COVID-19 Screening in Assisted Living

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

Last week, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) clarified their interpretation of COVID-19 prevention and infection control in assisted living licensed facilities. Screening of residents by staff is required for each resident who is receiving assisted living services. Residents who are only receiving housing and supportive services may screen themselves and report results to staff.

We posed several questions to MDH on operationalizing this guidance in a meeting with stakeholders and the Department late last week. Additional guidance from MDH is expected soon related to any documentation or tracking expectations of the provider, how to manage resident refusals, and how to manage the testing of those not on assisted living services should testing be indicated.