customer service

The added value of social workers and psychosocial services

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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

Relationships key to long-term care success

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Relationships key to long-term care success Long-term care success is about steady, reliable relationships. That’s my takeaway after attending two recent conferences that echo my experiences in the field. The first event delivered the results thus far of an ongoing program that won a coveted grant … Read more

The sounds of LTC

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: The sounds of LTC Observing the customary cacophony at the nursing station, I’d estimate that so-called “alarm fatigue” contributes to more than a few tragedies in long-term care. Here’s one example that resulted in a lawsuit filing after a resident died when nursing staff ignored the … Read more

9 reasons why it’s better to congregate than disperse short-term rehab residents

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: 9 reasons why it’s better to congregate than disperse short-term rehab residents In most of my long-term care career, I’ve witnessed short-term rehabilitation (STR) residents housed together, but occasionally facilities have scattered them throughout the building. I don’t know the reasoning behind dispersing residents, but from … Read more

Dr. El’s ‘Quality of Life’ star ratings are the way to go

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Dr. El’s ‘Quality of Life’ star ratings are the way to go The Nursing Home Compare star rating system assesses quality of care based on health inspections, staffing and quality of resident care measures. It examines important factors such as emergency preparedness, resident/staff ratios, re-hospitalization rates, … Read more

To reduce burnout and turnover, improve family-staff relationships

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: To reduce burnout and turnover, improve family-staff relationships 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 … Read more

The ticklish balancing act: Resident rights vs. care quality

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: The ticklish balancing act: Resident rights vs. care quality You know the scenario: A resident wants to eat donuts, but it will send her blood sugar skyrocketing. The staff members aren’t sure whether to let her indulge as part of person-centered care or to insist on … Read more

Why it’s impossible to maintain prior levels of care quality, and what to do about it

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Why it’s impossible to maintain prior levels of care quality, and what to do about it In Editorial Director John O’Connor’s April 16th column, he reported on a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation indicating that increasing numbers of new residents have dementia, are more physically … Read more

The importance of leadership in creating good deaths in LTC

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: The importance of leadership in creating good deaths in LTC In one of the more disturbing encounters I’ve had in long-term care — in a 5-Star deficiency-free nursing home — I offered my condolences to an aide on the loss of a resident she’d cared for … Read more

Using technology to improve care, reduce costs

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Using technology to improve care, reduce costs At Maimonides Medical Center, 24 frail older adults were taught to use laptops so that they could manage their health information from home. The technology facilitated communication between patients and providers and improved the quality of life of participants. … Read more