It’s a pandemic paradox: How can we have both a staffing crisis and an unemployment crisis? At the end of 2020, 12 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits. This is in addition...
Rehabilitating the nursing home image
By
Steven Littlehale
Dec 14, 2020
Have you ever asked a question, even though the answer is obvious? “Would you like another homemade chocolate chip cookie?” “Do you want to sit where you have a view of the ocean?” Even when the...
‘Notes from Underground,’ with apologies to Dostoevsky
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Dec 11, 2020
This is a throwback to college reading. It’s been a while for some of us, so bear with me for a minute. In 1864’s Notes from Underground, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s narrator believes life in Utopia...
Bridging the COVID gap: Using technology to connect dementia families
By
Whitney Hackman
Dec 07, 2020
When a loved one is living with dementia, meaningful connections can be hard to come by on a good day. Physical touch and direct eye contact are often key components of creating a successful interaction...
Sr+ Redirection
By
Mark Pavlovich
Nov 30, 2020
Would you be surprised that individuals diagnosed with moderate to severe dementia require redirection during approximately 78% of staff interactions? Perhaps the only surprise is that the 78% is so low.
And now, how about some good news for a change?
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Nov 23, 2020
Finally, some good news about nursing homes and COVID-19! That was my first thought when I read that nursing homes were to be receiving $333 million for improved outcomes due to successful COVID-19 practices...
Moving nursing homes forward: The future is now
By
Michael Wasserman
Oct 26, 2020
On March 11, I wrote about the COVID-19 storm rapidly approaching our nursing homes, and particularly the risk of nursing home staff transmitting the virus to residents. On March 15, I pointed out the...
The lens of fear: partnering with families
By
Martie Moore
Oct 21, 2020
We must use courageous leadership and be willing to ask an important question repeatedly to assure we are listening with both head and heart to those we serve.
Lack of unified action is killing our Greatest Generation
By
Scott McConnaha
Sep 28, 2020
If I were to propose that the Greatest Generation wasn’t really all that great, that those leading the fight during WWII didn’t know what they were doing or, worse, manipulating media messages in order...
6 communications lessons learned from the SNF response to COVID-19
By
David A. Ball
Sep 04, 2020
Here are six lessons learned about communicating better to help facilities that now find themselves at the center of the COVID-19 storm.