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The Office of Higher Education's (OHE) Dual-Training Pipeline Grant is open for applications until April 15.

OnTrack’s impact is broadening its reach beyond Minnesota. As healthcare employers embrace international recruitment to address workforce shortages, OnTrack International is preparing international candidates before they arrive in Minnesota.

This week, legislation that would establish implementation timelines for Program for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly received hearings in the House and Senate Committees on Human Services. Testimony on the bill featured speakers from LeadingAge Minnesota members including Presbyterian Homes and Volunteers of America. 

Nurse Lunch and Learn webinars offer quick, focused sessions for nurse teams, emphasizing staff and direct care nurses. Each virtual webinar begins with a brief presentation on key topics, followed by a small group exercise for hands-on application of the learning outcomes.

On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Health Dimensions Group® (HDG®), a leading senior living, post-acute, and long-term care management and consulting firm based in Minneapolis, MN, announced that they have hired Barbara Klick as executive vice president of quality. With this position, Klick will join HDG’s Executive Leadership Team.

For providers of residential rental property in the City of Minneapolis, please note two new ordinances to be aware of, both effective March 1. These Minneapolis-specific rental ordinances typically affect independent apartment rental as opposed to assisted living rental, but it is recommended that you stay apprised of all laws that affect your city.

On July 1, 2025, the Housing Support maximum monthly room and board rate will increase to $1,192. There was a typo in the table last week for the personal spending allowance, which should be $128. The rate is correct at $1192. See the corrected table below.

Some small residential providers have had challenges complying with AL statutes due to what would be cost-prohibitive remodeling required, or unwillingness of a landlord to allow the changes in rented settings. Changes were made to 144G.195 in the 2024 legislative session to allow these settings to relocate within certain parameters.

Three new resources have recently been added to the Governance Resource Center to use with your nonprofit governing board. These resources are free of charge to LeadingAge Minnesota Members with your member login required.

On Wednesday, more than 100 LeadingAge Minnesota members gathered at the Fairview Community Health and Wellness Hub for our annual Day at the Capitol. This event provided a crucial opportunity for members to engage with legislators and advocate for key issues affecting long-term care providers and the individuals they serve.

This was a big week at the Legislature, with committees speeding toward an April 3^rd deadline to hear all policy-related bills hoping to be passed this year. LeadingAge Minnesota and its Imperative partner provided testimony and feedback on ten bills this week, including three legislative priorities on our 2025 agenda.

Our lawmakers in Washington appreciate hearing from their constituents on issues that are important to us. Protecting HUD affordable senior housing from any budget cuts is more important now than ever.

MDH invites you to participate in the Insight 2 Action focus groups to tackle the persisting challenges in infection prevention in our settings.

In case you missed it, the MDH Assisted Living Quarterly Update information that was presented on February 20, 2025, is now posted to the MDH Website.

On July 1, 2025, the Housing Support maximum monthly room and board rate will increase to $1,192.

On Tuesday, the U.S. House passed its desired continuing resolution (CR) to avert a partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies through September on a vote of 217-213.

New and emerging nurse leaders in skilled nursing care centers, assisted living, or home care settings will gain a solid understanding of the foundational elements that make up the nurse leader’s role by attending LeadingAge Minnesota’s Nurse Leadership Program.

Outreach staff from Senator Klobuchar’s office have been travelling Minnesota to convene roundtable discussions with senior care providers, senior advocates, and community leaders.

The Office of Higher Education's (OHE) Dual-Training Pipeline Grant is open for applications until April 15.

Each Tuesday, the Department of Human Services (DHS) conducts scheduled maintenance for the NETStudy 2.0 system.

This morning, HF500, a bill that restores important guardrails on the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board, was passed out of the House Labor & Workforce Committee and sent to the floor to await debate before the full body.

LeadingAge Minnesota is thrilled to welcome Shelli Bakken to our staff. Shelli joins the association as Director of Housing Policy & Expert Support.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) held a webinar earlier this month on Feb 19^th bringing together DHS and MDH to review assisted living licensure requirements and the policies and requirements of customized living (the payment program for residents receiving financial support under medical assistance waivers).

Minnesota statute 144G.64 establishes mandatory training in dementia care, mental illness, and de-escalation for all assisted living facilities. This ensures staff are equipped to provide quality care and manage challenging situations effectively.

On Feb. 24, the Department of Human Services posted notice the issue surrounding NETStudy 2.0 not accepting payments for applications submitted on Feb. 19 has been resolved.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 19, 2025, and join us for LeadingAge Minnesota’s Day at the Capitol—your opportunity to advocate for aging services and make a lasting impact on the lawmakers and policies that shape senior care in Minnesota.

On Thursday, Feb. 27, LeadingAge Minnesota and our Imperative partner testified in support of HF1419 and HF500. Each bill was introduced in the House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee – HF1419 would fund the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board’s (NHWSB) mandates and provide an annual update to the Elderly Waiver rates. HF500 would prevent any standards from going into effect unless they are fully funded by the legislature this year.

Beginning April 9, this 11-day interactive program is designed specifically for administrators, site leaders, and operational staff in assisted living and care center communities to build essential knowledge and practical skills to manage operations effectively.

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, Vivie announced that Northfield Retirement Community is joining Vivie in its mission to enrich, empower, and elevate people throughout life’s journey.

In assisted living settings, stock medications and conventional medication management systems are unavailable. The Minnesota Association for Geriatric Inspired Clinicians (MAGIC), created standing house orders (SHO) for assisted living organizations for the first time this year. MAGIC also updates SHO for nursing homes annually.