Eleanor Barbera, Ph.D. I find it challenging to tell my residents I’m going on vacation, though I’m better at it than I used to be. I like to go to fabulous places, and they’re stuck in the nursing home. I know I need to “recharge my batteries,” as I tell them, and I’ve learned a few things along … Read more
Health Herald’s Top 50 Hospice Care Blogs
I recently heard about a nursing home that held a fundraiser to benefit survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. The home, with many Haitian residents and staff members, wanted a way to express their sadness and show support for their friends, coworkers, and the people of Haiti. Residents baked cookies in their “Bakers’ Club” to … Read more
An iatrogenic illness is one which results from health care treatment, and iatrogenic depression is typically a side effect of medication. I take a broader view of “treatment” and think of iatrogenic depression as a customer service failure. I see nursing home residents who have become depressed as a result of interactions with staff that … Read more
Today’s story, courtesy of Sandra Cherry, LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist), is a humorous reminder to those of us in long term care to be mindful of jargon and the words we choose when speaking with those new to the nursing home. Today I visited my dad at the nursing home and, as I prepared to … Read more
Last month I had the opportunity to speak with Mark Kissinger, the New York State Deputy Commissioner of Long Term Care, and Jacqueline Pappalardi, Director of the Division of Residential Services in the New York State Office of Long Term Care. They answered some of my burning questions about the present and future of nursing … Read more
In my May 10. 2009 post, I mentioned I’d decided to stop dying my hair. After reading Henry Alford‘s book, How to Live: A Search for Wisdom from Old People (While They Are Still on This Earth), I started thinking about the message I was sending my patients. Almost all of them are in their … Read more
“You’re bleeding, Mr. Ramsey! Go upstairs with your aide!” The nurse’s well-meaning directive was falling upon deaf ears. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere until I get my money!” Mr. Ramsey clutched a tissue to his bloody lip with one hand and waved his other hand around in a fist. The aide took hold of the handle … Read more
In a staff meeting the other day, the social worker mentioned her new resident was having difficulty because he didn’t speak any English. It was arranged that the director of the Dietary Department would go up to act as translator. “I know a website where you can get language cue cards with health-related words on … Read more
With Hanukkah and Christmas just around the corner, you may be wondering what would make a good present for a relative in a nursing home. If you check my sidebar under Products of Note, you’ll see some possibilities, a few of which I’ve blogged about earlier in the year. (Try using the Search tool in … Read more