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As we reported a few weeks ago, care centers are currently being asked by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to select a QIIP goal by June 30 for the rate year beginning Jan.1, 2020. 

Calling all adult day managers and staff – the early bird registration period ends Wednesday, June 20 for the Tuesday, July 17 Adult Day Conference.

The new AgingServicesJobs.Org platform has launched! Want to trial the site by posting a job for free? The first 25 members to contact Jenna Kellerman will get a free promo code to post their next open position! 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) sent LeadingAge Minnesota the following question-and-answer guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning F700 and the use of bed rails. 

The 2017 Minnesota Legislature authorized a 2.61 percent rate increase for home delivered meals for the Alternative Care (AC), Elderly Waiver (EW), and Essential Community Supports (ECS) programs for services delivered on or after July 1, 2018.  

To signal the importance of on-site RN coverage in care centers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has added an icon to the Nursing Home Compare ratings of facilities that reported 7 or more days in a quarter with no RN hours through the Payroll Based Journal system.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently announced the inaugural list of organizations honored for their demonstrated commitment to antibiotic stewardship. Congratulations to the following LeadingAge Minnesota members who were recognized for their efforts on this important topic: 

Adult day providers will learn how to boost their bottom line at this summer's Adult Day Conference on July 17 with best practices for collecting revenue, managing expenses and securing waiver assessments prior to accepting clients.

It is estimated that up to 50 percent of individuals residing in assisted living experience one or more falls annually, and between 10 percent – 25 percent of these falls result in serious injuries requiring medical attention. In addition, falls is one of the top categories of substantiated OHFC reports in Home Care/Assisted Living settings in Minnesota. Implementing an effective falls prevention program in the assisted living setting has the potential to reduce falls, improve quality of life and reduce costs for your organization. 

The popular Assisted Living and Home Care Conference has moved to the summer - Wednesday, July 25. Registration is open for this day of learning and networking with other providers. 

OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training has been available for nearly six months and has enrolled 50 sites to date! Find out what everyone is raving about – call 651.425.1110 to schedule your OnTrack demo today. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has extended to deadline to complete the Elderly Waiver (EW) provider cost survey to Monday, June 11. The survey is an important step toward establishing the need for rate reforms, and we strongly encourage all members to participate. 

Applications for the next round of Live Well at Home Grants are due June 29. These grants help communities meet the challenges of our fast-growing aging population and pressures on Minnesota's aging services and support system. 

A new report from the National Research Summit offers 694 recommendations that can guide providers of aging services as they design and implement programs for people living with dementia and their families. 

The new AgingServicesJobs.Org platform has launched! 

LeadingAge has launched a new campaign asking millennials to speak out on the need for long-term services and supports (LTSS) financing solutions. 

The Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) announced that Minnesota OSHA has adopted the federal regulation requiring employees to electronically submit injury and illness data that they already record. All Minnesota employers with 20 or more employees are required to electronically submit their data to federal OSHA by July 1. 

Settings providing Customized Living services including Housing with Services, Assisted Living and Adult Foster Care, are not subject to Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) according to a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document issued last week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and verified by Argentum and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). DHS also clarified that those settings are not required to complete the recent survey sent by the department on the topic. 

The OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training has been launched for nearly six months and has enrolled 49 sites to date! Find out what everyone is raving about – call 651.425.1110 to schedule your OnTrack demo today. 

Want to learn how e-Health can build healthier communities? Register for the Minnesota e-Health Summit: Act Today, Impact Tomorrow taking place on June 14 in Brooklyn Center. 

In case you did not take note of these resources when initially shared in Advantage, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has issued a Provider’s Guide to Putting the HCBS Rule into Practice. The Guide may be helpful to you if the audit of your setting resulted in a need to submit additional supporting documentation regarding your compliance with the HCBS Settings Rule. 

Medicare is removing Social Security numbers from Medicare cards to prevent fraud, fight identity theft and keep taxpayer dollars safe. Medicare will mail new cards to Minnesotans on Medicare sometime after June 2018 and before April 30, 2019. The following information from the Minnesota Department of Human Services can help you respond to questions you may receive from residents.  

The annual re-calculation of the Housing Support, formerly Group Residential Housing (GRH), rate that covers rent and raw food for eligible participants resulted in an increase of $11 per month. The new rate of $904 will be effective July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.  

This special invitation goes out to all nurse leaders of assisted living home care. You are invited and encouraged to join an Assisted Living/Home Care Nurse Leader Network (ALNET) June meeting nearest you and to participate in a brief survey to provide feedback regarding these meetings.  

This special invitation goes out to all nurse leaders of assisted living home care. You are invited and encouraged to join an Assisted Living/Home Care Nurse Leader Network (ALNET) June meeting nearest you and to participate in a brief survey to provide feedback regarding these meetings.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has reported significant progress and improvement in the investigation of reports of elder abuse and maltreatment. 

One significant impact of Governor Dayton’s veto of the supplemental budget bill is a cut to rates in the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS) effective July 1.  

Save the dates and watch this space for details to come about summer educational programming:

A new AgingServicesJobs.Org platform is launching June 1! Live webinar trainings on How to Create an Account and How to Post a Job will be available to LeadingAge Minnesota members on June 4 and June 11 – sign-up today at: 

The next session of the LeadingAge Minnesota Nursing Leadership Symposium, which takes place June 12-14 in Brooklyn Center, is directed at familiarizing nurse leaders with the various federal and state regulations impacting licensed care facilities in Minnesota.