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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.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has launched the Employer Engagement Team to address workforce challenges by connecting employers with skilled workers, particularly in the Drive for 5 fields: caring professions, education, manufacturing, technology, and trades.

With our coldest months ahead, just a reminder that the 2023 legislature passed a law, which took effect in 2024, requiring landlords to keep their units heated to a minimum temperature of 68 degrees from Oct. 1 through April 30.

Post your open positions with a new member-only discount on AgingServicesJobs.org – the premier job board for aging services employers to post their critical-to-fill positions and get connected with qualified applicants.

Starting Jan. 27, 2025, the nurse aide knowledge test will be available in Spanish, Somali, and Hmong, in addition to English, as allowed by Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.61.

Several new laws impacting aging services took effect on Jan. 1. We’ve included a summary below – members are encouraged to review the 2024 Legislative Report for full impact analyses and links to session law.

EduCare, LeadingAge Minnesota’s exclusive, on-demand training partner, is releasing new courses to meet new Assisted Living requirements.

January 2025 will bring significant updates to the Five-Star Quality Rating System. The freeze on four Quality Measures (QMs) that began in April 2024 will come to an end with the Care Compare update.

On Nov. 18, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released QSO-25-07-NH outlining updates to Appendix PP, including revised surveyor guidance and F-tag changes for nursing homes.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has published a new rule requiring housing providers to provide written notification to tenants facing eviction for non-payment of rent 30 days in advance of filing a formal judicial eviction procedure.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released finalized provisions for nursing home reporting through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has made a significant policy shift back to a more pro-union stance, reinstating the "clear and unmistakable waiver" standard.

The Holiday Pay rule was officially entered into the State Register on December 9, with state enforcement of the rule set to begin on Jan. 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.

With great excitement, the LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation welcomes Kirstan Ketter as our new Foundation Project Manager to lead our initiative to bridge pathways between New Americans and senior care employers, a nearly $1million grant-funded investment from the DHS GEAR Division.

On Dec. 5, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), issued a “Dear Colleague” letter to clarify expectations for language access services, stressing compliance with the new final rule on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (“Section 1557”).

Earlier this week, the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board rule that would require eleven paid holidays took the final step toward approval and implementation, which is due to start Jan. 1, 2025.

Our theme—Courageous Thinking—celebrates bold ideas and innovations that enhance the lives of older adults.

On Dec. 3, 2024, Bob Dahl, President and CEO of Cassia, formally announced his plan to retire in January 2026.

For many years, we have anticipated that at some point in time there would be legislation proposed at the federal level applying to assisted living facilities.

On November 20, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released industry segment-specific compliance program guidance for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities (Nursing Facility ICPG).

The next cycle for the Minnesota Long-Term Care Nurse Loan Forgiveness Program is now open. The program provides funds to repay qualified educational loans for eligible RNs and LPNs.

Mark your calendar and register for LeadingAge Minnesota’s first District Meeting of 2025. Scheduled for January 16, the agenda for this virtual meeting features:

Winona State University is offering another round for individuals to become certified instructors of the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training certification.

LeadingAge has compiled a disaster preparation and response resource for affordable housing. The resource covers how affordable senior housing providers should prepare for a disaster event and what to expect after an event has occurred.

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, if your facility charges pet fees or deposits, your rental lease or contract will be required to disclose that these fees or charges are prohibited for, and do not apply to, service and support animals.

This Thanksgiving season, as we gather with loved ones and reflect on all we’re grateful for, the LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is thankful for our elders and excited to help tackle challenges they face in rural areas of the state.

A new study by the Minnesota Center for Rural Policy and Development was released last week, highlighting the dwindling access to nursing home care for older adults in rural Minnesota.

Yesterday, the Long-Term Care Imperative launched a public messaging campaign urging Governor Walz to stop the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board’s Holiday Pay Rule, which would take effect Jan. 1, 2025. Below, you can read the news release that was sent yesterday to targeted media outlets across the state.

Post your open positions with a member-only discount on AgingServicesJobs.org – the premier job board for aging services employers to post their critical-to-fill positions and get connected with qualified applicants.