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This week the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) provided LeadingAge Minnesota with an update on the status of care center rate notices for the rate year that began on Jan. 1. As expected, they will be releasing metro-area care center rate notices first and then sending out other rate notices as audits are finished.

Last week, the Office of the Ombudsman for Long Term Care (OOLTC) reached out to assisted living settings without a contract copy on file with the OOLTC per the requirement. The OOLTC asked each of these settings to submit a copy of the assisted living contract.

Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its annual proposed rule for updating the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) rates for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). In addition to the rate update, the proposed rule covers numerous topics impacting SNFs, including proposed staffing standards and updates to quality reporting and value-based purchasing (VBP).

Early bird registration for PENworks 2022 ends on April 15. Don't miss this opportunity to gain powerful insights on improving organizational and community outcomes and bring home real methods, tools, and approaches that improve leadership, customer and workforce engagement, and financial and market results. 

Registration is now open for the Minnesota Director of Nursing Administration (MN-DONA) Spring Connection and Annual Meeting on May 4-5.

The 2022 Governance Intensive is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26. The virtual program for executive and governing board teams of our not-for-profit providers will be from 3 – 6 p.m. Save the date and read Advantage for more details as they are confirmed.

LeadingAge Minnesota’s popular Nurse Leadership Certificate Program begins on May 17. This exceptional training for leaders in both skilled care centers and assisted living settings is intended for nurses new or moving into an executive-level position to fully understand the scope and responsibilities of the role and build the skills to be successful.

Anna Mowry has joined the LeadingAge Minnesota team as Director of Workforce Solutions. We asked Anna five questions to help you get to know her.

The Pipeline Dual Training Grant is accepting applications until April 12 for employers interested in leveraging the Minnesota Office of Higher Education’s Pipeline dual training model of pairing on-the-job training with related instruction. Applicants can train workers for one of more than 75 eligible occupations of the Minnesota Dual-Training Pipeline, including Senior Living Culinary Managers.

The Pipeline Dual Training Grant Applications will be accepted through April 12 for up to $150,000 in grants to help employers build dual-training programs. The Pipeline Dual Training Grant, managed by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, is available for employers in four select industries—including health care services—interested in leveraging Dual-Training Pipeline's model of pairing on-the-job training with related instruction to generate a comprehensive platform for learning.

The best predictor of your overall health, happiness and longevity is how good your social relationships are. More than 80 years ago, Harvard researchers set out to answer the question "What makes a good life?" by studying the same group of men year after year and decade after decade.

Through Face Aging Minnesota, LeadingAge Minnesota and our partner in the Long-Term Care Imperative are launching the "I am ONE of One Million Seniors" social media photo campaign before/during legislative spring break (April 9-18). We ask for your help to spread the news that Minnesota is now home to over one million adults over 65.

Plastikon Healthcare, LLC is voluntarily recalling three lots of Milk of Magnesia 2400 mg/30 mL Oral Suspension, one lot of Acetaminophen 650mg/ 20.3mL, and six lots of Magnesium Hydroxide 1200mg/Aluminum Hydroxide 1200mg/Simethicone 120mg per 30 mL. 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted updated interpretive guidance concerning the staff vaccination mandate, with a revision date of April 5. We encourage care centers to review QSO 22-07-ALL (Revised) and the changes to Attachment A.

The Minnesota Board of Executives for Long-Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) has announced the coming retirement of Randy Snyder, its long-time Executive Director, on July 6.

During in-person assisted living surveys, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has increased its focus on side rails and other bed-attached assistive devices, often known as bedside rails, safety rails, grab bars, or assist bars.

In a series of weekly webinars over the past several weeks, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) provided detailed information about emergency preparedness expectations for assisted living settings and what to anticipate when surveyed. You can review the five emergency preparedness presentations on the MDH website.

LeadingAge Minnesota members virtually gathered for our largest advocacy event of the year, the Day at the Capitol. Aging services providers from across the state met with over 50 lawmakers, including several Senate and House legislative leaders, to make their voices heard and advance important policy initiatives for seniors and their caregivers.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on April 6 released a highly-anticipated and comprehensive study of the challenges facing nursing homes in the United States.

This week the House and Senate have each introduced supplemental budget bills that fund health and human services areas. We were pleased to see that the Senate bill provides significant funding for the Long-Term Care Imperative workforce agenda. Unfortunately, the House bill does not, but the bill does include a few scattered positive elements.

In a Memorandum released on April 7, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will terminate several temporary emergency declaration blanket waivers that have provided nursing facilities and other provider types with flexibilities designed to support the COVID response.

In partnership with the Life Course Center, the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation will host an interactive webinar featuring a panel on the topic of the long-term care workforce on April 20 at 12:30 p.m.

Gain the tools and skills to effectively market your community and build occupancy by attending LeadingAge Minnesota’s 2022 Sales & Marketing in Senior Living Certificate Program on April 12, May 10, and June 14 in St. Paul.

Dan Dixon, President/CEO of Guardian Angels Senior Services and an active member of LeadingAge Minnesota, will retire from his position on April 4. Guardian Angels Senior Services has announced that Traci Larson will succeed Dan as the organization’s next leader.

If you plan to attend the Argentum conference this year, make sure to use the code SP100 to save $100 off the cost of a full conference pass. If you register by April 6, there are additional early-bird discounts. You do not need to be a member of Argentum to attend this very valuable conference!

LeadingAge Minnesota is excited to welcome Anna Mowry as our new Director of Workforce Solutions. Anna comes to us with extensive experience supporting workforce development in long-term care settings.

This week, several members of LeadingAge Minnesota attended LeadingAge's annual Leadership Summit. In conjunction with the conference, LeadingAge facilitated meetings with our state delegation in Congress to discuss several policy priorities to ensure we have enough caregivers to provide safe, quality care for Minnesota's seniors.

As long-term care settings face staffing shortages throughout the state, Governor Walz set a goal in Dec. 2021 to recruit and train 1,000 new certified nursing assistants (CNAs) through the Next Generation Nursing Assistant initiative. On Tuesday, Governor Walz joined CNAs and other health care professionals at St. Paul College to announce the initiative surpassed its goal.

On behalf of the Long-Term Care Imperative, we are sharing a petition to support an important bill that would help raise your wages and address the staff shortage in senior care.

Infection prevention and control is a significant focus in our settings, particularly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Minnesota, we are starting to see an increase in another common illness: the Norovirus.