At the end of a long shift on Christmas Eve, two CNAs are chatting in the facility parking lot. “Rough day,” says one. “A family member yelled at me about problems I can’t solve and things that...
Fixing the mental health crisis in long-term care
By
Tara Cortes, RN, PhD, FAAN
Dec 05, 2022
Serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and anxiety and depressive disorders are at crisis level in older adults. These mental health issues are frequently experienced by older adults who are...
We need a careforce, not just a workforce
By
Lori Porter
Apr 18, 2022
CNAs, as the largest contingent of staff members in nursing homes, should be known as a careforce, a term seized on recently by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
With POC testing strategy, federal government continues to respond poorly to COVID-19 in nursing homes
By
Brendan Williams
Sep 08, 2020
In the federal government’s fight against COVID-19, nursing homes have effectively been left for dead. Despite a death count that began with the February outbreak in a Kirkland, Washington, nursing...
Help people prepare for aging
By
Anthony Cirillo
Jul 27, 2010
Long-term care organizations have a responsibility to teach people about living quality lives as older adults. It also makes business sense to do so.
Beyond the love meter
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 07, 2024
Love may be a many splendored thing, but it can also be elusive, at least in my experience. So when I read in McKnight’s about new “love meter” technology now available, my mind whirled with possibilities. ...
Sharing of the minds
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Feb 27, 2024
In the past three weeks, I have been involved in some great “meeting of the mind” sessions. One was the AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards Silver Team Leader meeting. Prior to and following that one, I attended...
No place for a pessimist
By
Gary Tetz
Feb 22, 2024
My new co-worker’s eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation when he said it, like a child on Christmas morning expecting to find a Red Ryder BB gun under the tree. “I love...
Skilled nursing care’s cloudy Medicare future
By
Brendan Williams
Aug 18, 2023
A net gain of $1.4 billion for a sector comprised of over 15,000 nursing homes somewhat pales in comparison to a looming CMS staffing mandate estimated to cost nursing homes $11.3 billion a year.
No more lonely nights?
By
Gary Tetz
Aug 10, 2023
No one knows better than long-term care folks the unfortunate toll cognitive decline can take. So if you’re like me, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, you’re always interested in ways to keep your...