News

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. 

The OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training is excited to announce our expansion into North Dakota! 

The 2019 Legislative Session began on Tuesday, Jan. 8, and committees are getting underway this week. Your LeadingAge Minnesota advocacy team is ready to work on your behalf throughout session this year. To give you a clearer picture of the policies we are supporting, our team has prepared a legislative preview document to give you an in-depth look at the priorities for this session:  

Section 202 communities will not see their December 2018 and January 2019 contracts renewed because of the partial federal government shutdown. HUD expects Section 202 provider to rely on their reserves to cover expenses during the shutdown, which could have grave consequences on older adults who rely on these programs. WE NEED YOUR HELP! 

Each year, the state calculates the average wages of RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and TMAs in care centers using the data provided from the annual cost reports and then computes the statutory limits on the amount that Supplemental Nursing Services Agencies (SNSAs) can charge per hour for each type of staff. The new caps were effective Jan. 1.  

Yesterday marked the start of Minnesota’s 2019 legislative session, and we know now who will lead two key state agencies that impact our members and the people they serve – the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Human Services.  

It’s the story that rarely gets reported: the high quality of life older adults receive in our member settings. We recognize and celebrate the work you and your staff teams do to serve each resident as an individual, treat all in your care with respect and dignity, and prevent harm from occurring in the course of caregiving. Now let’s get that story told. We’re developing a virtual storyboard and need you to help us write the chapters. 

A Jan. 16 webinar from LeadingAge national will provide an overview of Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs). An I-SNP is a type of Medicare managed care plan that is designed explicitly to serve the needs of Medicare beneficiaries needing a nursing home level of care. Aging services providers are exploring I-SNPs as an opportunity to lead a payment model that financially rewards them for redesigning care and services to lower cost and improve outcomes through a more integrated approach, but there are considerable challenges and financial risks that providers should be aware of before going down this path.  

The Minnesota Legislature is scheduled to convene on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and aging services providers have a lot at stake. Don’t miss a free, one-hour webinar on Jan. 9 for insights into the current political environment, our priorities at the Capitol, and ways you can support our advocacy efforts.  

Are you curious about the OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training program that more than 30 organizations have launched? Sign up for a demo webinar on Jan. 16!  

The best way to kick off a new year? Joining LeadingAge Minnesota at one of its seven district meetings taking place in January. Our hot topic agenda features a sneak peek at our new Safe Care for Seniors program, and two breakout sessions that will help prepare care centers and housing with services/assisted living prepare for new opportunities in payment, regulations and more in 2019. Our meetings start next week, so don’t delay - register today!   

LeadingAge Minnesota filed comments last week with the United States Department of Labor (DOL) to voice our support for a proposal that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to operate power-driven patient lifts independently. 

Happy Anniversary to LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation’s OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training program, which launched the RN Train the Trainer curriculum in December 2017! The first students matriculated a month later in January 2018.