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As we transition to Assisted Living Licensure on Aug. 1, action is required to be a provider of Medical Assistance waiver programs in the Provider Enrollment record with the Department of Human Services.

Implementation of assisted living licensure is only days away, and there are many process changes to both operational and clinical work. A new Assisted Living Bill of Rights was created and posted on the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) website many weeks ago. Organizations are required to ensure all residents living in assisted living receive a copy.

We have experienced a significant decrease in COVID-19 cases in the spring and early summer compared to the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, during the middle of July, COVID-19 case numbers have spiked, with an approximately 300% increase in cases nationally.

Just ten days remain to view more than 100 recorded educational sessions from the 2021 virtual Institute. Sessions from the May conference were recorded and available to registered individuals to view and earn CEUs through July 31, when on-demand access ends.

Attention billing office professionals: register now for LeadingAge Minnesota’s popular annual conference, Billing University for Care Centers, on Aug. 10-11. The all-virtual Billing U equips business office staff with the knowledge, skills and resources necessary to capture appropriate reimbursement and revenue for services provided. Its core curriculum is updated each year.

It’s time to reunite! Register now for our Annual Meeting & Leadership Forum, which returns to an entirely in-person event Sept. 21–24 at Madden's in Brainerd.

Many of the state's Area Agencies on Aging are hosting competitive requests for proposals (RFPs) seeking community partners to implement programs funded through the Older Americans Act. Proposals will support services in the calendar year 2022 for Supportive Services (Title III-B) and Evidence-Based Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Title III-D).

Congress has begun developing a $3.5 trillion infrastructure investment package — so NOW is the moment to make sure U.S. Representatives and Senators hear our voices!

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has reopened the application process for basic and temporary home care licenses as of July 16.

On Friday, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) posted the forms staff will use to conduct a survey under the new assisted living licensure laws.

Featuring Dr. Alyson VanAhn from Associated Clinic of Psychology

As a senior care employee at any level, we have busy lives and many pressures from different directions that we absorb every day. In leadership, there are pressures to complete your administrative tasks and also support your staff to be compassionate and productive. The number of things on your mind can seem to soar to new levels with each email or conversation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updated guidance for Adult Day Services providers focused on masking and vaccination status.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) will require care centers to report the use of COVID-19 relief funds by Aug. 2. To help you comply with these new requirements, we are offering a Payment Coaching Room for care centers members.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services extended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for another 90 days through Oct. 18. With this extension, the 1135 federal blanket waivers issued by CMS will continue unless it decides to terminate one or more of the waivers before that date.

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry published a notice on July 19 (Page 31) that it has adopted the federal OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19. With this publication, the ETS is now effective in Minnesota and will remain in effect for up to six months. During that period, MN-OSHA invites comments about the standard, and LeadingAge Minnesota will submit a memo to the agency in the weeks ahead.

The Minnesota Department of Health has announced the Notice of Adoption for the Rules Governing Assisted Living Facilities was published in the State Register on July 19. You may review the Notice of Adoption on the Minnesota State Register website, State Register Volume 46, Number 3 (Page 33).

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently posted the application materials for a new round of the nursing facility moratorium exceptions process on the MDH website. Care centers interested in applying for approval to fund a construction project will need to complete all of the required application materials and return them to MDH by March 17, 2022.

Falls in the older adult population continue to be a major concern that can negatively impact those injured, their families, and senior communities. But, as noted by the Centers for Disease Control, "falls are not an inevitable part of aging, and can be prevented."

The Upper Midwest Nursing Home COVID-19 ECHO Collaborative continues to host ECHO sessions, revisiting clinical topics related to COVID-19 with updated information about virus variants and newer treatment options. Additionally, these sessions address topics on leadership and ways to support residents, staff and families. Participants from skilled facilities and assisted living facilities are invited to join.

A little more than two weeks remain to access more than 100 recorded educational sessions from the 2021 virtual Institute. Sessions from the May conference were recorded and are available to registered individuals to view and earn CEUs through July 31, when on-demand access ends.

Get a detailed overview of the new requirements for disaster planning and emergency preparedness as part of Minnesota's Assisted Living Licensure, which takes effect on Aug.

Annual Meeting & Leadership Forum returns to an entirely in-person event Sept. 21–24 at Madden's in Brainerd. We are looking forward to reuniting and reconnecting.

Registration is open for LeadingAge Minnesota’s popular annual conference for business office professionals, Billing University for Care Centers, on Aug. 10 and 11. The all-virtual Billing U equips business office staff with the knowledge, skills and resources necessary to capture appropriate reimbursement and revenue for services provided. Its core curriculum is updated each year.

The 2022 Stars Among Us Awards are open for nominating individuals and organizations through Sept. 12 in multiple categories, including the Caregiver of the Year, Outstanding Leadership, and the new Rising Star Award.

Americans strongly back more significant investments in services to support older adults, finds a new LeadingAge poll of U.S. adults.

American families face a crisis as millions of us are growing older without access to affordable care and the support we need.

Our fifth annual LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation Silent Auction is rapidly approaching and will occur this year as part of the 2021 Foundation Golf Tournament rather than our usual Institute event. Can we count on you to help us make this year's auction a success?

On behalf of members across the country, the LeadingAge national team has submitted comments to CMS on the recently-issued rule requiring nursing homes to offer COVID-19 vaccine to residents and staff, to educate residents and staff regarding the benefits and potential side effects of the vaccine, and to report COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutics treatment information to NSHN.

With the implementation of the new assisted living requirements on Aug. 1, organizations are attempting to work out their policies and processes related to assessments and ongoing review and monitoring. A comprehensive assessment, with the items listed as required in the uniform assessment tool, must be offered to all residents moving into an assisted living. The resident has the option to refuse this assessment. If the resident refuses the assessment, the organization should document this refusal.

The most recent Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) update on long-term care vaccination shows slow progress toward the goal rates continuing for staff, while resident rates remain outstanding.

With the end of Minnesota’s Peacetime Emergency, our team has been closely tracking how the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will manage the transition from various COVID-19 related waivers. Last Friday, we received the welcome news that a Minnesota statute addressing nursing assistant training and competency will continue to be waived, so long as CMS continues to waive the related federal requirement.