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The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is surveying providers of personal care assistance, home health services, and home and community-based services to learn more about existing use of electronic visit verification (EVV) in Minnesota. 

The new Assisted Living Certificate Program that combines essential training for both housing managers and nurse managers in assisted living, begins Wednesday, May 30. Limited spaces remain, so make sure to register today! 

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 members on June 4 and June 11 – register now: 

Clostridium difficile (C. diff) causes almost half a million infections yearly, with more than 100,000 occurring among residents in long-term care. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has developed a new toolkit to help prevent and manage C. diff infection in long-term care. 

A new proposal in Congress could create a new long-term services and support insurance product within the Medicare program. LeadingAge has been invited to submit comments on this draft legislation and is seeking feedback from members. 

Affordable housing programs received a bit of good news last week when the U.S. House Appropriations Committee provided $941 million more for the U.S. House & Urban Development Department (HUD) in fiscal year 2019 (FY19) than last fiscal year. 

CAST has updated its Shared Care Planning and Coordination Online Tool with updated vendor information for 19 products and published “Improving Care Coordination and Data Sharing with Acute Care and Payers,” a new case study that illustrates how integration technology can help a provider reduce gaps in care and remain a preferred provider to a health system. 

Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS) received a $12 million gift to establish and endow the Hugh K. and Margaret S. Schilling Leadership Institute, which aims to advance development of a highly competent workforce to meet needs related to the unprecedented aging of our population. 

The baby boomers are coming, and their expectations and preferences in senior living will be different than the consumers you serve today.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has published the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the next round of Live Well at Home Grants. These grants help communities meet the challenges of our fast-growing aging population and pressures on Minnesota's long-term care support system. 

The 2018 Legislative Session is coming to an end, and legislation to protect vulnerable adults from maltreatment is still on the table. 

LeadingAge Minnesota’s new Assisted Living Certificate Program has been redesigned with the leadership team in mind – one combined course with separate learning tracks for Housing-with-Services/Assisted Living Managers and Home Care Nurse Managers. The summer series begins May 30, and limited seats remain for participation. 

Are you looking for ways to judge the competitiveness of your compensation program in this dynamic job market? Here’s one way: Complete our annual salary survey. 

A new AgingServicesJobs.Org platform is launching June 1! 

In the May 9 Advantage, it was announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has discontinued use of the five Skilled Nursing Facility denial form letters and the notice of exclusion from Medicare Benefits (NEMB-SNF), Form CMS-20014, and condensed all this information into a new one-page form. 

Three LeadingAge Minnesota members represented the Performance Excellence in Aging Services program and shared how they are driving continuous quality improvement in their organizations during a panel presentation at the 2018 PENWorks Conference on May 3.  

The 2017 Profile of Older Americans validates what we already know: the population age 65 and older is growing at an alarming rate, living longer and requiring more caregiving as they age. 

When people think of the rental population in big cities, they often picture young professionals looking to advance in their careers before making a move to the suburbs later in life. While there are still plenty of urban renters that fit that profile, new stats reveal an interesting trend. Between the years from 2009 to 2015, the largest increase in the renting population was for the age group of 55 and older, which increased by 28 percent. 

In this week’s update on the proposed Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (PPS) rule, we provide more information on payment changes. 

Detailed trend reports for care centers on two new quality measures – hospitalization rates and rate of discharge back to the community – are now available from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). 

Home Care Matters, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Home Care and Assisted Living Program provider webinar, will take place on May 23 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Providers will the opportunity to: 

The sixth annual LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation Golf Tournament takes place on Aug. 8 at Keller Golf Course in Maplewood. A sell-out is expected, so don’t delay. Register Today! 

Mark July 17 on your calendar and make plans to join us at the 2018 Adult Day Conference – now offered in the summer! Designed for directors, social workers and direct care staff, the conference explores timely issues that will help improve services and operate programs more effectively.  

Employers must make the hepatitis B vaccination available to staff who have reasonably anticipated contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials during performance of their jobs. 

Join us for the final Onboarding Toolkit Webinar TODAY at 10 a.m. Quick – Sign up here! 

A commentary by the Long-Term Care Imperative supporting important work being advanced in the final weeks of session on preventing maltreatment was published in the Duluth News Tribune on Monday. 

As we covered in last week’s Advantage, the new proposed payment system from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for skilled nursing facilities will be the first year where Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) will be implemented. LeadingAge has prepared a detailed analysis of the proposed changes to the VBP program and the Quality Reporting Program. 

Coming soon: New AgingServicesJobs.Org platform! The temporary job board we launched in August 2017 is about to sunset as we integrate the newest job board technology. 

Jon Fletcher has been named Vice President of Senior Housing Partners, the development arm of Presbyterian Homes and Services and development consultant to other not-for-profit sponsors of senior housing, assisted living, and care centers. 

By 2020, the number of older adults with substance abuse disorder in the U.S. is expected to reach 5.7 million. A free webinar on May 16 will empower providers to better support the care needs of this growing population.