News

The state Ombudsmen for Long-Term Care resolve complaints, protect rights, and promote access to services for residents before, during and after emergencies like COVID-19. While the Ombudsman has temporarily discontinued in-person visits in long-term care settings under its scope of authority due to COVID-19, residents still have the right to access the Ombudsman program. Below is an excerpt from a letter for Cheryl Hennen, the state Ombudsman, and phone numbers and a brochure to share with residents and families:  

It is with both tears and cheers that we share the news that Adam Suomala will be transitioning over the course of the next two months to an exciting new opportunity in our field as he becomes the Executive Director of the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging (MNCLOA). 

Recognizing the number of update calls you participate in mid-week, we have moved our COVID-19 HUDDLE to Fridays.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has directed state agencies to suspend standard surveys for long term care facilities (nursing homes), hospitals, home health agencies, ICFs, and hospices during a 3-week prioritization period from March 20–April 10.  

The deadline to apply for the first round of emergency assistance funding from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), a total of $50 million for health care provider, is midnight TODAY.  

As part of the national emergency declaration in response to COVID-19, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that they are waiving the three-day hospital stay requirement before a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Medicare A stay. 

Now more than ever, staff may be experiencing housing, food, and childcare insecurities. If you have staff who need additional support from community organizations such as Emergency Housing Assistance, Minnesota Food Helpline, or energy assistance programs, please see the Community Support Resource Guide for referral sources.

The Minnesota Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators (BENHA) has published the proposed rule for Licensed Assisted Living Directors and is accepting public comments through May 4. 

A bill to enhance Elderly Waiver rates to better reflect the actual cost of care passed its first hurdle on Monday in the Minnesota House Long-Term Care Committee.   

Effective March 1, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will impose Discretionary Denial Payment for New Admissions (DDPNA) on an accelerated basis for actual-harm level citations. The CMS-Chicago regional office has directed survey agencies in all Region V states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin) to implement this new policy, citing a heightened level of surveys resulting in a deficiency at scope/severity level G or above during federal fiscal year 2019.  

Safe Care for Seniors has released a new training video that will help staff know the right thing to do when they find a resident unresponsive or respond to urgent or unexpected situations. The 10-minute Rapid Evaluation Team video demonstrates a real-life scenario, provides an implementation action plan, and showcases the positive outcomes Carris Health Care Center & Therapy Suites in Willmar is experiencing as a result of this process. 

The LeadingAge Minnesota Comprehensive Home Care Manual – 3rd Edition is now available. This vital tool for Home Care Managers and RNs includes more than 140 sample policies and procedures, forms and checklists to comply with and manage operations of a Comprehensive Home Care Agency. Other new features include:  

Fifty-one LeadingAge Minnesota members have been named to the Safe Care for Seniors Action Honor Roll. The Action Honor Roll recognizes aging services providers who have made the Safe Care for Seniors pledge and demonstrated action and outcomes in prevention, safety, respect, learning and improvement, and collaboration.  

Yesterday marked the first day of Minnesota’s 2020 legislative session and we are ready to advocate for you, maximizing our time at the State Capitol advocating for several public policy solutions this session that will benefit the seniors you serve and their caregivers.  

Governor Tim Walz joined the LeadingAge Minnesota Institute & Expo last week to present the Caregiver of the Year Award, express his appreciation for professional caregivers and share his vision for an Age-Friendly Minnesota.  

Post-acute care providers must demonstrate their value and outcomes in more care setting as payment models evolve in the coming years, according to a new report by Avalere Health.  

Are you ready to engage your front-line staff in quality improvmeent?  Register today for a webinar on Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. to learn more about our ICan: Driving Quality and Innovation from the Front-Line program and how your team could win $500 in our kick-off conteast. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has posted revised versions of the Electronic Monitoring consent forms originally released in December. To make it easier for consumers to find and access the forms, MDH has posted them to a newly-created webpage.  

Don’t have time to read the entire Advantage newsletter? Prefer to listen to the latest headlines and news? Check out the new 2-Minute News, an audio recap of the most important news you need to know each week. 

There has never been a more dynamic and exciting time in the field of aging services. Together we are shaping the next generation of older adult services and, for all the challenges that will entail, it will be an amazing era of creativity – one fueled by the power of the professional and personal relationships we build with one another.