News

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) last week released new guidance that allows the designation of an Essential Caregiver for residents of nursing homes and assisted living. This guidance represents the next interim step in encouraging safe and responsible visitation during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Long-Term Care Imperative has recently finished a special analysis of occupancy data for the first half of 2020. As anticipated, the results show that the spread of COVID-19 had a major negative impact on care center occupancy in the second quarter.  However, the impact varied by region and did not hit every provider at all. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently provided LeadingAge Minnesota with statements of deficiencies from 120 focused infection control surveys of Minnesota nursing homes conducted during April and May 2020. To assist members in preparing for future surveys, we have prepared a new resource: Focused Infection Control Surveys in Nursing Homes - Deficient Practices Commonly Cited by the Minnesota Department of Health. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) continues to work on recommendations for nursing homes and housing with services/assisted living settings to modify general visitation, but there still is not a firm timeline for release of those recommendations. 

As usual, we have emailed an occupancy survey to all care centers to complete. However, these are not usual times so we are going to approach reporting the results quite differently. We are asking for responses ASAP so we can do a couple of reports of the results starting with one before the end of July. 

Members have raised questions this week about background studies, so we wanted to share an update about what we know:   

Earlier this month the Minnesota Department of Health shared with LeadingAge Minnesota the results from Focused Infection Control surveys of Minnesota nursing homes during April and May.  As we reported earlier, 120 facilities were cited for deficient practice(s), all of those at F880 and with only 4 being cited at scope and severity level G or above. 

COVID-19 is not over. The lives of seniors in our settings are at risk. Our healthcare workers are risking their lives without appropriate PPE, testing and funding. Watch this powerful message from our partners at LeadingAge. Then ask the Minnesotans who represent us in Washington for crucial resources and immediate relief to help fight COVID. Here are two thing you can do now:  

The Minnesota Legislature’s first 2020 special session adjourned sine die in the early morning of June 20, just one week after Governor Walz called lawmakers back to St. Paul. Lawmakers failed to reach agreement on any of the major issues – including police reform, bonding, and distribution of CARES Act funds for COVID-19.  

For the ninth time in 10 years, there is a legislative special session. It began on June 12 and we do not yet know the length of this special session nor is there any agreement on what issues will be resolved during it. Where do our key issues stand in terms of special session priorities?

As we enter the fifth week of nursing homes reporting to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), we thought it would be worthwhile to highlight some of the information we’ve shared with members through our daily updates over the past couple of weeks.  

The COVID-19 emergency has had significant negative financial impacts on many providers, including loss of revenue as well as higher costs associated with responding to actual and potential outbreaks of the virus.  Fortunately, the state and federal governments have both responded with large programs of aid to providers, including the most recent development at the federal level - the Medicaid provider distribution from the CARES Act provider relief fund. 

The Minnesota Department of Health recently agreed to waive the 8-hour training requirement for Paid Feeding Assistants, in accordance with a waiver from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Our partners at EduCare have released the only MDH approved expedited curriculum in Minnesota, which is a 2.5 hour course with competencies. There is no cost to this program. 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is spotlighting COVID-19 survey results on the Nursing Home Compare home page. The results of surveys conducted since March 4 (complaints and infection control focused surveys) will be listed and available for the public to download, including a spreadsheet summarizing the findings from each inspection.  

Events of the past week illustrate the power of data to shape the public’s understanding of COVID-19 and how the virus impacts aging services providers and the people you serve.  Unfortunately, these examples are a powerful reminder that inaccurate data or inaccurate reporting can distort that understanding.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) yesterday released updated data on the status of COVID-19 in long term care settings during a Senate Family Care and Aging Committee hearing.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced this week (QSO-20-31-All) that it will expand survey activity and increase enforcement remedies relating to nursing home infection control requirements, effective immediately.  Several story lines arise from this memo.   

The LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors will meet for a virtual strategic planning retreat on June 17. We are asking each member site to respond to a quick, 3-question survey to inform its work.  

Join us on Thursday, May 28 at 12:30 p.m. for a recap of the 2020 legislative session. Our team will review the outcomes of the unprecedented session and share information about what to expect next. 

The most-recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) update to COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers (see pp. 25-27) includes waivers of a few life safety code provisions that may reduce disruption of patient care and potential exposure/transmission of COVID-19.  In all cases, it will be important to consider these waivers in the context of your existing life safety policies, procedures and plans.