Assisted Living Service Plan Requirements | Before any transition to an assisted living facility or a written contract is drawn up for a resident’s admission, a registered nurse must conduct an assessment that looks at the prospective resident’s physical and mental needs. However, if distance or an urgent circumstance occurs, the assessment may be bypassed, and a telephone conference may be used as an alternative. Assisted living facilities are also required to tell applicants about Minnesota’s Department of Human Services Long Term Care Consultation, which explains all the options available besides assisted living. |
Assisted Living Admission Requirements | Minnesota has no formal admission requirements. In some cases, providers will offer assisted living services such as help with daily living activities to seniors living in residential care or group homes; however, services can be terminated at any time if the provider determines that the needs of residents cannot be met. A 30-day notice must be given in cases such as these, and the provider must also help in finding a suitable care provider. |
Assisted Living Scope of Care | The scope of care found in Minnesota’s assisted living facilities is wide and encompasses many aspects of care, including assistance with grooming, bathing and eating, access to social programs, daily meals and transportation to medical appointments. Trained staff must also be available to check on residents throughout the day. |
Assisted Living Medicaid Policy | Medicaid policies as they pertain to assisted living are strict, based on specific income and asset limits. As of 2022, individuals must earn no more than $30,276 per calendar year and have assets valuing $3,000 or less. The state’s five-year lookback policy involves looking back at the five years leading up to any application, to see if monies were given away or sold. While certain deductions exist, most need to be done in consultation with a Medicaid Planner, to minimize the possibility of being found ineligible. |
Assisted Living Facility Requirements | While assisted living facilities can take different forms, the most common is the state-licensed facility, Adult Foster Care. Specific requirements exist regarding capacity and occupancy rates, privacy, and ease of access to all communal areas. Basic safety features, which are checked regularly, include staircase railings, proper food and medicine storage and updated emergency procedures. Other types of assisted living facilities, such as family homes, cooperatives or clinical settings must abide by the same safety regulations. |
Medication Management Regulations | Assisted living facilities are required to oversee all medication administration to residents in their care, with instructions written up by registered nurses carried out by staff on a daily, ongoing basis. Staff must have demonstrated competency in following all instructions. Additional standards for medication management differ significantly and depend upon the setting and specific medication management services. |
Staffing Requirements | Registered nursing staff are expected to be on-call at all assisted living facilities and to carry out a system that assigns specific health and medication tasks to all unlicensed staff as well as provide training as needed. In addition, residents are expected to have access to staff members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Minnesota’s level of monitoring is considered more thorough and extensive than similar requirements in other states. While no legal mandate exists regarding staff to resident ratio, facilities must employ sufficient staff to provide around-the-clock care. |
Staff Training Requirements | Staff is required to have a comprehensive set of skills to work in assisted living facilities. They must be familiar with the facility’s emergency response, know state regulations, be able to handle complaints and know how to report suspected cases of abuse; they must have a working knowledge of ombudsman services and the Home Care Bill of Rights. Staff must also recognize when to report changes to a healthcare professional such as a registered nurse, how to maintain a hygienic environment. Daily, they are required to observe and document residents’ status and their current care services, attend to their basic bodily functions as needed. In general, they must be effective communicators and understand their patients’ physical, emotional and mental needs. Managers, who are also required in assisted living facilities, must complete 30 hours of continuing education on a biennial basis. Such continued training should include nursing or nursing home administrator credentials. Managers must also complete four hours of training in dementia care within 160 hours from the date of hire, with an additional two hours completed each calendar year. |
Background Checks for Assisted Living | All those working inside an assisted living facility, whether as a volunteer, contractor or staff, must pass a criminal background check. The discovery of any 15 different types of crimes can result in a denial or suspension of the provider’s license. A conviction of any crime beyond a minor traffic violation must be reported by any employee with direct resident access. |
Requirements for Reporting Abuse | In order to maintain its license, an assisted living facility must report any instance of adult abuse. More information about the reporting process can be obtained by emailing Minnesota’s Department of Health, and known cases of abuse can be reported to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center at (844) 880-1574. |