News

OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training has been available for nearly six months and has enrolled 106 students to date! Find out what everyone is raving about – call 651.425.1110 to schedule your OnTrack demo today. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) intends to issue guidance clarifying that existing care centers may store and use liquid oxygen in resident rooms without having to meet a fire-resistance enclosure rating. 

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that went into effect on Jan.1, 2018 affects nonprofits both operationally and in their fundraising strategies. 

As we reported a few weeks ago, care centers are currently being asked by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to select a QIIP goal by June 30 for the rate year beginning Jan.1, 2020. 

The new AgingServicesJobs.Org platform has launched! Want to trial the site by posting a job for free? The first 25 members to contact Jenna Kellerman will get a free promo code to post their next open position! 

It is estimated that up to 50 percent of individuals residing in assisted living experience one or more falls annually, and between 10 percent – 25 percent of these falls result in serious injuries requiring medical attention. In addition, falls is one of the top categories of substantiated OHFC reports in Home Care/Assisted Living settings in Minnesota. Implementing an effective falls prevention program in the assisted living setting has the potential to reduce falls, improve quality of life and reduce costs for your organization. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has extended to deadline to complete the Elderly Waiver (EW) provider cost survey to Monday, June 11. The survey is an important step toward establishing the need for rate reforms, and we strongly encourage all members to participate. 

Settings providing Customized Living services including Housing with Services, Assisted Living and Adult Foster Care, are not subject to Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) according to a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document issued last week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and verified by Argentum and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). DHS also clarified that those settings are not required to complete the recent survey sent by the department on the topic. 

The OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training has been launched for nearly six months and has enrolled 49 sites to date! Find out what everyone is raving about – call 651.425.1110 to schedule your OnTrack demo today. 

One significant impact of Governor Dayton’s veto of the supplemental budget bill is a cut to rates in the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS) effective July 1.  

UPDATE: 11:45 am - GOVERNOR DAYTON VETOES ELDERCARE PROTECTION

Governor Dayton vetoed the omnibus supplemental budget bill, which included significant policy reforms on eldercare protection, revisions to the home care law and funding to prevent a cut in DWRS rates. 

The 2018 Legislative Session is coming to an end, and legislation to protect vulnerable adults from maltreatment is still on the table. 

Are you looking for ways to judge the competitiveness of your compensation program in this dynamic job market? Here’s one way: Complete our annual salary survey. 

Detailed trend reports for care centers on two new quality measures – hospitalization rates and rate of discharge back to the community – are now available from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). 

A commentary by the Long-Term Care Imperative supporting important work being advanced in the final weeks of session on preventing maltreatment was published in the Duluth News Tribune on Monday. 

As we covered in last week’s Advantage, the new proposed payment system from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for skilled nursing facilities will be the first year where Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) will be implemented. LeadingAge has prepared a detailed analysis of the proposed changes to the VBP program and the Quality Reporting Program. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) recently posted updated results for both the Resident Quality of Life survey and Family Satisfaction survey to the MN Nursing Home Report Card web site. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week issued a Proposed Rule that provides information about the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) payment rates for the year that starts on Oct. 1, 2018 as well as proposing an entirely new case mix payment system to take effect on Oct. 1, 2019.  CMS will follow up with a final rule on the Oct. 1 rates around Aug. 1. 

The Minnesota House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the House Omnibus Health, Human Services, and Transportation Budget bill (HF 3138 – Dean). The bill, which passed on a 82 to 43 vote, contains a number of provisions important to senior service providers including the Vulnerable Adults Maltreatment Prevention and Protection Act (HF 3308 – Kiel, as amended in HHS) and funding for DWRS (HF 3191 – Schomacker). 

The Minnesota Senate has advanced a bill that would significantly alter many provisions that impact the way aging services providers serve older adults in long-term care settings.