Those who like the convenience of attending a conference without leaving their desks (and the fact that it’s free!) will be pleased to hear that McKnight’s is holding their online Expo tomorrow on the following topics: Enhancing relationships with key referral sources – Tuesday September 10th 11:00 AM Changes looming for the MDS 3.0 – Tuesday September 10th 12:30pm … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Same-sex couples: Are you and your staff prepared? Probably not Last week, McKnight’s staff writer Tim Mullaney wrote about the new Medicare guidance that guarantees that same-sex married couples can live in the same nursing home. Perhaps, like many of our current opposite-sex married couples, they’ll share the same room … Read more
Here’s my latest article at McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: 6 common problems a shrink on staff can solve (and your consultant can’t) As a psychologist consulting in long-term care facilities, I was paid through Medicare, Medicaid, and/or private insurance for only one task: direct contact with residents. That’s it. I provided a lot more because … Read more
Here’s my latest article at McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Suicide risk in LTC: Effective protocols may not be what you think According to researchers, 11% to 43% of LTC residents have thoughts of suicide1-3, with higher rates in larger facilities and in those with more staff turnover4. Other stressors include medical illness, the presence of … Read more
Here’s my latest article at McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Meeting boomer needs at LeadingAge Florida “You do so much for seniors,” my friends tell me, having heard too many stories about the horrors of nursing homes. “Those places need more people like you.” “Actually,” I respond, “there are lots of people like me out there … Read more
Here’s my latest article at McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Reducing learned helplessness in LTC John O’Connor’s recent post on the pain/depression cycle raised some interesting points about depression in long-term care. He referenced a 2009 study that found that over 47% of nursing home residents suffer from some level of depression, and he reported on a University … Read more
Here’s my latest article at McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Young adults in long-term care: a new resource for caregivers According to a 2010 NPR report, young adults have been one of the fastest growing long-term care populations over the past 10 years, with 14% of nursing home residents under the age of 65. Some live in … Read more
Here’s my latest article at McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: 5 lessons long-term care providers can learn from Joan Lunden Award-winning journalist and author Joan Lunden and I met recently to talk about eldercare issues. Joan’s mother is 94 years old and happy in a small care home after living for years in the community with home care. … Read more
Here’s my latest article at McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Is Your Workplace Psychologically Healthy? In long-term care we spend a lot of time focused on the physical health of those in our care. With increased emphasis on culture change and the update to the MDS (and hopefully as a result of this column), we’ve begun … Read more
Here’s my latest article at McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Absenteeism and turnover in LTC? Death anxiety could be the cause I started working in long-term care when I was in my early 30s and I was shocked at first when the residents died. I was used to falling in love with my patients — I … Read more