There’s an interesting article about stroke rehabilitation by Tori DeAngelis in the March 2010 issue of the Monitor on Psychology. In “New help for stroke survivors,” she writes about research showing that a “transfer package” is an essential component in maintaining the gains of inpatient rehab once the patient returns home. The transfer package includes … Read more
Okay, so it didn’t involve a disguise, but I did make an anonymous phone call to the New York State Department of Health. When I interviewed Mark Kissinger, their Deputy Commissioner of Long Term Care recently, he and Jacqueline Pappalardi, the Director of the Division of Residential Services, were friendly and reasonable. They said the … Read more
An iatrogenic illness is one which results from health care treatment, and iatrogenic depression is typically a side effect of medication. I take a broader view of “treatment” and think of iatrogenic depression as a customer service failure. I see nursing home residents who have become depressed as a result of interactions with staff that … Read more
Today’s story, courtesy of Sandra Cherry, LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist), is a humorous reminder to those of us in long term care to be mindful of jargon and the words we choose when speaking with those new to the nursing home. Today I visited my dad at the nursing home and, as I prepared to … Read more
Last month I had the opportunity to speak with Mark Kissinger, the New York State Deputy Commissioner of Long Term Care, and Jacqueline Pappalardi, Director of the Division of Residential Services in the New York State Office of Long Term Care. They answered some of my burning questions about the present and future of nursing … Read more
“You’re bleeding, Mr. Ramsey! Go upstairs with your aide!” The nurse’s well-meaning directive was falling upon deaf ears. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere until I get my money!” Mr. Ramsey clutched a tissue to his bloody lip with one hand and waved his other hand around in a fist. The aide took hold of the handle … Read more
In a staff meeting the other day, the social worker mentioned her new resident was having difficulty because he didn’t speak any English. It was arranged that the director of the Dietary Department would go up to act as translator. “I know a website where you can get language cue cards with health-related words on … Read more
The holidays can be a difficult time of year, especially for residents in nursing homes. Many residents once hosted family gatherings, or were regulars at a holiday event, but now their physical disability complicates their participation in familiar rituals. Last year I wrote a post on this topic from the residents’ point of view, ‘Twas … Read more
In Part One of the Family Council posts, Karlin Mbah of FRIA discusses the role of the Family Council in improving the nursing home environment. In today’s follow-up post, she addresses ways in which to organize families to create a Family Council. In addition to her suggestions, some of the tips I provided in my … Read more
A recent study by the Phoenix Center looked at adults 55 and over, but not employed or in nursing homes, and found that Internet use decreased their level of depression by 20%. I’m not at all surprised by this, and I believe a similar decrease in depression levels would be observed in nursing home residents … Read more