As a psychologist, I’ve talked with hundreds of residents as they transition to living in a Skilled Nursing Care center. In the privacy of a psychotherapy session, new residents will frequently share with me things they haven’t mentioned to their families, often because they don’t quite know what to say or how to say it. … Read more
“Scream as loud as you can,” I encouraged my companions before we plunged down the waterslide in our rubber raft at the water park on Independence Day. “There aren’t enough opportunities for yelling in everyday life. Let’s make the most of it while it’s socially acceptable.” The shouts of our foursome pierced the air as … Read more
The Nursing Home Compare star rating system assesses quality of care based on health inspections, staffing and quality of resident care measures. It examines important factors such as emergency preparedness, resident/staff ratios, re-hospitalization rates, falls and antipsychotic use. After writing about turnover in my last column, I wondered what might happen if high marks were … Read more
Long-term care success is about steady, reliable relationships. That’s my takeaway after attending two recent conferences that echo my experiences in the field. The first event delivered the results thus far of an ongoing program that won a coveted grant from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Center for Innovation. The OPTIMISTIC project is … 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