I posted this before the holidays in 2008, but it’s worth repeating: ‘Twas the week before Christmas… And 83-year old Albertha assured me her family was planning to take her home for the holidays. “Have you talked to them about it? Have they called the social worker to arrange a pass, and meds, and transportation?” … Read more
After my session with Evelyn, who painstakingly typed her thoughts on her computer, I stopped at the nursing station to relay her message. “Can you tell me which aide works with Evelyn Booth in 302?” I asked the nurse. “Ms. Johnson,” she said, and pointed to a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in a light blue … Read more
Complaint #5: There’s no one here for me to talk to. Untrue! But we need to prove it to residents by helping them connect with their peers. The false impression they’re alone in the nursing home is based on several factors: New residents carry the prejudices of most people outside the nursing home, believing everyone … Read more
Complaint #4: Nighttime disturbances The main culprits: TVs blaring into the wee hours Agitated neighbors Loud conversations between workers Steps toward improved sleep hygiene: Implement a TV curfew and require night owl viewers to use headsets past the curfew Encourage night shift workers to report resident sleeplessness so sleep/wake cycle disturbances can be reversed and … Read more
Complaint #3: The Patient Lift The patient lift is a machine used to transfer a resident from their bed to their wheelchair and back. No resident I’ve met likes using one, and I suspect the reason is the combination of loss of control, the frightening feeling of being suspended, helpless, in midair, and a lack … Read more
Complaint #2: The Food Where is the Emeril of nursing home food? It’s time to kick things up a notch. There’s a huge opportunity for improvement in the quality, number of choices, and presentation of the food in nursing homes, and to affect the satisfaction of the residents with their meals. A good start is … Read more
Complaint #1: No One Coming When the Call Bell is Pressed I’ve worked on units where the moment the call bell goes off, the charge nurse immediately and calmly asks an aide to check on the room. The bell goes off, someone arrives. Simple customer service. This leads to a unit full of residents who … Read more
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ensures that the personal information of our nursing home residents stays personal, but sometimes it’s taken too far. Well-meaning staff members, not wanting to violate HIPAA, are unsure whether or not to share news of a resident’s death with their friends in the nursing home, so they … Read more
For families with hectic schedules, trying to attend Care Plan Meetings, which occur during daytime work hours, can be a major challenge. Of course they don’t want to miss the opportunity to meet with the whole treatment team to provide and gather information, and to advocate for their loved one. On the other hand, taking … Read more
My hip 80-something mother-in-law uses Skype’s free video calls to view the family as she talks with them over the computer. I’d like to see video calls in nursing homes, either via a video phone or over the Internet in the resident computer room (what, your facility doesn’t have a computer room yet?). Families could … Read more