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Walter Griffin, a resident at Ebenezer Park Apartments in Minneapolis, was honored at last week’s Institute & Expo with the Spirit of Aging Award. 

Andrea Boedigheimer, Resident Assistant at Carondelet Village in Saint Paul, was recently named the Caregiver of the Year by LeadingAge Minnesota. Andrea received her award at last week’s Institute & Expo, accompanied by a standing ovation and a rousing round of applause from the nearly 2000 attendees that filled the room. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking public comments on evidentiary packages written for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) settings across the state. Comments are due by 4 p.m. on March 6. We encourage our Adult Day Members and Customized Living providers to check the DHS web site on evidentiary packages as there are a large number of LeadingAge Minnesota provider members listed.  

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued updated guidance concerning the federal emergency preparedness requirements Appendix Z of the State Operations Manual – Emergency Preparedness. The memorandum was effective Feb. 1, 2019, and CMS directed that its content be communicated to state agency survey staff within 30 days.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will provide information on the SNF Quality Reporting Program, the Payroll Based Journal System and other issues during a Skilled Nursing Facilities/Long Term Care Open Door Forum this Thursday, Feb. 14, at 1 p.m. Click here to review the full agenda.  

As a leading employer in your community, offering students practice interviewing opportunities for their first job is a great way to form a relationship with students entering the workforce and local schools. 

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

If you took the Safe Care for Seniors pledge at Institute or are just hearing about the movement that was started during last week’s event, now is the time to learn more! Join us on Wednesday, Feb. 27 for a high-level overview of Safe Care for Seniors, including our goal to prevent harm in the course of caregiving.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed policy changes supporting its MyHealthEData initiative to improve patient access and advance electronic data exchange and care coordination throughout the healthcare system. 

Two studies, one issued by the Commonwealth Fund and one by the congressional Joint Economic Committee, show the difficulty long-term services and supports costs pose for older people and their families now and how these costs likely will increase for the future as informal, unpaid family caregiving becomes less available. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking proposals for the next round of Nursing Home Performance-Based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP). Proposals are due May 1. Incentive payments for selected projects will begin on Jan. 1, 2020. 

LeadingAge national has developed a quick glance tool that contains the deadlines Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) must meet for submitting data under the SNF Value-Based Payment  program, the SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP), and the Payroll-Based Journal reporting requirements.  

We often receive questions from members wrestling with varying restrictions and requirements for medical marijuana under federal and state law. New guidance from LeadingAge national will help members explore issues surrounding the expanding area of medical marijuana, including: 

The next Home Care Matters webinar, hosted by Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Home Care and Assisted Living Program, takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 20. 

Have you tried recruiting through LeadingAge Minnesota’s job board AgingServicesJOBS.org? Check it out! Email Jenna Kellerman for a promo code to post your first job for FREE! 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will sponsor two statewide Nursing Home Regulatory telephone conference calls – Tuesday, Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. to Noon and Monday, May 13 from 11 a.m. to Noon. There is no charge to participate.   

Are you looking for Manger/Supervisor Training? Does your organization need tools to promote a culture of engagement, service excellence and continuous improvement? We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with Align, bringing you access to an Employee Engagement Solution (manager/supervisor evaluation and training!) and two Customer Experience Solutions.  

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) released a final report on Elderly Waiver (EW) rates that suggests numerous changes to reflect how services are provided and what type of staff provide them. The good news for providers is the evaluation reinforces the point that current rates do not reflect the true value of the service provided. 

The Connection, a Perham community resource for seniors led by Perham Health, received a 2019 Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Trailblazer award for community innovation. 

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!