Here’s my latest article on Long-Term Living magazine online: 7 methods to educate residents about their diagnoses “Thanks, Doc, for telling me about this group!” Mr. Jones smiled and held up the magazine he’d gotten from the National Parkinson Foundation. “Except for that actor, I didn’t even know one person with Parkinson’s before I got my … Read more
There’s a new dramatic series on aging parents and their adult children on YouTube. These brief vignettes, with 13 episodes in all, capture issues facing families as parents become less able to care for themselves and their children try to intervene/help. I saw the first one and thought it was very powerful. Here’s a link … Read more
Maybe it’s because I live in the New York metropolitan area, but it seems every nursing home I’ve worked in is filled with residents and staff from all over the world. I find it an exciting environment with the opportunity to learn about different cultures at every turn. Somehow, despite our differences, we make it … Read more
I’m pleased to announce that The Savvy Resident’s Guide: Everything You Wanted to Know About Your Nursing Home Stay But Were Afraid to Ask is now available on Amazon.com! It’s been my lifelong wish to publish a book, so I’m excited and couldn’t wait for the official book launch to tell you about it. If … Read more
The second (and hopefully last) proof is on its way. The Savvy Resident’s Guide: Everything You Wanted to Know About Your Nursing Home Stay But Were Afraid to Ask will be available soon!
Here’s my latest article in Long-Term Living Magazine online: 5 reasons to educate residents about their illnesses “How long have you had Parkinson’s?” the psychologist asked Mr. Jones during his initial evaluation. “They just told me the diagnosis when I got here last week, but I suppose I’ve had it for a while.” He said … Read more
Hello, Folks! Summer is my favorite season and I’m going to take a little blog break and enjoy the rest of it. I’ll be back the week of September 10th (unless I can’t contain myself). Meanwhile, here’s an interesting article on end-of-life family reconciliation by Marc Agronin, MD: Struggling With an Abusive Aging Parent And … Read more
Last weekend I was in Orlando, Florida for the American Psychological Association conference, where I spoke as part of a symposium on Social Media in Long-Term Care Settings. We discussed concerns around maintaining privacy and confidentiality, as well as the use of social media to improve care. Of course, I talked about my blog, how … Read more
The New York Times New Old Age blog has an interesting, hopeful article by Paula Span regarding treatment for depression in older adults. Regarding the stigma of psychotherapy the article mentions, I’ve found nursing home residents to be very receptive to my visits, especially when I phrase my help as “extra support during a stressful … Read more
It was previously thought that seniors who are anxious about falling tend to avoid activities that could lead to falls, thus becoming de-conditioned and increasing fall risk. New research, however, suggests that anxiety about falling itself can increase fall risk. Hadjistavropoulos, T. et al. asked older adults to walk either in a low anxiety situation … Read more