Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Dear Diary, Last week I attended my first AHCA convention … There’s nothing like the first time you get to meet people, attend education sessions and see the exhibit hall at the American Health Care Association, as I found out last week. 10/5/14, 2 p.m. — … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Creative activities for residents with dementia Greetings from Montana! I was in Billings last week conducting a training session for the Montana Department of Health. An enthusiastic group of over 100 LTC staff members from various departments joined the discussion and I came away with some … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Preventing difficult family situations I listened with great interest last week to McKnight’s Fall Expo talk on Pain relief: Dealing with difficult family and resident situations. Attorney Matthew J. Murer provided excellent information on how to work with families to prevent conflicts over treatment and other … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Reducing antipsych meds: 5 ways psychologists can help With the mandate to reduce the use of antipsychotics, many facilities are looking for alternative methods to address the behaviors often associated with dementia. There are several good resources available for training staff (such as the Center for … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Taking vacations when residents can’t do the same Like many, I’m taking some vacation time during the month of August. It got me thinking about the ways workers interact with residents when they take time off from their jobs. It’s more important than you might first … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: The Psychology of Falls in LTC According to the American Geriatrics Society, one in three adults over the age of 65 falls each year. Falls represent the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults. You might be surprised to hear some of … Read more
I’m excited to share with you that my McKnight’s column won the Gold award in the Upper Midwest Region of the 2014 ASBPE Awards of Excellence in the How-To/Tips/Service category. My column, “The World According to Dr. El,” focuses on bringing psychological insights to long-term care for the Chicago-based McKnight’s Long-Term Care News magazine. According … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: What if psychologists ruled the (LTC) world… In the medically focused setting of long-term care, psychologists are mindful of the emotional environment. While most psychologists almost exclusively address the mental health of the residents due to the current reimbursement system, we’re also aware of the interactions … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Preventing burnout in long-term care In my recent post, “Stuff I won’t do for residents and why your staff shouldn’t either,” I wrote about the need for individual workers to set appropriate boundaries around caregiving in order to retain the ability to give without burning out. … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Take this to the bank: How to reduce money stress for LTC residents It was noon at the nursing home and the staff was busy wheeling residents into the dining room. “Are you going to buy me lunch today?” an aide joked as she unlocked the … Read more