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News Archives

October 2021 Archives

Below is a list of all of the articles published in the selected month, ordered from most recent to least.

Virtual Connect Conference is Oct. 27-28; Registration Remains Open

On October 14, 2021 by Heidi Simpson

The 2021 Connect Conference will be a virtual event on Oct. 27 and 28 and is packed with excellent education and learning opportunities.

Registration remains open and includes both the live broadcast of the conference, and full on-demand access to all session content through the end of the year.

Read more »

Congratulations to Lisa Kalla, Newly-Appointed COO at Saint Therese

On October 14, 2021 by Libbie Chapuran

Saint Therese has announced the appointment of Lisa Kalla to the role of chief operating officer, with responsibility for the overall daily operations of the nonprofit organization. She will work with leadership to implement Saint Therese’s strategic vision and values; direct, administer and coordinate internal operational activities; and manage the campus executive directors.

Read more »

Women in Business Award Goes to LeadingAge MN Board Member Erin Shvetzoff Hennessey

On October 14, 2021 by Libbie Chapuran

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal has selected Erin Shvetzoff Hennessey, CEO of Health Dimensions Group, to receive a 2021 Women in Business award. Erin serves as Director at Large on the LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors.

Read more »

Webinar Registration Now Open for CMP Grant Funds

On October 14, 2021 by Jenna Kellerman

Care centers have access to an engagement, retention, and leadership building platform for free through a grant for Align’s Employee Engagement Solution. A new grant window opened on Sept. 22 and closes on Nov. 23. Subsequent cycles will open over the next two years.

Read more »

Advance Caregivers with New Gerontology and Aging Care Program

On October 14, 2021 by Jenna Kellerman

Looking for a way to grow caregivers within your organization or help staff advance in their career path? Northwest Technical College is offering an online course to advance the specialty of caregivers in aging services.

Read more »

LeadingAge Affordable Housing Calls Address Mental Health, REAC Inspections, and the NSPIRE Demo Program

On October 14, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

The LeadingAge Housing Advisory Group call on Monday, Oct. 18 at 11:30 a.m. will feature guest speaker Dr. Eric Berko. In honor of World Mental Health Day, Dr. Berko will review mental health challenges for staff and residents at affordable housing communities and discuss strategies for success.

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Seeking Mentors for LALD Students

On October 14, 2021 by Jenna Kellerman

Are you interested in advancing the next generation of leaders in Assisted Living? LeadingAge Minnesota is looking for Licensed Assisted Living Directors (LALDs) to volunteer as mentors for students enrolled in our Assisted Living Director Licensure Program.

Read more »

Assisted Living Licensure Closure Form Now Available

On October 14, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

The Minnesota Department of Health has added an Assisted Living Licensure Closure Form to their Forms and Self-Audit Tools page under the “notifications” heading. The form provides guidance for the closure process.

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Workforce Solutions Can’t Wait! Contact State Lawmakers Today

On October 14, 2021 by Libbie Chapuran

Minnesota’s assisted living settings and nursing homes are facing an unprecedented workforce crisis, and LeadingAge Minnesota members across the state are contacting their lawmakers to ask for support now.

Read more »

HUD Allows Key Deadline Flexibilities for CSP Requests

On October 14, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

In response to advocacy by LeadingAge, HUD has allowed key deadline flexibilities for COVID-19 Supplemental Payment (CSP) requests for capital cost reimbursements due to COVID-19. HUD announced the change in a 20-question CSP FAQ document; HUD also released a draft version of the CSP request form.

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Self-Assessment Released for LALD Students

On October 14, 2021 by Jenna Kellerman

The Board of Executives for Long Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) has released the self-assessment tools for Licensed Assisted Living Director (LALD) students to utilize during their field experience. The self-assessment is part of a more extensive Assisted Living Director in Residence (ALDIR) toolkit, now available on the BELTSS website under "Forms and Tutorials."  This toolkit will be the foundation for the field experience as mentors, and LALD students begin their time together. 

