My first-ever trip to Oklahoma for a speaking engagement recently included no fringed surries. But there was a bustling, well-run long-term conference, animated conversations with attendees, life-altering...
Dear Diary, Last week I attended my first AHCA convention …
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Oct 16, 2014
There’s nothing like the first time you get to meet people, attend education sessions and see the exhibit hall at the American Health Care Association, as I found out last week. If you weren’t...
Reducing learned helplessness in LTC
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jul 11, 2013
John O’Connor’s recent post on the pain/depression cycle raised some interesting points about depression in long-term care. Reducing learned helplessness that is often seen in depression is...
Dialysis: Gauging its need, and how to reduce its stress
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Mar 31, 2015
As a psychologist observing the effects of medical interventions on the mental health of the long-term care resident, I often ask, “Is this aggressive procedure helping?” As it turns out, so...
Growing Good
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jan 05, 2016
In the wee hours of the night I recently discovered a Facebook post about a company founded by two brothers called Life is Good. It emerged from the standing request the founders’ mother had for...
6 ways to improve dealing with death in LTC
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jan 20, 2015
How someone dies is a very important part of the culture of the long-term care organization. Odds are your community can improve its culture in this area.
The ticklish balancing act: Resident rights vs. care quality
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
May 08, 2018
Balancing the rights and desires of residents with the need of the facility to avoid citation and litigation can be very tricky, but the payoff can be definitely worth it when done right. Here’s...
Enhancing quality of care through design
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Feb 13, 2018
Incorporating the principles of accessible design into long-term care creates communities where inclusion and independence are emphasized. Good for those who do it.
The White House Conference on Aging: Why it should matter to you
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Oct 30, 2014
If you, like me, completely missed the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (or if you weren’t in the field at the time), it’s fair to ask just what the heck it and does. And what it means...
Instilling hope: Needed for contentment, helpful for long-term care operations
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Nov 29, 2013
“I hope Santa brings me a Sony DS,” my 7-year-old told me the other day. I can tell you right now that Santa is NOT bringing her a video game player, but I didn’t want to tell her that....