Earlier this month, I took some much-needed time off to go on a cruise. I came home to a LinkedIn notification about “The big cost of not taking vacation,” reflecting on a CNN article regarding the vast number of vacation days forfeited by Americans. The author notes that people who travel tend to be happier … Read more
In McKnight’s Long-Term Care News this month, there was a report on a study examining factors that contribute to transfers of frail residents from skilled nursing facilities to emergency departments. Using focus groups of residents and family caregivers, researchers found four main contributors to the transfers: “(1) doubts about the quality of skilled care facility nurses’ assessments; (2) perceptions … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Ways to increase trust, reduce hospital transfers In McKnight’s Long-Term Care News this month, there was a report on a study examining factors that contribute to transfers of frail residents from skilled nursing facilities to emergency departments. Using focus groups of residents and family caregivers, researchers found four main contributors … Read more
As I developed a training program on violence prevention, I reflected on a scenario I’ve witnessed many times in my career. A resident who had been physically aggressive toward aides and nurses got sent to the hospital only after he hit the attending physician. Situations like this send the message to nursing department staff that … Read more
I walked into Mr. Hobart’s room, ready for my initial evaluation. He was a thin, graying man whose loose clothes hung in folds around him. He’d spent every day last week in chemo. He spoke quietly, discussing his estrangement from his family and the good old days hanging out at the bar. None of his … Read more
From the 102-year-old Hulk Hogan fan to the doting, selfless caregivers doing behind-the-scenes work, there are numerous people in long-term care who inspired me this year. Take, for example: • The 102-year-old man, still remarkably handsome, whose favorite sport is professional wrestling and who recalls fondly the days of Hulk Hogan. • The personal companion I encountered … Read more
In preparing for a webinar on suicide prevention, I came across startling statistics about suicide rates among older adults. Despite the concern we often hear about teen suicide, the rate for elders is even higher. While older adults make up 12% of the U.S. population, they account for 18% of all suicide deaths. In 2014, … Read more
I’ve learned a lot from listening to residents over the years, but it’s rare that I request specific advice. This month, I decided to change that. In private conversations, I told residents that I was writing an article on advice from elders about how to live life and I asked them if they had any … Read more
With the high-profile deaths this month of designer Kate Spade and chef Anthony Bourdain, the crisis of suicide has been thrust into the spotlight. Suicide deaths in the United States have increased 25% between 1999 and 2016, with an estimated 45,000 occurring per year. I’ve written about suicide prevention in older adults and protocols for … Read more
Perhaps you’ve heard about the administrator who spent a week as a resident in his long-term care facility. After being roused from sleep daily to receive medications that could have been dispensed later in the day, he banned his physicians from unnecessarily prescribing meds during night hours. That’s an excellent way of attending to sleep … Read more