Home Care Provider Advisory Council Meeting Minutes
March 2, 2015
Members present: Josh Berg, Amy Nelson, Suzan Sinna, Melissa Plachecki, Rene Cronquist
Review of role of advisory council
Council agreed that the items discussed at the June 2, 2014 meeting are in alignment with what
the council sees as its purpose. These include:
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Forum for reviewing what is happening in the industry and help change it for the better
Forum to learn from surveyors about the reality of home care today
A resource to help providers understand what is expected of them (given the complexity
of the work)
A resource to help families know what they can expect
A venue to discuss standardization of training for home care workers and administrators
Provide solutions, feedback, ideas to improve home care services
New Information on HCALP Website
Providers would like clarification of MDH expectations to be ready for surveys. The MDH
website contains all of the survey documents, which providers are encouraged to review. In
addition, the website has a document titled Expectations for Agency-Specific Policies and
Procedures for Home Care Providers, which was created to help providers understand what is
required for policy and procedure documents.
There is a new form on the website (Home Care Provider Change of Information Form) which
can be used to notify MDH of changes with the licensee (such as address, RN, administrator,
etc.). There is also a form (Notice of Providing Home Care Services) for new providers to use to
notify MDH when they begin serving their first client.
Overview of New and Renewal Licenses
At this time, 694 licensees have converted to new licenses; 669 of those are comprehensive; 25
are basic. HCALP has issued 13 temporary basic licenses and 42 temporary comprehensive
licenses.
Survey Trends
HCALP has started surveying temporary licensees and will be comparing survey results of new
licensees with those of existing providers. Medication management is one area where providers
are lagging behind in complying with the new regulations. Surveyors are being proactive in
helping providers understand what is required. Suggestion was made to do a root cause
analysis of common violations found on survey to determine the sources of the problems.
HCALP will be collecting more data.
Occasional Services
Discussion was held of a legislative proposal to allow for occasional services by nursing home
staff in an independent living setting (without a home care contract). Some concerns include:
When does it cross a line and require a service plan?
• Could a certain number of hours of service be allowed?
• Is the definition of “home care service” not clear enough?
• The question of what is right for the client should be considered.
• There is no such thing as “independent living.” It is a marketing term.
• Liability would be with the nursing home or home care provider.
• Concerned about a slippery slope. How is “occasional” defined?
• Consumers need to be clear about what they are signing up for.
• First call can be the trigger to assess client and determine if additional services are
needed.
Staffing Issues for Providers
Question was raised of whether there is a way to track where nurses are working. It would be
of value to have data on where there are shortages. The Board of Nursing does not track
workforce data. HCALP wants to look across the state at where the staffing gaps are.
Upcoming Meetings
Alice Sanders and Jeri Cummins, program supervisors with the Department of Health - Home
Care and Assisted Living Program, will attend the next meeting to discuss survey trends.
Josh is speaking with Leading Age about having a representative speak on the HHA
apprenticeship program.
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 8, 2015, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. It will be held at
the Wilder Foundation.