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New Workforce, Demographics Data Updated in Environmental Scan

On October 14, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

LeadingAge Minnesota has recently completed an update of our environmental scan, which tracks key trends and issues across various essential categories, including demographics, workforce, payment and consumer preferences. The scan is an excellent tool for use in strategic planning discussions with boards and other key leaders.

Read more »

Top Cited Deficiencies from Nursing Home Recertification Surveys

On October 14, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

The information available from the CMS Quality, Certification and Oversight Reports (QCOR) database shows that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) completed 100 nursing facility recertification surveys during the federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30. There is some lag time in survey data entry, so the year-end total is likely slightly higher. Here's a sampling of the data:

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Next New Member Orientation Session Nov 3

On October 7, 2021 by Luke Jenkins

Are you new to LeadingAge Minnesota? Do you want to learn more about your Association? Would you like to find ways to engage?

Join the recurring LeadingAge Minnesota New Member Orientation Session on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 3:30 p.m. Register for the session that works best for your schedule. The next session is on Nov. 3.

Read more »

Make Connections! Join us for the Virtual Connect Conference on Oct. 27-28

On October 7, 2021 by Heidi Simpson

The 2021 Connect Conference will be a virtual conference on Oct. 27-28. Connect Conference brings together providers of senior housing, assisted living, and home care for two days of exceptional education and connecting with your colleagues from around the state.

Read more »

Safe Care Champion Virtual Networking Calls

On October 7, 2021 by Julie Apold

Safe Care Champions play an essential role in meeting our shared goal of eliminating preventable harm in the course of caregiving.  Sign up to join us for 30-minute virtual networking calls every other month to learn what is new in Safe Care and network with your Safe Care Champion counterparts from around the state.

Read more »

Webinar Registration Open for CMP Grant Funds

On October 7, 2021 by Jenna Kellerman

Care centers have access to an engagement, retention, and leadership building platform for free through a grant for Align’s Employee Engagement Solution. A new grant window opened on Sept. 22 and closes on Nov. 23. Subsequent cycles will open over the next two years.

Read more »

Practice Random Acts of Kindness by Being Kind to Yourself

On October 7, 2021 by Julie Apold

The greatest act of kindness that you can practice without any cost and minimal effort is being kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up for things not in your control. Use kind words when you talk to yourself – do what you can, do not dwell on what you cannot. Practice kindness on yourself and being kind to others will come naturally (Ghate, 2021).

Read more »

Workshop to Recruit and Retain Caregivers

On October 7, 2021 by Jenna Kellerman

The National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA) is hosting a workshop titled, The New CNA Workforce: Frontline Lessons from the Pandemic on Nov. 10 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Register here today!

Read more »

New Website: OpeningDoors.org

On October 7, 2021 by Libbie Chapuran

OpeningDoors.org is live! In July, LeadingAge, our national affiliate, launched Opening Doors to Aging Services, a long-term initiative to offer members and the entire field research, strategies, and resources to inform and align efforts across the sector.

Read more »

Hazard Vulnerability Assessment required for Assisted Living Emergency Preparedness Planning

On October 7, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

Assisted living facilities should base their emergency plan on documented facility-based and community-based risk assessments using an all-hazards approach, including addressing a scenario involving missing residents.

Read more »

DHS Implementing new Rate Floor for Disproportionate Share Customized Living Providers

On October 7, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

Earlier this year, the legislature approved a new program to assist Customized Living providers who serve a "disproportionate share" of Elderly Waiver (EW) clients. Any Customized Living provider who serves 80% EW clients as of Oct.1 of this year is eligible for a minimum rate for EW Customized Living clients of $119 per day for the period from July 1, 2022 through Dec. 31, 2022. The program will be ongoing, and the floor will typically apply on an annual basis based on EW percentage on Oct. 1 of each year.

Read more »

Vaccination Rates Increasing as Care Center Mandate Approaches

On October 7, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

The most recent Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) update on long-term care vaccination shows that staff vaccination rates have increased in the last couple of months as the mandate for vaccination of care center staff draws closer.

