News

Care center occupancy is at an all-time low and the workforce situation is only getting more challenging, according to a new analysis we recently completed based on the 2018 occupancy survey and 2019 Long-Term Care Imperative legislative survey. 

Now that you’ve made the Safe Care for Seniors pledge, it’s time to launch the program in your setting! To help you engage your staff, residents and families in our shared mission to prevent harm in the course of caregiving, we’ve developed a Safe Care for Seniors Campaign Kick-Off Toolkit and Online Resource Library.

More than 150 LeadingAge Minnesota members participated in yesterday’s Day at the Capitol, bringing their voices and their collective will to give lawmakers a personal perspective on how the decisions they make this session will affect the seniors we serve and those who provide them with care.   

In testimony to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said that the moratorium on monetary fines for care centers will expire in May and that providers will soon begin receiving civil monetary fines in eight additional categories.  

The OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training program continues to see success in its second year of operation.  

You’ve made the pledge, now take the next step in Safe Care for Seniors. Our March 28 Workshop will give you the tools and resources you need to effectively implement the 5-Step Safe Care for Seniors Action Plan in your setting. Join experts in safe care, resident and family communication, leadership, safety and more for this informative, interactive event that will also feature shared learning from your peers and small group work focused specifically on your type of setting.   

It’s Careers in Aging Week, and we just received great and timley news from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to help with your recruitment and retention efforts -- a bonus round of the HCBS Scholarship Grant. There is approximately $360,000 to distribute. The application deadline is April 19. You can find the application here.   

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the freeze on health inspection ratings at care centers that was instituted in February 2018 will be lifted in April. This is among several changes CMS is making to provide greater support to consumers looking to compare the quality of nursing homes via Nursing Home Compare. Major changes include:   

Congratulations to the following LeadingAge Minnesota members for being named Infection Prevention and Control Data Champions by Lake Superior Quality Innovation Network: 

This is a watershed year for how services are regulated for seniors in Minnesota. Bills are being introduced, and while there is broad consensus on concerns and principles, there is also divergence on areas that will affect the lives of seniors, their access to services, and your functioning as a provider. It is essential for those providing care and services in assisted living settings to be a part of the conversation at the Capitol. Register today for our Day at the Capitol on March 12!  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), on last week’s statewide regulatory call, reviewed top deficiency trends for nursing homes and focus areas to be targeted during CMS oversite surveys. MDH highlighted the increase in deficiencies on both complaint and survey being cited at Immediate Jeopardy level (I/J) in 2019. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), on last week’s statewide regulatory call, reviewed top deficiency trends for nursing homes and focus areas to be targeted during CMS oversite surveys. MDH highlighted the increase in deficiencies on both complaint and survey being cited at Immediate Jeopardy level (I/J) in 2019. 

From Jan. 1, 2019 – Feb. 20, 2019, 14 I/Js were cited. A majority were the result of complaint investigations. Some of the areas identified that resulted in I/Js in 2019 are:

Free of Abuse and Neglect:

• Suspicious bruising in groin, breast and neck area not identified, reported or investigated
• Rough handling by staff
• Inappropriate physical touch and yelling at resident

Free of Accident Hazards/Supervision/Devices (also #1 deficiency cited at I/J on standard and complaint survey and #1 deficiency cited at G on complaints, #2 deficiency cited at G on standard surveys in 2018)

• Transfer with a mechanical lift – straps not properly connected to sling and sling too large
• Failure to supervise residents at risk for falls, repeated self-transfers resulting in falls with multiple fractures
• Smoking while using oxygen

Treatment/Services to Prevent/Heal Pressure Ulcers (also #1 deficiency cited at G on standard surveys in 2018)

• Did not provide treatment for prevention of stage 3-4 pressure ulcers

Quality of Care

• Did not notify the physician for a resident with bloody stools and on Coumadin resulting in hospitalization and transfusion

MDH also summarized the top 2018 tags related to surveys, complaints, and E tags.  A complete breakdown of deficiencies with a scope of D, G and J are posted on the MDH website.  Here is a sampling of that data.

Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan yesterday released the One Minnesota budget that proposes to spend $49 billion in the next two years on a wide range of priorities. The budget contained mixed news for older adult services. While it supports the interim work on older adult protection, the budget does not include increased Elderly Waiver funding, only partially funds the DWRS increase for adult day providers, assumes a fee-driven approach for assisted living providers and reduces Value-Based Reimbursement for care centers. 

The momentum for Safe Care for Seniors continues to build – from the 700 people who took the Safe Care for Seniors pledge at Institute & Expo earlier this month to the members who have since made their public commitment to respect, safety and dignity via the Make the Pledge link on our web site. This week, we provide a more detailed review of Safe Care for Seniors and what members can anticipate receiving from LeadingAge Minnesota to effectively implement the program in their organization or setting. 

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is excited to offer more than $33,000 in educational scholarships to eligible caregivers and other employees of LeadingAge Minnesota member organizations for 2019. 

We often receive questions from members wrestling with varying restrictions and requirements for medical marijuana under federal and state law. New guidance from LeadingAge national will help members explore issues surrounding the expanding area of medical marijuana, including: 

Have you tried recruiting through LeadingAge Minnesota’s job board AgingServicesJOBS.org? Check it out! Email Jenna Kellerman for a promo code to post your first job for FREE! 

Are you looking for Manger/Supervisor Training? Does your organization need tools to promote a culture of engagement, service excellence and continuous improvement? We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with Align, bringing you access to an Employee Engagement Solution (manager/supervisor evaluation and training!) and two Customer Experience Solutions.  

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) released a final report on Elderly Waiver (EW) rates that suggests numerous changes to reflect how services are provided and what type of staff provide them. The good news for providers is the evaluation reinforces the point that current rates do not reflect the true value of the service provided. 

LeadingAge Minnesota is pleased to announce that Sue Boyd will join our team as the Director of Clinical Care and Nurse Consultant. Sue’s first day is Thursday, Jan. 31 and she will hit the ground running at next week’s Institute & Expo.