When I was a student nurse, I had a professor who said, “You will never know what gem is before you, unless you are willing to open your eyes and your heart.” Being young and excited about...
‘Derek’ returns, focuses on nursing home privacy
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 03, 2014
When the Ricky Gervais show “Derek” hit Netflix last year, I sat down to check out an episode and ended up binge-watching the whole season, captivated by the storylines set in an English nursing...
Top 10 ways to avoid litigation
By
Davis Frye and Bradley W. Smith
Apr 18, 2014
In nursing home lawsuits, plaintiffs are often unhappy family members of residents who have experienced falls, pressure wounds, unexplained injuries or death. In our practice defending long-term care facilities,...
Suicide risk in LTC: Effective protocols may not be what you think
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Aug 08, 2013
According to researchers, 11% to 43% of LTC residents have thoughts of suicide, with higher rates in larger facilities and in those with more staff turnover. Other stressors include medical illness, the...
Strategies to create outcome assessments
By
James Lomastro
Jul 08, 2013
Leadership, governance, talent (people) services and safety programs supports efforts in performance improvement and outcome assessment. The purpose of the outcome assessment system is to increase value...
Patient identifier systems need to move beyond the name game
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jul 01, 2016
When I became engaged to my wonderful husband, I spent a fair amount of time debating what to do with my last name. There were philosophical discussions around feminism, identity and what it means to be...
Help for hoarders, and those who care for them
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Apr 12, 2016
When it comes to dealing with residents who are hoarders, facilities are often caught between a rock and a hard place. Here’s how to deal with it.
Protect yourself and your facility from bed bugs
By
Ron Harrison, Ph.D.
Feb 08, 2016
Chicago may have found itself on top of Orkin’s list of the top 50 bed bug cities, but a look at the list shows that these resilient pests have found themselves in every corner of the country.
‘HELP’ is what end-of-life care needs
By
Whende M. Carroll, MSN, RN-BC
Feb 09, 2018
Hospice care and palliative care are two beneficial options that all patients have for end-of-life care. When a patient is best suited for end-of-life care, the first step is having a conversation with...
Trust before truth — Take 2
By
Julie Thorson
Feb 02, 2017
How do you continue to be a strong leader when you are feeling personally attacked or hurt by another person who claims to be a leader? It’s a great question to ask your work teams. Answers are not...