I’m Worried About the Emotional Impact on the Staff Mr. Davis used to sit in the lobby and greet staff members when they walked in the door of the nursing care center. His wife had friendly chats with other residents when she came to visit; his children brought plates of homemade cookies to the nursing … Read more
The Oscars kind of bug me. In the gloom of winter, it can be hard not to notice that the extravaganza is filled with self-congratulatory workers wearing clothes that cost more than the yearly salary of several nursing aides. Rather than stew, however, about the puzzling priorities of the world, I’ve decided to award my … Read more
As a consulting psychologist, my official job is to provide psychological services to the residents of the nursing homes in which I work. Occasionally, though, I’m asked by a department head to informally assist a staff member in distress and, more frequently, a teammate comes to me for a referral for herself or a family … Read more
The Five-Star Quality Rating System reports the results of health inspections, staffing and quality measures. I suggest we replace the current staffing measure with one tracking staff retention. Here’s my logic: The existing staffing score is the ratio of nursing staff to residents, taking care needs into account. In allowing for self-reporting of the data, … Read more
The top recommendation in the April 9 McKnight’s article “Researchers share 6 tips to improve nursing home care for blacks and Latinos” was to include a social worker on staff in the facility. “Great,” a reader commented, but “ask CMS … if they will pay for it.” Perhaps, though better yet, social workers will pay … Read more
When we think of teamwork in long-term care, we envision a group of dedicated specialists working together to provide the best care for our residents. They read notes from other disciplines, bounce ideas off colleagues at the nursing station and convene care plan meetings. In reality, teamwork in long-term care is much more complex. Teamwork … Read more
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 consider it a prerequisite for psychotherapy. I wasn’t used to them dying on me. In the years since, I’ve lost … Read more
“They keep giving me these new aides and they don’t know what they’re doing,” a disgruntled resident commented during a psychotherapy session. “You’re not the first person to tell me that,” I replied, looking for a way to acknowledge her experience without criticizing either the facility or the new aides. “You have the honor of … Read more
Earlier this month, I took some much-needed time off to go on a cruise. I came home to a LinkedIn notification about “The big cost of not taking vacation,” reflecting on a CNN article regarding the vast number of vacation days forfeited by Americans. The author notes that people who travel tend to be happier … Read more
As I developed a training program on violence prevention, I reflected on a scenario I’ve witnessed many times in my career. A resident who had been physically aggressive toward aides and nurses got sent to the hospital only after he hit the attending physician. Situations like this send the message to nursing department staff that … Read more