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The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) recently awarded more than $7.5 million in Live Well at Home grants to programs that help older Minnesotans remain in their homes and communities. Of the 53 grants awarded, seven were for projects led by LeadingAge Minnesota members: 

The deadline for submitting a Performance-Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) proposal is midnight on May 1. 

New legislation introduced in Congress would help aging services providers alleviate its growing workforce crisis:    

The debate on how to deal with the impending seven percent cut in DWRS funding continues at the State Capitol, with three different positions from the House, Senate and Governor Dayton. 

Sign up today for the final Onboarding Toolkit Webinar on May 9 at 10 a.m. This webinar is open to anyone who has already implemented the toolkit as well as anyone interested in learning more about the resource. 

Heritage Living & Rehab (formerly known as Elders’ Home), which has operated in New York Mills for nearly 60 years, has made the difficult decision to close. 

Did you miss the online demo of the OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training last week? Don’t worry! Catch an Express Demo at the Workforce Solutions Conference tomorrow! OnTrack staff will also be available onsite at the conference to answer questions. 

The popular Sales & Marketing in Senior Housing Certificate Program begins in less than two weeks and this is the last full week to register. 

Understanding the desires of the next generation of transitioning seniors will be the key to success as the seniors housing and care industry evolves. Lancaster Pollard, a valued business partner of LeadingAge Minnesota, shares how providers can create environments that will entice seniors to move in, especially at a younger age: 

Our spring Health Support Specialist (HSS) regional hubs will continue next week and will deliver on a core foundation of apprenticeship: mentoring. 

You don’t have to have the intent to discriminate to run afoul of fair housing laws. In fact, most fair housing claims are filed against people who have very good intention. It is important to regularly train staff and volunteers in the principles and regulations of fair housing.   

A recent report on Medicaid assisted living services by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) calls on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve how it collects, reports, manages and monitors information about Medicaid assisted living services. 

Sign up today for the final Onboarding Toolkit Webinar on May 9 at 10 a.m. This webinar is open to anyone who has already implemented the toolkit as well as anyone interested in learning more about the resource.

Dr. Joseph E. Gaugler has been named the new Robert L. Kane Endowed Chair in Long-Term Care and Aging at the University of Minnesota. 

LeadingAge Minnesota has combined the best of two popular and enduring certificate programs into one program that meets the current demands and expectations of the key leaders working in Minnesota assisted living programs. This new educational offering is the merger of the previous Housing-with-Services Management and Home Care Nurse Managers certificate programs. 

Adult day providers received some good news last week when Minnesota House Republicans released budget targets that included funding to prevent a cut in Disability Waiver rates. 

Rising rents and apartment shortages are problems around the state, particularly for low-income individuals. The St. Louis Park City Council recently passed a new renter protection ordinance, believed to be the first of its kind in Minnesota, that could impact housing with services members who provide affordable housing to older adults. 

The debate on immigration can send a chilling effect across our field, as immigrants and refugees are an essential part of our workforce – today and in the future. 

Nursing facility staffing measures posted on Nursing Home Compare and facility staffing ratings calculated for the Five Star Quality Rating System will reflect Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) data beginning this month, along with a new risk adjustment methodology, according to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) memorandum released April 6. 

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) posted an analysis of data collected as part of the National Study for Long-Term Care Providers. The study is conducted every two years to monitor the trend in supply, provision and use of the major, regulated long-term services and supports.  

Effective strategic planning defines where an organization is going, the actions needed to make progress and how it will know if it is successful. Join us on May 17 for a hands-on session to learn and apply strategies designed to improve your organization’s approach to strategic planning. 

Employer applications are being accepted through Friday, April 13 for the 2018 Summer Health Care Internship Program. Skilled nursing, home care providers and adult day centers are encouraged to participate.  

Time is almost out to attend the annual Workforce Solutions Conference on April 19 and the co-located Essential Skills for New Supervisors workshop.

Are you ready to experience what everyone is raving about? Login at 11am TODAY to see a live demo of the new OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training! Sign up for the demo webinar here!

The Minnesota Board on Aging has released its competitive dementia grants request for proposal (RFP) seeking qualified grantees to provide services, education, and/or resources for persons with dementia and their caregivers. The deadline is May 11. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services posted new data regarding Quality of Life and Hospitalizations/Community Discharge to the Nursing Facility Provider Portal. 

Senior living providers may be making a mistake if they are emphasizing health care over hospitality and a person-centered focus, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). 

In the wake of recent mass shootings, LeadingAge has received many inquiries from members regarding senior living communities' authority to institute weapons policies on their campuses. 

Documentation, also known as charting, is vitally important to care and service delivery. It can also be stressful and confusing for staff who might not know what, how or when to write down critical information. 

The April 18 webinar Charting Success: Effective and Legal Documentation provides essential knowledge of documentation best practices in aging services settings. It webinar will help build staff’s confidence and skills to observe and document appropriately to best serve the customer and reduce legal exposure.

Find complete details and register here.

Despite wage increases and increased health insurance enrollment, direct care employee vacancies in care centers remain high as compared to a few years ago.