News

One of the final bills to clear the Legislature in May contained a little-debated provision with potentially significant implications. Beginning on Friday, July 1, Minnesotans aged 21 and older can purchase liquids and consumable goods containing small amounts of cannabidiols (CBD) and/or THC. THC is the ingredient in cannabis that produces a “high.”

Testing residents and staff for COVID-19 became a standard throughout the pandemic, and guidance frequently changed, which gives way to uncertainty on current guidance and recommendations for testing requirements, test interpretation, and test procurement.

As we have shared earlier, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) website now confirms the extension of the July 2 deadline by which employees with emergency background studies must clear fingerprint-based studies until the end of the year. Individuals who received emergency studies must have a fully compliant study by Dec. 31 to continue working after that date. Information about emergency studies and ongoing updates about the transition from emergency studies to full compliance.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced the grant recipients of the Internationally Trained Professionals Competitive Grant Program, a program to help internationally trained healthcare workers earn healthcare licensures in Minnesota.

The requirements for assisted living directors of settings licensed as assisted living with dementia care (ALDC) have raised several questions for those seeking to keep their credentials up to date.

One of the provisions of the Health and Human Services policy bill that passed on the last night of the session made revenue-neutral revisions to the Elderly Waiver Customized Living (EWCL) disproportionate share program for the 2023 calendar year and beyond.

On Sunday evening, the Minnesota Legislature passed a provision as part of its Health and Human Services Policy bill to allow remote adult day as a service.

The 2022 legislative session in Minnesota has come to a close. Although our advocacy for funding to support assisted living providers continues, the Minnesota Legislature passed several policy changes affecting assisted living providers.

Emergency preparedness plans continue to be an area of concern for providers and are a frequently cited item in assisted living surveys. To assist in developing thorough plans and content for Emergency Preparation by assisted living facilities and as a helpful self-audit tool, the MDH has updated its Emergency Preparedness survey tool and posted it to their Assisted Living webpage this week.

The Minnesota Department of Health has new tools to assist providers in completing the license renewal process, which is underway this month. As you prepare for your assisted living license renewal, the Assisted Living License Renewal page has videos, checklists and other resources for providers preparing their license renewal application.

In Minnesota, landlords cannot prohibit a tenant from having a legal firearm. This is, at times, a safety concern within assisted living and housing communities. Several tools have recently been developed that may be helpful in related discussions with residents or potential residents.

License renewals for assisted living are now open. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) received 115 applications during this first week. If you have not received your renewal information, contact MDH at health.assistedliving@state.mn.us.

The Long-Term Care Imperative recently completed an analysis of care center occupancy for the first quarter of this year. Compared to last year, it shows some improvement but nothing close to a return to pre-pandemic occupancy levels.

With the 1135 waiver ending on June 6, members will have until Oct. 6 to place Nursing Assistants on the state registry. Minnesota State and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) communicate weekly updates to LeadingAge Minnesota regarding nursing assistant test sites as they open and increase their capacity.

Legacy Licensed Assisted Living Directors (LALD) are nearing their first license renewal. The Board of Executives for Long Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) will soon send information about the renewal process to those who must renew.

As part of Leading Age Minnesota’s Assisted Living Director Licensing Course, we are seeking assisted living settings to serve as field experience sites for assisted living director (ALD) students.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will be sending you renewal information on or before May 1 for your assisted living license renewal for conversion licenses. MDH developed materials to help you prepare your assisted living license renewal application on the MDH website.

Periodically, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) may update the Nurse Aide Candidate Handbooks and Mock Skills to reflect the most current guidance.

Recently members have raised questions relating to resubmitting background studies for individuals hired during the COVID-19 waiver period, and this article addresses some of the common issues we are seeing.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has more than enough funding to cover all currently moratorium exceptions projects proposed by nursing homes across the state.