Healthcare changes that burn me out — and burn me up
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Dec 04, 2018
The aspect of a changing healthcare landscape that most increases my likelihood of burnout is the prioritization of short-term profits over the care needs of residents and the preservation of a tolerable...
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....
Advice from LTC pros who have been through COVID-19
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jul 28, 2020
Here is some advice from staff members of New York City nursing homes hit early in the pandemic.
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.
Nurses and physicians can be taught to recognize health problems typical of the severe mental illness population so that they’ll be alert to the increased risk of illnesses such as diabetes, metabolic...
My job in a COVID-19 hotspot didn’t give me COVID — it gave me PTSD
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Aug 11, 2020
Even a long-term care psychologist can fall prey to the psychological and emotional terrors of the COVID-19 pandemic, I can unfortunately report to you with ironic confidence.
I finally visit a Green House (and it blows my mind!)
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Mar 20, 2014
In my last post, I discussed culture change and its positive impact on the mental health of the residents, particularly at Eden Alternative facilities. I recently also had the opportunity to tour a Green...
Reducing depression through person-centered care
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Mar 06, 2014
Culture change, the Eden Alternative, whatever you call it, things are moving in that direction. In my experience, the nursing home I worked in that was most attentive to the psychosocial needs of the...
The Equalizer: A holiday story from the ‘Before’ time
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Dec 29, 2020
She told me about her life via handwritten notes and the occasional use of a talking computer that verbalized what she painstakingly typed out. “I’ve been a cripple ever since I got polio as a...