News

On Dec. 5, 2024, Judge Leonard Strand, who is presiding over the lawsuit filed by LeadingAge Minnesota and other LeadingAge state affiliates and state Attorneys General to challenge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Minimum Staffing Rule, held a hearing on our motion for a preliminary injunction to halt the rule’s enforcement and implementation.

Last week, our attorney filed an amended complaint in our legal challenge of the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board’s (NHWSB) Holiday Pay Rule. The amended complaint included more information about the harms suffered by our members because of implementing the Holiday Pay Rule at their nursing homes.

Earlier today, Governor Walz released his budget proposal for the next two years, which amounts to an extremely disappointing proposal that balances the state budget on the backs of seniors and those who care for them. The combination of impacts, particularly for nursing homes, is almost certain to lead to a decline in access due to increased likelihood of closures, especially in rural areas.

The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Employee Scholarship and Loan Forgiveness application is open now until Feb. 14, 2025.

The Minnesota Department of Health is hosting a quarterly assisted living update webinar on Thursday, Feb. 20, 1 – 3:00 p.m., for providers to learn about the most recent assisted living licensing and regulation trends.

Applications are now being accepted for the State Live Well at Home Grants. Amongst eligible applicants are providers of Adult Day Services and Assisted Living. A Responders’ Conference will be offered January 27, with an application deadline of April 4, 2025.

Before there were Memory Care and Dementia Care Facilities/Units, which provide specialized programming and security, providers experienced the benefits and challenges of individuals with dementia being served in unspecialized settings.

Yesterday, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News released a breaking story that Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will offer nursing students up to $40,000 in tuition reimbursement and/or $10,000 outright to work for a nursing home or state survey agency.

On December 16, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Senate-passed version of S. 141, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, clearing the way for the bill to be signed into law by the President.

Applications for the 2025 Leadership Academy are open through March 4. This exceptional eight-month program blends leadership theory, applied learning, and personalized coaching to mentor current and emerging leaders in our field.

If quality improvement and staff retention are on your 2025 To-Do list, join us for the start of the 2025 ICan Quality Improvement Contest by registering for the ICan Information Session on Feb. 19 from 11:30 to noon. 

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is pleased to share a grant opportunity from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

Nominations for the LeadingAge Leadership Award are now open.

Congratulations to Ebenezer Senior Living for assuming ownership of Oak Meadows Senior Living in Oakdale, MN, effective January 1, 2025.

Mark your calendar and register for LeadingAge Minnesota’s (LAMN) first District Meeting of 2025. Scheduled for January 16, the agenda for this virtual meeting features an excellent line-up of speakers.