One of the best ways to make meaning from tragedy is to use the experience to help others. Below, staff members of New York City nursing homes hit early in the pandemic graciously offer their advice to teams across the country that might be anticipating or currently grappling with the pandemic. Advance planning Stay calm. … Read more
Last week I listened to a webinar on protecting residents of nursing homes from pandemics, hosted by STAT News and sponsored by AARP. The three medical experts on the call offered a multitude of recommendations, some of which will no doubt be familiar to long-term care leaders, while others may provide new avenues for thought … Read more
Tena L. Scallan, of The Ultimate Caregving Expert, has gathered advice from experts (including me) on how to manage as a caregiver during the Covid-19 pandemic. Click on this link to read their advice and mine.
The severe impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes has led to calls for change in the country’s approach to eldercare. In “The American Nursing Home is a Design Failure,” for instance, author Justin Davidson describes the nursing home as a “soul-sapping institution” and argues that we need to rethink the current system entirely. In my … Read more
In the last few weeks, mass protests against racism have led to wider recognition of racial injustices in our country, with alterations in policing procedures, removal of Confederate statues and a rethinking of corporate norms. I’ve been reading about the systemic inequities in healthcare and reflecting on those in long-term care in particular. While I … Read more
The pandemic has caused many of us to reflect on our lives, work and priorities. It’s also led to catastrophic losses and to greater public awareness of problems in our field. In the mental health world, we encourage people to try to learn and grow from tragedy. I hope we in the long-term care world … Read more
Thanks to journalist Judith Graham for addressing loneliness in elders and for mentioning my work and the importance of psychological support during the Covid-19 pandemic. Distress in seniors surges amid coronavirus pandemic As states relax coronavirus restrictions, older adults are advised, in most cases, to keep sheltering in place. But for some, the burden of … Read more
May 27 is Psychology Day and this year it’s a particularly timely moment to acknowledge the impact of psychology. Along with the physical and financial havoc wreaked by COVID-19, the pandemic has negatively affected mental health, especially for those in long-term care. Recognizing Psychology Day raises mental health awareness and is a means of expressing … Read more
Thanks to author Ashley Abramson for interviewing me and my fellow geropsychologists and for addressing the mental health of older adults in nursing homes. Protecting nursing home residents during COVID-19 Nursing homes have become hotbeds for COVID-19 — as well as for loneliness, fear and stress for residents, their families and staff. Many of the … Read more
We hear a great deal these days about those who have died from COVID-19, but thankfully there’s also a large group of people who have survived the virus. In New York, stable coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospitals to segregated units in nursing homes and I’ve had the chance to talk with many of … Read more