News

Members have asked practical questions about how to respond if immigration enforcement activity occurs near their communities. LeadingAge Minnesota has expanded its guidance with new FAQs and an updated resource page, bringing all tools together in one place.

“Just because we are older, and live in an assisted living, doesn’t mean that we should have fewer freedoms than anyone else.”

Those words, delivered by Anita LeBrun in the Senate Commerce Committee last week, have since been picked up by national media outlets and social media influencers alike. Anita, who lives at Ebenezer’s Amira Choice Champlin, has quickly sparked interest in something we at LeadingAge Minnesota have been concerned about for some time—namely, how unchecked state regulations can undermine freedoms and quality of life for older adults in Minnesota.

On Tuesday, March 17, Governor Walz announced his supplemental budget recommendations. Despite the improved state budget forecast that came out a little over two weeks ago, the new budget proposal includes significant cuts to long-term care, in an effort to “control the growth of spending in those programs,” as the Governor continues to assert.

Up to $150,000 is available to help you train and retain nursing assistants, LPNs, RNs, and other key staff through structured dual-training programs.

The 2026 Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Nursing Facility Performance-Based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) Round 20 Request for Proposals (RFP) information is now available.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reports strong interest in the new Assisted Living Competitive Grant Program, highlighting the significant demand for resources that support innovation and improvements in assisted living settings.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) bases its median family income estimates on data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). In November, the Census Bureau announced a delay in its release of ACS data.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released updates to the State Operations Manual on January 30, 2026. The new changes are effective March 30, 2026. Updates were made to Chapter 5, which outlines complaint investigations and processes, and Chapter 7, which relates to the long-term care survey process.

Last week, Kari Thurlow, LeadingAge Minnesota’s President and CEO and Kelly Conrad, Director of Assisted Living Services, joined Argentum in Washington, D.C. to advocate for policies that strengthen senior living communities and support older adults across Minnesota and the nation.

Executives in nutrition and culinary leadership are invited to join our upcoming gathering of your peers. These virtual meetings will provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and best practices, gain insights from colleagues facing similar challenges, and strengthen your professional network across Minnesota.  This forum will foster idea-sharing and collaborative problem-solving.

A new resource is now available to support the aging services workforce: the Multilingual Audio Glossary of Aging Services Language.

LeadingAge Minnesota is pleased to introduce a new resource for members: the Roadmap to IT Outsourcing in Senior Care, developed with support from the LeadingAge Minnesota Technology Work Group. This resource is designed to help organizations thoughtfully assess their IT outsourcing options and make informed technology decisions.

Health Dimensions Group (HDG) has named Julie Flaig Smith as its senior vice president of community sales and marketing.

LeadingAge Minnesota’s new Regional Operations Network officially launched on Feb. 26, bringing together members from across the state who serve in regional operational roles.

Legislators need to hear directly from long-term care providers. Day at the Capitol is your opportunity to make that happen.