Dr. El

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

A truly healing yarn

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: A truly healing yarn “No,” Diane said when I showed up at her door for our Thursday session. “I don’t want to talk to you. I’m too aggravated.” She turned her head and looked out the window for a moment. “I’m surprised.” I replied. “We had … Read more

How to support depressed workers and reduce absenteeism

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: How to support depressed workers and reduce absenteeism 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 … 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

The tumult of turnover

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: The tumult of turnover I once rode down a crowded afternoon elevator with the CEO of a managed care company. “It must be 5:01,” he commented wryly. I heard a measure of scorn for his employees’ lack of dedication to the job. What I saw was … Read more

Dr. El featured on Nursing Assistant Guides podcast series

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NursingAssistantGuides.com, an educational site for certified nursing assistants, has a new podcast series featuring experts in the field of geriatrics and long-term care. The podcasts offer the chance for those considering or working toward becoming a nursing assistant to get insider information about the field. I was pleased to be interviewed by registered nurse Patricia Laramee … Read more

Dr. El’s Theory of Angry Activities

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Dr. El’s Theory of Angry Activities “Scream as loud as you can,” I encouraged my companions before we plunged down the waterslide in our rubber raft at the water park on Independence Day. “There aren’t enough opportunities for yelling in everyday life. Let’s make the most … Read more

Vacation envy, or ‘How to get your groove back’

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Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Vacation envy, or ‘How to get your groove back’ Perhaps, like me, you’ve recently had time off from work but the only break on the near horizon is a measly midweek Independence Day. Or maybe, like a coworker of mine, you’ve scheduled your summer vacation for … Read more