Act your age — or don’t: Theater as therapy in long-term care
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 25, 2013
If you work in long-term care, it’s easy to become cynical. That’s why I was so glad to talk with Ricardo Pena this week. Pena is running an impressive drama program at Canterbury Care & Rehab...
Aging in style: Film focuses on senior fashion, senior care
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 02, 2014
The new documentary “Advanced Style” provides inspiring examples of vibrant aging, sharing the stories of older women — some nearing 100 — who continue to push the boundaries of fashion....
Of Purell and payment reform
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 16, 2013
I was sympathetic when the Partnership for Sustainable Health Care called for a speedier shift away from fee-for-service last week — and I also thought about Purell. Yes, that Purell.
Critics agree: New book about long-term care is a must-read
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 14, 2014
Doctors have a lot to learn about long-term care.”Duh,” you say? Fair enough. But a newly published study and a just released book really drive the point home.
Green House, Blue Valentine, and the way people talk about long-term care
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 30, 2013
Last week, NPR ran a story lauding The Green House Project — and slamming traditional nursing homes. The piece began with this summary of people’s fears: “One thing just about everyone dreads...
The 12 traits of great nursing home administrators … and school principals
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 11, 2014
Social media often is credited with providing a stream of up-to-the-minute news, the latest developments breaking over Twitter or Facebook, and spreading virally in no time flat. But I’ve found that...
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...
King’s dream and the thorny reality in long-term care
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 27, 2013
I got together with a few friends last weekend, and one of them mentioned she had volunteered in a nursing home during high school. She shared one of her vivid memories, of a certain resident who was sweet...
Former nursing home aide writes powerful poems
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 07, 2014
Janice N. Harrington worked as a nursing home aide in college, and she drew on that experience to write “The Hands of Strangers: Poems from the Nursing Home.” This book-length collection of...
Frontline, Emeritus and the question of empathy
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 20, 2013
It’s easier to have empathy for people if you know specific things about them. Long-term care providers know this, and it is behind many valuable programs to learn more about residents’ lives....