The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) will hold meetings around the state from mid-August to early September to discuss how mandatory transitional consultation for prospective residents of housing with services (HWS) establishments will be implemented. The new legislation, with an effective date of October 1, 2011, requires housing with services establishments to inform all prospective residents of 1) the availability of a “point of entry service,” which is a combination of telephone-based long-term care options counseling provided by the Senior LinkAge Line® and in-person consultation provided by the lead agency (health plan, county or tribe); and 2) the need to receive and verify the consultation prior to signing a lease or contract. The partnership between the Area Agencies on Aging — which operates the Senior LinkAge Line — and lead agencies provides the “point of entry service,” which “must be provided within five working days of the request of the prospective resident.”

DHS estimates that “the expanded LTCC [long-term care consultation] service will offer long-term care options counseling services to people who are considering a move to Registered Housing with Services which is estimated to be 30,000 Minnesotans per year.” The service is being implemented through the Senior LinkAge Line® and the MinnesotaHelp Network™.

The new legislative language has generated a number of implementation questions that Care Providers of Minnesota members and staff asked at an August 10 business process modeling session hosted by DHS (see previous article). As another way of getting the implementation information to stakeholders, DHS has scheduled a series of two-hour meetings around the state for the following stated purpose:

1. Provide overview of changes made to the long-term care consultation (LTCC) statutes (of which the consultation for housing with services is a subdivision).
2. Acknowledge the audience as key players in the initiatives.
3. Explain why we are here and how we are in this together.
4. Focus on new requirements and opportunities for housing with services providers, counties, other providers, and the Senior LinkAge Line® to work together.
5. Receive an update on the return to community initiative which was implemented in April 2010.

The presenters will be Krista Boston, director, Consumer Assistance Programs, Minnesota Board on Aging; Elissa Schley, MinnesotaHelp Network™ consultant, Minnesota Board on Aging; Darci Buttke, Return to Community program coordinator, Minnesota Board on Aging. Handouts and resource materials will be distributed on site at the meetings with refreshments and snacks provided. Registration is not required; members may attend any of the sessions listed below.

Thursday, August 18, 2011
Marshall
8:30–10:30 a.m.
Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center
300 S. Bruce Street
3rd Floor Education Room
Marshall, MN 56258
507-537-9131

Thursday, August 18, 2011
2:30–4:30 p.m.
Old Main Village Retirement Community
301 South 5th Street
Mankato, MN 56001
507-388-4200

Thursday, August 25, 2011
2:30–4:30 p.m.
St Benedicts Center
Woodlawn Hall
1810 Minnesota Blvd SE
St Cloud, MN 56304
320-203-2708

Friday, August 26, 2011
9:00–11:00 a.m.
Good Samaritan Chapel-Bethany Campus
804 Wright St.
Brainerd, MN 56401
218-825-0913

Tuesday, August 30, 2011
1:30–3:30 p.m.
Chris Jensen Health and Rehabilitation Center
2501 Rice Lake Road
Duluth, MN 55811
218-625-6400

Thursday, September 1, 2011
2:30–4:30 p.m.
Broen Memorial Home
Light and Life Auditorium
824 S. Sheridan
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
218-998-7300

Friday, September 2, 2011
9:00–11:00 a.m.
Mount Saint Benedict Monastery
620 Summit Avenue
Crookston, MN 56716
218-281-3441

Thursday, September 8, 2011
9:00–11:00 a.m.
Augustana Health Care Center- Mpls
1007 E. 14th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612-333-1551

Thursday, September 8, 2011
2:00–4:00 p.m.
Shirley Chapman Sholom Home East
740 Kay Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55102
651-328-2000

If members are unable to attend one of the sessions above, a videoconference will be held through the Aging and Adult Services Division of DHS on September 22, 2011 from 9:30 a.m.–noon and repeated from 1:30–4:00 p.m. We will notify you when registration for this videoconference becomes available.

Phil Manz
952.851.2484
pmanz@careproviders.org

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