All News

Nominations are being accepted through Monday, Sept. 13 for the 2022 Stars Among Us Awards in multiple categories, including:

• Caregiver of the Year
• Rising Star Award (new award)
• Outstanding Leadership
• Volunteer of the Year
• Spirit of Aging
• Excellence in Practice for Process Improvement or Safe Care for Seniors

Care centers have only two weeks left to apply for grant funding to implement an employee engagement strategy and improvement program through Align’s Employee Engagement Solution.

CMS approves civil money penalty (CMP) grant dollars to address employee turnover and its impact on the resident experience and quality of life in Minnesota skilled nursing facilities.

Have you posted open positions on the new AgingServicesJobs.Org platform? The new site is now available! Post today and receive an introductory rate of $39 per posting using the coupon code Aging2021 (postings typically $99). This discount will be available to all members for a limited time as we recognize this critical time in building our workforce.

The LeadingAge Minnesota staff team is working to identify care center members who rely upon the Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES) as an alternative means to demonstrate compliance with fire safety requirements of NFPA 101®: Life Safety Code® (LSC).

Based on the annual SNF Payment Rule released earlier this summer, new skilled nursing facility (SNF) Medicare rates for the third year of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) take effect on Oct. 1. The Oct. 1 rates include an inflation update of 1.2% based on a formula in existing law. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has suspended the Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program for the upcoming rate year.

In late July, a select working group began hosting hearings on allocating the money set aside during the 2021 special session for bonuses for frontline workers. Several different groups are vying for the $250 million set aside for the bonuses and this week. The working group is hosting a hearing to discuss eligibility requirements and take more public testimony.

Assisted living providers must send a Disclosure of Special Care Status to the Office of Ombudsman for Long-term Care when applicable.

The requirement is not new. However, it is an excellent time to update and send this disclosure if it applies to your setting. The Disclosure of Special Care Status is required of any assisted living with dementia care setting. 

Funding for the Basic Care Aide and Paid Feeding Assistant Training programs will end on Friday, Sept. 10. Access to the training will remain available to members through EduCare until the 1135 waiver expires, which has no known expiration date at this time. Non-EduCare users may access programs for a fee by contacting Jennifer Anderson or calling 952-288-3800.

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent an email to National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) users requesting information on vaccine access. This information is reported through the required weekly reporting for nursing homes on the resident and staff vaccine reporting sections.

Earlier today, LeadingAge sent all care center members updated Five-Star Analysis reports that reflect data from earlier this year during the height of the pandemic. In addition to showing the status of each of the measures and the overall score, the report also shows areas where care centers are close to gaining or losing points. To look at your care center’s performance over time on any of the measures, members should click on any of the red “trend” boxes on the Five Star report.

One of the Association’s most cherished and time-honored traditions is getting together each fall for LeadingAge Minnesota’s Annual Meeting & Leadership Forum at Madden’s Resort near Brainerd. The LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors voted to convert our planned in-person meeting to a virtual event.

In a Joint Statement issued today, Health and Human Services (HHS) officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and other agencies announced plans to begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to all Americans beginning the week of Sept. 20 and starting eight months after an individual’s second dose. 

Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in Minnesota and, as a result, long-term care settings should review guidance, policies, and practices to ensure infection prevention and control protocols are up to date. Organizations are also experiencing an increase in outbreak cases. Many reached out to LeadingAge Minnesota regarding visitation practices.

Senior Community Services is proud to be hosting the sixth annual Reimagine Aging Conference. This year, the conference will be held on Oct. 6, both in-person and virtually, so the event is accessible to everyone.

Join us for a 15-minute webinar on Thursday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. to learn how one company is disrupting the employee benefits world with house calls for your sick team members. That's right; house calls are the latest trend in employee health benefits delivery. 

A recording of the July 22 webinar, Emergency Preparedness in Assisted Living, is available for purchase to help your assisted living organization comply with new, extensive requirements for disaster planning and emergency preparedness, which incorporate federal preparedness standards. This is an area of scrutiny in assisted living surveys, and recent mock surveys identified substantial gaps in providers' readiness.

Order your copy here.

With COVID-19 rates lower than the pandemic's peak, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is resuming usual survey activities. This webinar is designed to provide skilled nursing communities with information and practices to prepare for licensing and certification surveys.

Early Bird Registration Deadline is Friday, Aug. 20

LeadingAge Minnesota’s Annual Meeting & Leadership Forum is Sept. 21–24 in person at Madden’s in Brainerd. Register by Friday, Aug. 20 to receive the best value for your investment. Registration fees increase on Aug. 21.

The next Nursing Leadership Certificate Program will be held on multiple dates from Sept. 2021 – Jan. 2022. 

Below are the dates to save for the 2021-2022 Nursing Leadership Certificate program; program details are currently being finalized. This year’s program is a combination of in-person and virtual live sessions.

With the Delta variant causing another increase in COVID-19 cases, many employers – including care centers, assisted living, and other long-term care settings – are considering vaccine mandates for employees. Join us for a webinar from 1-2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13 to discuss legal considerations related to developing and implementing staff vaccine mandates.

In July, 37 new members joined the ranks of LeadingAge Minnesota. Of the new members, 16 are provider members, two are associate members, 17 are individual members, and two are business partners.

The 2021 LeadingAge Minnesota Nominating Committee, chaired by Mark Anderson, CEO of Knute Nelson in Alexandria, has announced that nominations are open for three Director at Large positions on the LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors.

Alana Wright will begin her service as the Minnesota Gerontological Society (MGS) Executive Director on Sept. 13. Alana comes to MGS with 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership focused on equity, aging services, public/community health, and philanthropy.

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent an email to National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) users requesting information on vaccine access. This information is reported through the required weekly reporting for nursing homes on both the resident and staff vaccine reporting sections.

CMS recently issued QSO 21-20 NH, a one-paragraph memo that rescinds a July 2017 Memo (S&C 17-37-NH) from the CMS guidance library.

In the 2017 memo, CMS instructed CMS Regional Offices to impose civil monetary penalties for past noncompliance solely on a per-instance basis.

Grant funding is available for skilled nursing facilities to implement an employee engagement strategy and improvement program through Align’s Employee Engagement Solution.

CMS approves civil money penalty (CMP) grant dollars to address employee turnover and its impact on the resident experience and quality of life in Minnesota skilled nursing facilities.

Yesterday, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that they will deny claims for customized living services for dates of service on or after Aug. 1 until they have updated provider records with the new assisted living facility license requirement. They are currently updating records and anticipate completing updates by the end of the day on Aug. 12. 

Funding for the Basic Care Aide and Paid Feeding Assistant Training programs, expedited trainings for caregivers available under the 1135 Waiver, will soon be ending. Access to the trainings will remain available to members through EduCare until the waiver expires. Non-EduCare users may access programs for a fee by contacting Jennifer Anderson or calling 952-288-3800.

Argentum has joined the ranks of national organizations supporting employer mandates of COVID-19 vaccinations for the senior living workforce. The Argentum Board of Directors voted unanimously to support this action, and the organization has publicly issued a statement.

On Aug. 4, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) posted a document communicating recommended protective actions in residential and non-residential settings licensed by DHS in light of the Delta variant. The new guidance provides recommendations on testing, masking, and other protective actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.