This American Life … and death: Superb shows about hospice
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 29, 2014
A few months after Pattie Burnham started working as a hospice nurse, she forgot the name of the president of the United States. That’s normal, her boss told her.
What Chipotle can teach long-term care
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 15, 2014
I love Chipotle. What makes the burrito purveyor so great? The real secret might be how it grooms and retains its managers — it’s an approach long-term care leaders might do well to study.
Community connections and quarters: How one nursing home responded to a 45-day water crisis
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 08, 2014
In its forthcoming emergency preparedness guidelines for long-term care facilities, maybe the government should include this directive: The facility is to cultivate strong relationships with area businesses...
HBO documentary reveals a certified nursing assistant’s struggle
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 18, 2014
President Lyndon Johnson highlighted impoverished families in Appalachia when he declared a “war on poverty.” Fifty years later, as the nation takes stock of how successfully we’ve waged...
Of Brookdale and branding: Thoughts for the small operator
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 25, 2014
Brookdale Senior Living’s acquisition of Emeritus Corp. is part of an ambitious strategy to make Brookdale the first truly national U.S. eldercare brand. So is it ominous that the Feb. 20 merger...
Nurse and therapist are two of the best jobs in the US — or are they?
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 04, 2014
Registered nurse, physical therapist and nurse practitioner are three of the top 10 jobs in the United States, according to new rankings from U.S. News and World Report. This might come as a big surprise...
Playing tennis, and the ‘what if?’ game
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 21, 2014
Watching the Australian Open tennis tournament, where temperatures have been hovering around 110 degrees, has helped my recovery from the recent polar vortex. It’s also unexpectedly prompted me to...
Little Sisters are behind the curve in a changing church
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 14, 2014
Challenging the Affordable Care Act’s “contraception mandate” in court is a matter of conscience, according to The Little Sisters of the Poor. It’s hard to fault people for following...
10,000 lakes and one less nursing home: Spotlight on a facility closure
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 10, 2013
Minnesota appears to be on the ball when it comes to long-term care. It regularly rates at or near the top when states are ranked on LTC services. Yet, Minnesota also is on the leading edge of a more troublesome...
A story to promote empathy in dementia care
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 22, 2013
Earlier this month, I was excited to learn that one of my favorite writers, Alice Munro, had been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature. To mark the honor, The New Yorker republished one...