These days the recreation calendar of most long-term care facilities has moved way beyond the bingo-heavy schedule of yesteryear. Residents are likely to find live music, current events, religious programs, pet therapy, crafts, Wii sports, and trivia games among their options. This abundance of choices makes it likely that residents will find enjoyable ways to … Read more
Here’s my latest article on Long-Term Living magazine online: 7 methods to educate residents about their diagnoses “Thanks, Doc, for telling me about this group!” Mr. Jones smiled and held up the magazine he’d gotten from the National Parkinson Foundation. “Except for that actor, I didn’t even know one person with Parkinson’s before I got my … Read more
Maybe it’s because I live in the New York metropolitan area, but it seems every nursing home I’ve worked in is filled with residents and staff from all over the world. I find it an exciting environment with the opportunity to learn about different cultures at every turn. Somehow, despite our differences, we make it … Read more
Here’s my latest article in Long-Term Living Magazine online: 5 reasons to educate residents about their illnesses “How long have you had Parkinson’s?” the psychologist asked Mr. Jones during his initial evaluation. “They just told me the diagnosis when I got here last week, but I suppose I’ve had it for a while.” He said … Read more
The New York Times New Old Age blog has an interesting, hopeful article by Paula Span regarding treatment for depression in older adults. Regarding the stigma of psychotherapy the article mentions, I’ve found nursing home residents to be very receptive to my visits, especially when I phrase my help as “extra support during a stressful … Read more
It was previously thought that seniors who are anxious about falling tend to avoid activities that could lead to falls, thus becoming de-conditioned and increasing fall risk. New research, however, suggests that anxiety about falling itself can increase fall risk. Hadjistavropoulos, T. et al. asked older adults to walk either in a low anxiety situation … Read more
“How in the world am I going to chart this?” I wondered as I sat across from Nell, who filled her large wheelchair to overflowing. This was our second attempt at psychotherapy, which I’d discontinued a few months ago because I felt all my efforts had gone nowhere. Nell sat in her room all day, … Read more
Potential Individual-Level Interventions to Reduce Bullying Among Seniors: Strategies for the Targets of Bullying By Robin Bonifas, PhD, MSW, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ and Marsha Frankel, LICSW, Clinical Director of Senior Services, Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Boston, MA Welcome to our final blog addressing issues of bullying … Read more
The video clip I posted last week from the movie Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory has “gone viral.” There were well over 6.5 million views as of last Saturday, when I saw the documentary and post-film discussion and spoke with Dan Cohen, the social worker who started the ipod project. Here are … Read more
There have been people living with advanced dementia in every nursing home I’ve been in. They sit silently in chairs and recliners, lining the hallways or packed into the day room, where the TV creates the illusion of a pastime. This residents often seem unreachable, locked in their own private worlds, not responding to questions … Read more