News Archives
June 2022 Archives
Below is a list of all of the articles published in the selected month, ordered from most recent to least.
Age-Friendly Minnesota Community Grant Program Launch
On June 30, 2022 by Terri Foley
Community grants of up to $99,000 are being offered by the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Human Services. As the first step in this process, communities can submit an interest form by Aug. 1. A virtual Responders Conference will be held during the application period to address applicant questions.
CMS Releases Nursing Home Survey Guidance for Phase 3 Requirements
On June 30, 2022 by LeadingAge
On June 29, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released long-awaited updates to the nursing home surveyor guidance found in Appendix PP to the State Operations Manual.
COVID-19 Testing: Resource Roundup and MDH Upcoming Changes
On June 30, 2022 by Kari Everson
Testing residents and staff for COVID-19 became a standard throughout the pandemic, and guidance frequently changed, which gives way to uncertainty on current guidance and recommendations for testing requirements, test interpretation, and test procurement.
Updates on DHS Background Studies
On June 30, 2022 by LeadingAge
As we have shared earlier, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) website now confirms the extension of the July 2 deadline by which employees with emergency background studies must clear fingerprint-based studies until the end of the year. Individuals who received emergency studies must have a fully compliant study by Dec. 31 to continue working after that date. Information about emergency studies and ongoing updates about the transition from emergency studies to full compliance.
Seniors Need Leadership from Lawmakers; Ask Them to Finish Their Work
On June 30, 2022 by Libbie Chapuran
By now, you know that the Minnesota State Legislature adjourned at the end of last month without spending any of the state's $9 billion budget surplus. Even though negotiations have crumbled, we cannot stop our advocacy!
Sample Side Rail Tools Now Available
On June 30, 2022 by Kari Everson
LeadingAge Minnesota has worked with nurse partners to develop tools to assist members with side rail assessments in assisted living settings.
OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training Now Updated with Tips for Testing with Headmaster
On June 16, 2022 by Anna Mowry
In honor of CNA week, we are excited to announce that OnTrack recently released the most up-to-date nursing assistant training curriculum to align with new Headmaster state testing!
CMS Relaxes Frequency of Inspection for Vaccination Requirement Compliance
On June 16, 2022 by LeadingAge
This week, CMS announced that survey oversight of the staff vaccination mandate for Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers will continue to be performed during initial and recertification surveys but will now only be performed in response to complaints alleging non-compliance with this requirement, not all complaint surveys. This news comes after CMS determined that 95% of nearly 12,000 providers and suppliers surveyed by states have been in substantial compliance with this requirement.
DEED Announces Grant Recipients to Help Internationally Trained Healthcare Professionals Become Certified in Minnesota
On June 16, 2022 by Anna Mowry
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced the grant recipients of the Internationally Trained Professionals Competitive Grant Program, a program to help internationally trained healthcare workers earn healthcare licensures in Minnesota.
New Dietary Safety Video Available
On June 16, 2022 by Julie Apold
Are you interested in improving your mealtime safety practices but don't know where to start? LeadingAge Minnesota, as part of Safe Care, has developed a new video demonstrating two essential dietary safety practices – Pre-Meal Huddles and Dietary Safety Pauses.
DHS Confirms Extension of Background Check Resubmission Deadline, Other Flexibilities
On June 16, 2022 by LeadingAge
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) website now confirms the extension of the July 2 deadline by which employees with emergency background studies must clear fingerprint-based studies until the end of the year. Individuals who received emergency studies must have a fully compliant study by Dec. 31 to continue working after that date.
New Coupon! Promote Your Open Positions with AgingServicesJobs.org at a Reduced Rate
On June 9, 2022 by Anna Mowry
Have you posted your open positions on the AgingServicesJobs.org platform? LeadingAge MN’s job board, AgingServicesJobs.org, is the premier resource for long-term care employers to post their critical to fill positions and get connected with qualified applicants.
Continuing Education Requirements for Directors of Assisted Living with Dementia Care
On June 9, 2022 by Bobbie Guidry
The requirements for assisted living directors of settings licensed as assisted living with dementia care (ALDC) have raised several questions for those seeking to keep their credentials up to date.
With New Booster Guidance, What Does “Up-to-Date” Mean for LTC
On June 9, 2022 by Kari Everson
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated recommendations for an additional COVID-19 vaccination booster (fourth shot) on May 24. The updates provide a recommendation for a second booster for those people 12 and older if they are moderately to severely immunocompromised and individuals 50 years of age and older.
Advocate for Congressional COVID-19 Funding for LTC
On June 2, 2022 by Libbie Chapuran
Although the House and Senate are in recess this week, there's no shortage of work left to be done before Congress adjourns ahead of the midterm elections. What began as the Build Back Better plan is now being reshaped into a much narrower, inflation-fighting measure that would amount to a fraction of the spending in the original bill.
MDH Provides Flexibility and Clarification for Nurse Aides Working Under the 1135 Waiver
On June 2, 2022 by Anna Mowry
On June 6, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will terminate the COVID-19 waiver that has allowed nurse aides to serve seniors without being on the Nursing Assistant Registry. Nurse aides hired or worked during the waiver have until Oct. 7 to be placed on the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry.
On a monthly Nurse Assistant call, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) had previously communicated near-term deadlines for those working under the 1135 Waiver. With the termination of the waiver quickly approaching, we advocated strongly for flexibility and further clarity on the action required for those working under the waiver to ensure nurse aides can continue providing services for seniors throughout the state.
MDH has provided helpful clarification on the three different pathways to transition caregivers who have been working under the 1135 Waiver.
Three Pathways
Pathway 1: Enroll in a state-approved Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) and complete the training program and pass the exam by Oct. 7.
Pathway 2: Enroll in a NATCEP training program, but take advantage of the transition pathway developed by MDH, allowing facilities to credit training received while working in a long-term care facility under the waiver towards the required 75-hours of training. Individuals taking this route must still enroll in a NATCEP program to ensure training requirements are met and assist in completing any additional training needs. The training and testing must be completed and passed by Oct. 7.
Pathway 3: Choose not to enroll in a NATCEP program, but challenge and pass the test before Oct. 7. The nurse aide will have three attempts to successfully pass the knowledge and skills exams. If they do not pass the test by Oct. 7, they cannot work as a nurse aide until completion of a NATCEP program.
Please refer to the updated MDH document Placement on Minnesota’s Nurse Aide Registry for Nurse Aides Working during the 1135 Waiver for more information on these pathways.
We will continue to work closely with our partners at MDH and Minnesota State Colleges to discuss strategies to ensure all caregivers working under the 1135 Waiver are successfully trained, tested, and transitioned to be on the registry by Oct. 6.
If you have questions or need assistance with this process, please reach out to Anna Mowry, Director of Workforce Solutions at LeadingAge Minnesota.