What worries me about trauma-informed care I was relieved last month when I saw that my fellow Psychologists in LTC member, Lisa Lind, Ph.D., had written an article for McKnight’s about Preparing for trauma-informed care in LTC. As McKnight’s resident behavioral health expert, I was feeling like I should write something on the subject, but … Read more
Severely mentally ill residents: Staff training, teamwork needed As I discussed in Severely mentally ill residents: A ‘perfect storm’ creates a SNF wave, long-term care has a growing population of severely mentally ill (SMI) residents, with the number of residents diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder approaching 20% in some states as of 2017.1 In … Read more
Severely mentally ill residents: Staff training, teamwork needed As I discussed in Severely mentally ill residents: A ‘perfect storm’ creates a SNF wave, long-term care has a growing population of severely mentally ill (SMI) residents, with the number of residents diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder approaching 20% in some states as of 2017.1 In … Read more
Ageism of elders affects their LTC experience “There’s no one here to talk to,” a new resident, Claire, said to me, “They’re all so old!” Claire was in her early 80s but thought of herself as two decades younger. She, like most residents I’ve encountered, have their own prejudices about aging and older adults. It … Read more
Ageism of elders affects their LTC experience “There’s no one here to talk to,” a new resident, Claire, said to me, “They’re all so old!” Claire was in her early 80s but thought of herself as two decades younger. She, like most residents I’ve encountered, have their own prejudices about aging and older adults. It … Read more
Secret shoppers in LTC Posing as customers, “secret shoppers” deliver the inside scoop to management about their experiences with various service providers. They can be invaluable to management in all kinds of situations, including long-term care, though there are special challenges there. Secret shoppers are perhaps best known for retail settings. But they’re also used … Read more
Secret shoppers in LTC Posing as customers, “secret shoppers” deliver the inside scoop to management about their experiences with various service providers. They can be invaluable to management in all kinds of situations, including long-term care, though there are special challenges there. Secret shoppers are perhaps best known for retail settings. But they’re also used … Read more
If toileting were a billable service … The other day over lunch a colleague said to me, “Imagine how things would change if toileting were a billable service.” I laughed, briefly considered that fanciful notion and continued eating my meal. As I gave the idea further reflection, however, it might not be as laughable as … Read more
If toileting were a billable service … The other day over lunch a colleague said to me, “Imagine how things would change if toileting were a billable service.” I laughed, briefly considered that fanciful notion and continued eating my meal. As I gave the idea further reflection, however, it might not be as laughable as … Read more
It’s the week of Independence Day and freedom is on my mind. Residents frequently speak to me of their dissatisfaction with the limitations on their liberty, from being told to sit in a communal room when they want to be alone, to needing a family member to sign them out on pass. “Me and the … Read more