News

The State of Minnesota recently announced that staff from the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) will be accompanying Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) surveyors during certain licensing surveys.

As reports of a measles outbreak linked to the Mall of America emerge, it serves as a timely reminder for nursing homes and assisted living facilities to revisit their infection control policies and ensure staff preparedness.

State legislative leaders have finalized the Human Services Budget Bill at the Capitol. As previously shared with members, the agreement includes several disappointing provisions.

A New Americans Resource Map is now available on the LeadingAge Minnesota website! This interactive map of Minnesota’s community organizations, resources, and support is a new tool designed to connect your staff with resources and support that they need outside of work, and to subsequently strengthen our long-term care workforce.

LeadingAge Minnesota recently completed an updated version of our Sector Trends Report, which you can now access on our website.

When the legislative session officially adjourned last week, much of Minnesota’s $67 billion state budget remained unresolved. In the days since, lawmakers have continued working—largely behind closed doors—to finalize major spending bills.

Senior care providers are facing more disruption and uncertainty than ever—changing regulations, workforce pressures, and shifting public policies. The path forward can be complex, but you don’t have to navigate it alone.

LeadingAge Minnesota received an increasing volume of inquiries over the past several months regarding the ongoing COVID-19 requirements in both nursing homes and assisted living communities. In response, LeadingAge Minnesota has updated its materials to encompass a broader respiratory illness framework that includes both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza.

The federal government is moving to end certain temporary immigration statuses, impacting compassionate caregivers in the aging services workforce.

On May 11, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released legislation aimed at fulfilling budget reconciliation requirements, following the House's adoption of a broader budget resolution in April. The Committee’s proposal includes sweeping policy changes to reduce federal spending by $916 billion over the next decade, with the majority of cuts targeting Medicaid.

Legislative leaders and Governor Walz announced this morning that they’ve reached a preliminary budget agreement, with details still being ironed out. As lawmakers shift their attention from policy to omnibus budget bills, LeadingAge Minnesota and our Imperative partner will continue to closely track impacts on aging services. As we learn more, we will share more detailed information on budget bills over the next several days.

In 2024, over 1,000 OnTrack nursing assistants attempted the state exam to be placed on the Minnesota Nurse Aide Registry. OnTrack learners’ pass rates continue to surpass the state average.

This week, lawmakers took significant steps on funding and policy for human services. On Monday, the House of Representatives heard HF2434, the Human Services Finance Omnibus Bill as well as HF2115, the Human Services Policy Omnibus Bill.

The LeadingAge Minnesota QUEST Report is now available for fourth quarter 2024. This quarterly analytic resource for association members focuses on key trends in the senior care sector.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) uses the MN–ITS PRVLTR Mailbox as a primary method for communicating important updates.

Recent survey trends have revealed a notable uptick in deficiencies tied to the identification of resident changes in condition and the timely completion of follow-up comprehensive assessments.

In a shorter-than-usual State of the State address, Gov. Tim Walz cast Minnesota as a national model of bipartisan cooperation and progressive achievement. He emphasized the state’s leadership in education, labor rights, health care access and economic growth.

Too often, the loudest voices in senior care focus on challenges and shortcomings. But across Minnesota, providers are demonstrating excellence, innovation, and high performance. Our new series, Quality in Action, aims to spotlight these success stories—highlighting senior care organizations that are achieving exceptional results through their commitment to quality and safety.

The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has been accepting grant request applications for its workplace Ergonomic Safety Grant Program since summer 2023. To date, 75 of 79 awarded grants have been provided to nursing home applicants with several more requests due to be awarded soon.

During a roundtable on Tuesday, April 15, Governor Tim Walz said: “If you think we’re in a crisis now, especially for seniors living in rural Minnesota, cut Medicaid and find out what happens. There’s no way the state of Minnesota can come close to back filing what’s lost.”