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
Here’s my latest article in Long-Term Living magazine online: 3 small changes promise big impact in motivating your LTC staff The new year has just begun and even without an official resolution, January holds the promise of a fresh start. This could be the year to address perennial problems plaguing your organization. It can … Read more
Here’s my latest article in Long-Term Living Magazine online: 5 team building practices that will make your staff WANT to stay According to a 2011 American Health Care Association study, the average nursing home turnover rate is 35 percent for all staff and 43 percent for CNAs. By contrast, Fortune magazine reports that the 100 best companies to … Read more
Back in August 2011, I posted about A Contest for Person-Centered Care, run by the Ensign Group, asking those working at their facilities to transform “a day in the life of the resident.” The goal was to change the daily experience of the resident as a cog going through the wheels of the nursing home … Read more
Here’s my latest article in Long-Term Living magazine online, 5 Secrets Your Line Staff Wishes You Knew: Click-clack. Click-Clack. The hard-bottomed shoes of the administrator echoed through the halls once again, this time accompanied by the high heels of the director of nursing. The crepe-soled nursing staff moved about the floor, silently hoping the bigwigs … Read more
Here’s my latest article, on The Silo Effect, at Long-Term Living magazine’s online site: The employees listened carefully to their boss as he outlined a new procedure. “Any questions?” None were raised, and the boss, pleased at the consensus, adjourned the meeting. But outside the conference room, the murmurs started. How do they expect us … Read more
Check out my latest article, featured in Long-Term Living Magazine Online: Click-clack. Click-clack. The administrator’s shoes made a sound distinctly different than the rubber-soled heels of the nursing staff, alerting everyone to a foreign presence. Forced smiles and stiff greetings ensued. As the elevator doors closed, and the administrator disappeared behind them, the line staff … Read more
“I asked the nurse for a psychology consult for Gloria Teller on the third floor,” the dietician told me. “She’s not eating well, and when I went to talk to her, all she could do was cry.” “Thanks,” I replied. “I’ll keep an eye out for it.” I jotted the name down in my book … Read more
I like the way Dave Sedgwick thinks, and always look forward to his blog posts at Transforming Long-Term Care. He tweeted me the other day about a contest he and his colleagues have created at the Ensign Group. It asks the line staff, residents, families, and others working at Ensign facilities to generate ideas to … Read more
I didn’t want the week to go by without giving a “shout out” to our Nursing Assistants. You work so hard and your job is so important! Some thoughts and experiences on CNAs: Prior to graduate school, I worked in a residential setting for adolescent girls with behavior problems. My role was similar to that … Read more