Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: 6 ways to improve dealing with death in LTC There are moments in life that engender important questions. When an individual is born, we ask, “Is it a boy or a girl?” When the person dies, we ask, “What happened?” In long-term care, we’re not around … Read more
Tomorrow, 10/16, I’ll be a guest on “When Things Go Wrong,” the Wharton Business Radio show of professor Christian Terwiesch. The live show is 10/16 at 4pm ET and I’ll be on at 4:30pm. Professor Terwiesch will be addressing customer services issues in long-term care. They don’t provide the questions in advance so I have … Read more
As a psychologist, I have the privilege of hearing the perspective of residents on a regular basis. For those of you who aren’t so lucky, here’s an insightful video by a resident of an assisted living facility. Dick Weinman, retired professor of broadcast communications at Oregon State University, author and former radio personality, provides a … 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
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: The psychology behind good customer service (and why it’s more important than you think) At the front desk, the workers were having an argument. Some residents watched the proceedings with interest and others with expressions of alarm. A waiting family member shifted from one leg … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: The very anxious resident: A team approach “My mother was kicked out of her nursing home again,” my cousin told me. “They said they couldn’t handle her.” I phoned Cousin Belle’s new number in the afternoon. “They didn’t give me my pain medication,” she said … Read more
Join Dr. El this Thursday in Connecticut! The Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities is sponsoring a talk on Meeting the Needs of Younger Residents Thursday, April 24th, 2014 at 9am at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cromwell, CT For more information and to register: CAHCF.org
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Battling depression: Advice on how to make seniors feel valued by others Research shows that the rate of depression among elders in senior residences is 24% to 27%. It’s not that every fourth resident you greet in the hallway is depressed. It’s that we should be … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: I finally visit a Green House (and it blows my mind!) In my last post, I discussed culture change and its positive impact on the mental health of the residents, particularly at Eden Alternative facilities. I recently also had the opportunity to tour a Green House, which I’d … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Reducing depression through person-centered care I was speaking about leadership to a group of administrators recently when the discussion turned to person-centered care. “Culture change, the Eden Alternative, whatever you call it,” I said, “things are moving in that direction. MDS 3.0 has the team asking … Read more