“What the f***!” Ms. Webster was red in the face, shouting at the nurse who’d just arrived for the evening shift. “The day nurse told me I was moving to the third floor — now you tell me I’m not? You people better get your s*** together!” She began hurling onto the bed the belongings … Read more
“Come on now, Vera, honey,” the nurse said in a high-pitched, sing-song voice, “be a good girl and take this nice candy.” Vera swung her arm and knocked the tiny cups of pills to the floor. In their 2009 study, Elderspeak Commnunication: Impact on Dementia Care, Kristine N. Williams, RN, PhD, and her colleagues … Read more
I went for my annual mammogram last week, leaving work early to do so and throwing my schedule into chaos. When I arrived at the diagnostic center, the woman at the desk told me someone else would be out to talk to me. Never a good sign. The second lady took an apologetic tone. “The … Read more
I recently read an article about how the aging of baby boomers is causing some technology companies to focus on products geared toward older adults, often with the goal of helping them remain independent and at home for longer periods of time. But what about those older adults already living in nursing homes? What would help them be more … Read more
Looking for a great, inexpensive way to create some good will and holiday cheer at the nursing home this year? Why not set up a call center using Skype? Residents, families, and staff members can sign up to call loved ones around the globe, conversing with them via video call. What it would take: A … 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