Jan Malcolm shared updates regarding improvements at the Office of Health Facility Complaints (OHFC) and overviews of the work done on the Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Working Groups in front of the Senate Family Care and Aging Committee and the House Long-term Care Subcommittee.   

In an interview with McKnight’s Long-Term Care News last week, LeadingAge national said that a growing threat of slightly smaller reimbursements for skilled nursing looms as the federal shutdown continues. 

Get equipped to battle the threat of cyber breaches with a new resource from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Resources (HHS) that showcases the five biggest threats and the 10 best practices for aging services providers. 

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

The Licensing and Certification Program at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has released the 2019 training schedule dates for their free, one-day Basic Training for New MDS Nurses class.  

A new three-part online video training series aimed at helping post-acute care providers and family caregivers gain a better understanding of older adult mental illness is now available from the Lake Superior QIN East Metro Coordination of Care Community.       

All rental property owners, managers or operators must provide a Certificate of Rent Paid (CRP) to each person who rented from them during the previous year by Wednesday, Jan. 31, unless the property is tax-exempt.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced changes to Medicare Advantage plans that are designed to spur greater competition, improve quality and lower costs to attract beneficiaries. 

Since its launch in June 2018, more than 100 organizations have posted jobs on www.AgingServicesJOBS.org.  Want to check it out for yourself? Post a job for free by using the promo code LeadingAgeMN when you check out!  

A new toolkit on oral healthcare provides essential resources and tips to help caregivers provide better assistance to those who need support with dental care.  

Check out the new LeadingAge Learning Hub where you will find great Housing-specific content, including Medical and Recreational Marijuana in Senior Living, information regarding preservation considerations, contract renewals, management and occupancy reviews, fair housing and more.  

Society's view of working in the field of aging isn’t always as positive as we’d like it to be. But staff who work in this field know how rewarding, fun and meaningful this calling is!  

The Minnesota Department of Health has announced the dates and times of two statewide conference calls to address care center regulatory issues: 

The 2019 Legislative Session began on Tuesday, Jan. 8, and committees are getting underway this week. Your LeadingAge Minnesota advocacy team is ready to work on your behalf throughout session this year. To give you a clearer picture of the policies we are supporting, our team has prepared a legislative preview document to give you an in-depth look at the priorities for this session:  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will hold its next quarterly Home Care Matters call on Wednesday, Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. These calls are a great opportunity for providers to discuss issues affected home care with MDH. 

Consumer demand for senior housing is keeping pace with the increase in the inventory of new units, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has completed desk audits of all submitted supporting documentation and determined 99.1 percent of settings to be compliant with the minimum requirements of the Home and Community-Based Settings Rule. However, 52 provider settings did not respond to requests to resubmit revised supporting documentation. 

LeadingAge national has launched Regulatory Roundup 2.0, a quick and easy tracker to help find pertinent rules and federal regulations that cover all grounds for members across the long- term services and support continuum.   

The federal government shutdown has struck the U.S. House and Urban Development Department (HUD) faster than expected. HUD did not renew 650 rental assistance contracts up for renewal in December, and there are an additional 500 contracts up for renewal in January that will not be renewed. 

The inappropriate use of anti-psychotic medications among nursing home residents has continued to decline, according to the latest report by the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes.  

Shelley Kendrick, currently Ecumen’s Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer, has been appointed to succeed Kathryn Roberts as President and CEO, effective Feb. 4.  

Section 202 communities will not see their December 2018 and January 2019 contracts renewed because of the partial federal government shutdown. HUD expects Section 202 provider to rely on their reserves to cover expenses during the shutdown, which could have grave consequences on older adults who rely on these programs. WE NEED YOUR HELP! 

Each year, the state calculates the average wages of RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and TMAs in care centers using the data provided from the annual cost reports and then computes the statutory limits on the amount that Supplemental Nursing Services Agencies (SNSAs) can charge per hour for each type of staff. The new caps were effective Jan. 1.