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The Minnesota Department of Human Services supports quality care and services for older Minnesotans so they can live as independently as possible.

What’s new for: Aging

Report outlines Medicaid reform waiver development
A Medical Assistance Reform Report (PDF) recently submitted to the Minnesota Legislature discusses DHS progress redesigning Medical Assistance (MA) and coordinating with current and ongoing department initiatives. The 2011 Legislature directed DHS to reform MA, Minnesota’s Medicaid program, to achieve better outcomes for people with disabilities, seniors and other enrollees. The report contains detailed information on 12 separate initiatives, designated by the Legislature, including community integration and independence, improved health, reduced reliance on institutional care, attainment of housing and employment and reduced use of services that are less effective. More information is available at www.dhs.state.mn.us/MAreform.

Incentives promote improvements in nursing homes
For the past several years, DHS has offered nursing facilities a rate incentive to engage in projects that result in measurable quality improvements in the state’s long-term care system. This fall the Performance-based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) is helping 50 nursing facilities throughout Minnesota participate in a nine-month program seen as having the potential to change care in nursing homes by empowering staff to respond to their instincts, employ critical thinking skills and communicate better. More information about INTERACT™ (Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transitions) is available online.

Expansion of Senior LinkAge Line as ‘One Stop Shop’ announced
The expansion of the Senior LinkAge Line® as a “One Stop Shop for Seniors” was announced during Seniors Day at the Minnesota State Fair. Lt. Gov. Yvonne Prettner Solon and DHS Commissioner Lucinda Jesson announced the service expansion for the line, which is operated by the Minnesota Board on Aging. More information is available in a story on the DHS website and a news release on the Governor’s Office website.

Minnesota ranks first in services for elderly, people with disabilities
Minnesota ranks first nationally among states in delivering services for older adults and people with disabilities, according to a national report released Sept. 8. AARP, The Commonwealth Fund and The SCAN Foundation placed Minnesota first, outperforming other states in long-term services and supports. More information about the report can be found in a news release about the scorecard, Raising Expectations: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers, on the AARP website.

Consumers now have 24/7 access to licensing information
Parents searching for child care for their baby, a son concerned about his mother’s adult day care program, family members evaluating services for their sibling with developmental disabilities — all of these consumers now have 24/7 access to important information about licensed programs with the expansion of DHS Licensing Information Lookup: http://licensinglookup.dhs.state.mn.us. Members of the public can subscribe to email alerts when new documents are posted. More information is available in a news release about DHS Licensing Information Lookup.

MinnesotaHelp.info website features community resources
MinnesotaHelp.info® is a website featuring information on community resources for Minnesotans of all ages, with a special online tool to help seniors remain independent and live in their communities.

Special telephone equipment available to help people with hearing loss
The Telephone Equipment Distribution (TED) Program provides telephone equipment to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or have a speech or mobility impairment and need adaptive equipment in order to use the phone. More information about the TED program is available online.

Sign up for email subscription to News from DHS
Subscribe to News from DHS if you would like to be added to a monthly email notification list for department news and website updates.

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