All News

The Workforce Innovators Podcasts from the LeadingAge Center for Workforce Solutions brings you interviews with various leaders in our field focused on programs to help address workforce challenges.  

Interested in the growing Medicare Advantage opportunity? Here are five numbers you need to know: 14, 3-5, 4, $218,000 and 300.  

LeadingAge Minnesota recently mailed out complimentary copies of the 2019 compensation reports for care centers and senior housing providers to members who participated in those surveys. Copies of those reports are now available for purchase by members who did not participate.   

Amanda Wik, Licensed Social Worker at Ecumen Detroit Lakes, recently received the Make Zero Harm Possible Award from LeadingAge Minnesota. The award recognizes staff in aging services settings who demonstrate their commitment to safe, quality care and to treating people with respect and dignity – always.  

In late September, Congress passed a continuing resolution that funds federal programs through Nov. 21. This means there is much work to be done when Congress returns from recess this month. LeadingAge has provided a Federal Policy Update on issues that matter most to you and will cover key issues on its Capitol Hill Insights call on Oct. 24.  

A federal judge last week issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the Public Charge final rule that would have allowed the government to base green card decisions on whether an immigrant could be later seen as a financial burden on taxpayers.  

Medicare open enrollment runs from Oct. 15 – Dec. 7. The Senior LinkAge Line can help your residents and clients on Medicare navigate changes and ensure they have a plan Jan. 1 that meets their needs. 

More than 425 LeadingAge Minnesota member sites have made the Safe Care for Seniors Pledge and the commitment to implement a 5-Step Action Plan that will help create safe, trusted and inclusive environments and prevent harm that can occur in the course of caregiving. We will soon release our Safe Care for Seniors Committed Organization list. Are you on it?  

The 34th Annual Skilled Nursing Facility Cost Comparison and Industry Trends Report released by CliftonLarsonAllen last week shows the median operating margin in care centers has dipped below zero. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced this week that it will use a Consumer Alert Icon on the Nursing Home Compare website to identify nursing homes with instances of non-compliance related to abuse, neglect and exploitation and will penalize these settings under the Five-Star Quality Rating System.  

With seven weeks to go until the effective date of the Phase 3 requirements for care centers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has not finalized its proposed rule (“Regulatory Provisions to Promote Efficiency and Transparency”) published July 18 that would delay implementation of certain Phase 3 requirements and lighten other existing regulatory burdens for settings.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to remove two quality measures relating to pain from the Nursing Home Compare website and the Five Star Quality Rating System.   

Join our Oct. 25 webinar, The Important Role of Environmental Services in Infection Prevention and Control, for practical guidance on minimizing infection risks in your community.  

Surveyors are now looking at new areas based on 2019 legislative changes to the Comprehensive Licensure statutes. Learn what these new changes are and how MDH surveyors are incorporating them into assisted living surveys now by attending the Oct. 31 webinar Maintaining Compliance with Today’s Assisted Living Licensure Requirements. Register here. 

Due to a system upgrade, LeadingAge Minnesota online registration will be unavailable Oct. 8 – Oct. 15. Please click here to register for any of our educational programs. 

LeadingAge MN members are encouraged to share the following information with their residents: Medicare Open Enrollment will begin on Oct. 15 and run through Dec. 7. Senior LinkAge Line^®, the state’s designated State Health Insurance & Assistance Program (SHIP), provides unbiased counseling and support to Medicare beneficiaries who would like to review their plan options. As a result, the Senior LinkAge Line’s call volume and wait time may be longer than usual during this busy time of the year.  

Nurse Leaders -- Don’t let the month of October slip by and miss your chance to attend the final 2019 Assisted Living/Home Care Nurse Leader Network (ALNET) meetings.  

Seniors living in 78 Twin Cities-area long-term care and assisted living communities will have a new Medicare Advantage health coverage option to select for 2020 coverage if they qualify for its coverage requirements.  

Governor Tim Walz announced last week that Shirly Barnes, CEO of Crest View Senior Communities, has been re-appointed to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board. 

Getting staff input on decisions is important. When staff feel their opinion matters, they feel empowered in their roles and connected to the organization. 

Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage and Special Needs Plans begins Oct. 15 and presents a great opportunity for all housing and service providers to engage with those individuals whom they serve about their options. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted a corrected version of the latest PDPM DLL Package (V1.0003 FINAL), which includes identified grouper discrepancies and updated test files and documentation.  

The Minnesota Office of Ombudsman for Long Term Care is recognizing Minnesotans who volunteer to advocate for the rights of residents in long-term care facilities as part of Resident Rights Month in October. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has released a new Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Provider Toolkit that provides guidance, frequently asked questions, and examples of provider practices that support choice and autonomy for people who receive these services.  

Looking to create and enhance safe, trusted and inclusive environments where staff feel connected and appreciated, engaged in their work and your mission, and know they can speak up to prevent harm and ensure respect and dignity for all who live and work in your setting? Introducing: Leadership Rounding -- the latest tool from Safe Care for Seniors. 

Mitch Boser, Environmental Services Director at Elim Care & Rehab Center in Princeton, recently received the Make Zero Harm Possible Award from LeadingAge Minnesota. 

LeadingAge Minnesota is excited to launch Nimble—our new membership database—this month. As part of the launch, members will have access to Community Hub—a new member facing online portal that will allow you to:  

The final installment of the 2019 Dementia Care Certificate Program, which takes place Oct. 22-23, is a two-day hands-on workshop focused on Person-Centered Care and Strategies to Avert Challenging Behaviors.  

Need an overview of the new RAD for PRAC authority and what it means for the preservation of 202/PRAC communities? Participate in free, members-only webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 3 p.m.  

On Oct. 8, LeadingAge MN members have the unique opportunity to participate in a virtual Safe Table discussion that will provide insight and practical tips on how a Rapid Evaluation Team (RET) process can improve how staff call for and receive support in urgent or unexpected situations. An added bonus? Participating in this Oct. 8 virtual event will help you complete Action #3 in the Safe Care for Seniors 5-Step Action Plan.