News

DHS recently amended licensing modifications for ADS providers, effective August 12, 2020.  Except for the changes described below, all previously approved licensing modifications for adult day centers remain in effect.

With Minnesota facing a projected $4.7 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Tim Walz tapped a familiar face and state budget expert, Jim Schowalter, to return as commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget.

In a special session last week, the Senate and House passed (and the Governor later signed) Senate File 1, which appropriates more than $20M in state CARES Act relief funds to provide retention grants to adult day services providers to address the impact of business interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, the Minnesota Department of Health waived the 8-hour training requirement for Paid Feeding Assistants, in accordance with a waiver from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 

The Metropolitan Council has issued Metro Mobility COVID-19 safety measures. The safety measures cover topics including service, fare payment, riders, drivers, bus cleaning, and more.

As part of the DHS Waiver Reimagine project, DHS has requested public comments on Summer 2020 federal waiver plan amendments before they are submitted to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval. These amendments apply to the following waivers:

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division of DHS is partnering with State Services for the Blind's Aging Eyes Initiative. Through this partnership older adults with both hearing and vision loss can access specific vision loss-related and assistive listening devices.
 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is still accepting applications from Medicaid-certified nursing facilities to receive up to $3,000 in Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) funds to purchase communication technology.  

LeadingAge Minnesota and its partner in the Long-Term Care Imperative submitted comments on behalf of older adult service providers on the draft final report of the Blue Ribbon Commission of Health and Human Services. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently provided an update on the status of Assisted Living Licensure in Minnesota that reviewed licensure and the transition process to the new regulatory structure. It also included an overview of licensure, fees and the ability for excluded settings to continue to provide customized living services pending federal waiver approval.  

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has modified certain requirements for home care licensing, survey and enforcement activities. The modifications are allowed based on Emergency Executive Order 20-32  issued on April 8. 

While the national prohibition on nonpayment evictions will lift July 25, there are still have ongoing restrictions in Minnesota. Governor Walz last week issued Executive Orders 20-79, which rescinded Executive Orders 20-14 and 20-73 and issued new guidance on eviction suspensions during the duration of the peacetime emergency. Both the rescission and the new order are effective Aug. 4.  

The Governor’s Council on an Age-Friendly Minnesota has developed draft recommendations and is seeking input from the public. The comment period is open through July 31. 

The Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging (MAAA) is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity for services to address the impact of COVID-19 and the civil unrest in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding communities. Services must meet specifications of one of the following titles of the Older Americans Act: 

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 Minnesota Health Care Engineers Association (MHCEA) annual Fall Conference is cancelled this year due to on-going COVID-19 considerations.   

The Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators (BENHA) officially changed its name July. The statutory change in the board’s name to the Board of Executives for Long-Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) reflects the changing paradigm of long-term care services and the planned July 1, 2021 new licensure category for Licensed Assisted Living Directors. 

In its outdoor visitation guidance, MDH states that “pets must be under the control of the visitor bringing them in.” We have received a few questions as to whether residents may pet and hold the animal. MDH said residents can do so, if desired. 

Maintaining an accurate OSHA log of recordable work-related injuries and illnesses is an important skill that benefits employers, workers, safety professionals and government agencies. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry has announced free introductory-level training seminars about OSHA recordkeeping requirements, including recording COVID-19: 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services will host a July 13 webinar to Waiver Reimagine, a process designed to make system-level improvements to Minnesota’s disability waiver programs.