Read more »

At the Capitol: Minnesota Lawmakers Reveal First Public Proposals on Hero Pay

On October 7, 2021 by Matt Steele

A select working group began hosting hearings about allocating the money set aside during the 2021 special session for Hero Pay bonuses for frontline workers in late July. Several different groups are vying for a piece of the $250 million fund, and this week, the working group released two separate proposals drawn upon party lines.

Read more »

DHS Delays Transition to Fingerprint-Based Background Studies

On October 7, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has pushed out the target dates for moving from emergency background studies back to studies with fingerprints and photographs. 

Read more »

Workforce Data Illustrates Huge Challenges Faced by Members

On October 7, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

Due to the vast scale of workforce challenges faced by providers, the Long-Term Care Imperative recently conducted a workforce survey of care center and assisted living providers to measure the scope of the problems and to influence policymakers in support of a much-needed response.

Read more »

Press Release: New Data Reveals Critical Worker Shortages Among Minnesota’s Long-Term Care Providers

On October 7, 2021 by Libbie Chapuran

Nearly 70% of nursing homes are pausing admissions due to staff shortage

ST. PAUL, MN (Oct. 7, 2021) – Reaffirming that Minnesota’s workforce shortage in senior care continues to grow, a recent survey of more than 300 Minnesota senior care providers conducted by the Long-Term Care Imperative revealed that 69% of Minnesota nursing homes and 29% of assisted living locations have placed limits on new resident admissions because of an inability to fill staff positions.  

With over 23,000 direct care positions currently vacant across the state, the expanding worker shortage is challenging the ability of senior caregivers to provide care to Minnesota’s rapidly growing senior population and support hospitals that are seeking to discharge patients into care facilities. According to the survey, in August the number of resignations of long-term care professionals exceeded new hires by approximately 2,000 workers.

 “The data on open positions and staff retention confirms that a growing number of elderly Minnesotans will not receive the care they need in our settings, and families will be limited in their choices when they most need our services.  State leaders need to step forward with both emergency action and long-term solutions to help attract and retain workers in the profession of senior care,” said Patti Cullen, CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota.

Shortages exist across the spectrum of long-term care positions, including Certified Nursing Assistants, Registered Nurses, laundry and nutrition services. Nursing homes in every region of the state reported double-digit percentages of unfilled positions for direct care workers, which account for over half of reported vacancies. At nursing homes in the Twin Cities metro, roughly 1 in 4 direct care and nurse practitioner positions stand empty. In just the month of August, an estimated 7,975 senior care workers resigned from their jobs in long-term care to seek work in other fields.

Gayle Kvenvold, CEO of LeadingAge Minnesota explained, “Our caregivers deserve the pay that reflects the importance of their work and helps providers deliver safe, quality care to all who need their critical services. Even with the widespread use of overtime pay and bonuses, more caregivers are leaving our field than joining it. We need a commitment from the state to invest in higher wages to guarantee seniors receive the care they need when they need it in all the communities they call home.”

The Long-Term Care Imperative is calling on state policymakers to address the crisis with immediate emergency staffing as well as long-term reforms to ensure competitive wages for caregivers. The highly regulated nature of senior care makes it immensely difficult to address these issues without financial support and regulatory relief from state government. State regulators set the daily rate charged by nursing homes for both privately paying residents and those receiving state support. In addition, senior care providers must wait 21 months after providing care to receive reimbursement from the State. The increased costs to attract new workers, intense competition for jobs, delayed reimbursement and modest growth in Medical Assistance funding combine to make it difficult for providers to adapt to the changes in the labor market for senior caregivers.

Kvenvold said, “This workforce problem won’t be solved with a one-time infusion of dollars into senior care reimbursement. Without more significant investments in the senior care workforce and changes to the reimbursement system to allow this to happen, this crisis will threaten the availability of care for the most vulnerable at a time when we are facing the largest population of seniors in American history.”

####

The Long-Term Care Imperative is a collaboration of LeadingAge Minnesota and Care Providers of Minnesota, two of the state’s largest long-term care associations. The Long-Term Care Imperative is committed to advancing a shared vision and future for older adult housing, health care and supportive services.

CONTACT: Libbie Chapuran
lchapuran@leadingagemn.org
715-216-1057

Read more »

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