Part of Minnesota’s new assisted living licensure law is set to take effect this summer.
Under legislation passed in 2019, there will be two new types of assisted living licenses beginning Aug. 1: assisted living and assisted living with dementia care. The two licenses replace the comprehensive home care license and housing with services registration, which will be discontinued after July 31. Unlicensed facilities will be prohibited from providing assisted living services after the Aug. 1 deadline.
The assisted living license applies to communities that solely provide assisted living services. The assisted living with dementia care license can apply to communities that provide assisted living services and dementia care services; an assisted living community with dementia care also may provide memory care in a secured dementia care unit.
“Most of those who live in an assisted living-type facility, dementia care or housing with home care will not experience significant changes in their services due to the new licensing program. However, some residents may see changes by this August, and in some cases those changes may make it necessary for residents to find a new service provider or even a new place to live,” according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
The department estimates that 60,000 Minnesotans live in 1,800 commercial assisted living homes.
The deadline has passed for existing assisted living providers in Minnesota to submit a conversion application for assisted living licensure to the state’s health department. Now, a provider seeking licensure must apply for a new or “provisional” license, with additional standards applied and no assurance that the license will be approved.
Assisted living providers also will need to notify families and residents if they will no longer provide certain services or if contracts are updated to meet license changes, such as those related to activities of daily living assistance.
