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The ALL Together newsletter will provide updates details and information about Assisted Living for providers, residents, family members and the public regarding the Assisted Living Licensure.
The Minnesota Department of Health’s Health Regulation Division (HRD) will work to provide information, news, updates and links to resources for Assisted Living providers and resident families to help residents and loved ones live their best life as they age in place.
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The window for Assisted Living Licensed (ALL) facilities to be surveyed is open. HRD began surveying ALL facilities in mid-August. . With 973 ALL providers, the Health Regulation Division will be busy meeting with providers to survey their facilities.
Prepare now by reviewing the ALL survey forms. HRD surveyors could show up at any point over the next two years. Whether they arrive tomorrow, next month or next year, providers need to be ready to be surveyed. Providers can prepare for a survey by reviewing the forms and resources on MDH’s Health Regulation Division website. Prepare now to ensure your facility is meeting the requirements of law (Minn. Statute 144G) for providing proper care and services for your residents.
Take steps to prepare for a survey:
- Learn about the ALL Survey Process
- Use the ALL Survey Forms to:
- Understand the requirements of assisted living statutes
- Conduct self-audits
- Be ready for an MDH survey
- Check out the ALL Resources and/or FAQ webpages for more information
Each month we will highlight a portion of the Assisted Living License law (Minn. Statute 144G) that providers did not meet in recent surveys with resources to help you comply with the law.
Since Assisted Living Licensure implemented on Aug. 1, HRD completed 17 surveys in the first four weeks of surveying in addition to initiating complaint investigations.
HRD surveyed facilities throughout the state, North, South, East, and West. We’ve gone to facilities of various sizes and with both the Assisted Living and an Assisted Living with Dementia Care licenses.
There is a wide range of readiness. Some providers and settings are prepared for the new licensure while other settings are only just getting started. So, in this first edition, we will start with the basic elements to help providers prepare for surveys and comply with the law.
For this initial ALL Statute Highlights, we are featuring the basics of the ALL law (Minn. Statute 144G) that were the most frequent citations in the past few weeks. Check on these common citations to prepare for your facility’s survey.
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Display your license (new & original) in each building
- Your MDH issued license certificate must be posted at the main public entrance of the facility. A campus with multiple buildings must post the original license certificate issued by the commissioner at the main public entrance of each building licensed as a facility on the campus. A separate license certificate shall be issued for each building on the campus. If you have not received your paper license, please contact MDH at the ALL email.
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Bill of Rights: The new Assisted Living Bill of Rights must be provided to all current residents. MDH does have the Bill of Rights posted on MDH’s Patient, Resident and Home Care Bill of Rights website. Please make sure to follow all required notices in Minn. Statutes 144G.90 in addition to providing the Bill of Rights.
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UDALSA for current residents: The Uniform Disclosure of Assisted Living Services & Amenities (UDALSA) should have been provided to current residents when the new ALL contracts were signed.
- Your UDALSA was submitted with your application. Make sure to provide it to all prospective residents prior to signing a contract. This helps to enhance understanding of policies and services that are provided and are not provided by the facility.
- Remember, if services that you provide have changed, you must update this document and provide the updated document to the MDH and also to your residents.
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Staffing Schedules Posted: Develop a staffing plan and have daily postings of the staffing schedule on each shift
- The staffing plan should be developed and implemented by the Clinical Nurse Supervisor (Rule, 4659.0180). A staffing plan is different than a staffing schedule. They should not be one and the same, it is different. Both are outlined in the SONAR which is posted on our webpage if you would like to read further into the reasoning for the rule.
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Smoke alarms: Have a smoke alarm in each sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping room (interconnected)
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No Sprinklers, do this: If not fully sprinkled, have smoke alarms on each story within a dwelling unit, including basements
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Install portable fire extinguishers located so that the travel distance to the nearest fire extinguisher does not exceed 75 feet
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Learn more about required policies:
- Required policies was covered in the HRD presentation on June 3.
- You can find the required policies in Minn. Statutes 144G.41 subd. 2 (Page 130 in your statute book).
- Please note, there are other requirements throughout the statute and rule that require other policies. While the law (Minn. Statutes 144G.41 subd. 2) outlines some requirements, it is not an exhaustive list.
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Check contract requirements: Refer to 144G.50 for all contract requirements. You should have a newly developed assisted living contract completed and signed by each current resident
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A reminder to make sure the electronic charting vendor you are using is up to date on all the new standards. Otherwise plan to write and implement your own.
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Make sure your emergency preparedness plan complies with 144G.42 Subd. 10, AND Rule 4659.0100. We have covered Emergency Preparedness in WebEx presentations, on June 24 and July 8.
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