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
Thank you to author Deborah Quilter and NextAvenue for an even-handed article about nursing homes and for mentioning my work. NextAvenue is “public media’s first and only national journalism service for America’s booming older population. [Their] daily content delivers vital ideas, context and perspectives on issues that matter most as we age.” What Some Nursing … Read more
Jane Gross’ recent post Seeing the ‘Invisible Patient’ in the “New Old Age” blog of the New York Times discusses how professionals often ignore the needs of caregivers of the elderly because they are focused on their identified patient. As the author states, “Not once in the years I cared for my mother did any of … Read more
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