Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Creating Better Deaths in Long-Term Care I walked into Mr. Hobart’s room, ready for my initial evaluation. He was a thin, graying man whose loose clothes hung in folds around him. He’d spent every day last week in chemo. He spoke quietly, discussing his estrangement from … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Harnessing Gratitude Though it was close to 20 years ago, I’ll never forget the reaction of one of my patients to losing both of her legs to diabetes. “I’m 81 years old and I’ve traveled and danced as much as I could. I wasn’t sick a … Read more
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Senior bullying: How to recognize it, how to handle it Things were different when I was a kid. People regularly drove while intoxicated. The high school archery team practiced on the football field while the track team ran around the periphery. Children bullied their peers without … 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
Exciting news! The Savvy Resident’s Guide is the book club selection for an assisted living facility in California! I’m thrilled to hear that residents will be discussing the book. It’s exactly what I hoped for when I wrote it — that the information would get to the people who need it most and that it … Read more
Many nursing home residents have experienced an amputation, an issue that’s often under-addressed both in the facility and in the media. (Limb loss should, but doesn’t always, trigger a referral for psychological services or other support.) Grey’s Anatomy has been working with The Amputee Coalition to make their portrayal of a character with an above knee … 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
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
Early in my blogging, I wrote a post for residents about how to speak to doctors, outlining what I call the Newspaper Headline Approach. It’s designed for residents to make the most of their interactions with their physicians. I was reminded of the Newspaper Headline approach when I read a recent Mind the Gap post … Read more
I always enjoy reading about senior recreation programs that offer options way beyond bingo. Not that there’s anything wrong with bingo, but when it’s my turn, I’ll be looking for a nursing home with a substantial activities schedule. A reader — thanks, RR — informed me of the success of the college-level psychology courses he … Read more