Someone to thank during pandemic: the ‘founder’ of handwashing
By
Herb Hildebrandt, Ph.D, Hl.D.
May 22, 2020
Few of us paused July 17, 2019, to recognize a significant birth laying a substantial helping in controlling the COVID-19 virus. That event was the birth of an individual who’s seminal heritage...
Patients first: Do the little things right
By
Renee Kinder
May 21, 2020
Providing the right care for our nursing home should be a little thing. Not a big thing, not a struggle, not a herculean task battling red tape in your organization, and one that should allow us to use...
Setting minds and hearts at ease: a clinician’s guide to end-of-life-care conversations
By
Joseph Shega, M.D.
May 18, 2020
Having honest conversations with long-term care residents about their end-of-life wishes should always be a priority for primary care physicians, specialists and facility clinicians. The COVID-19 pandemic...
The nurse guilt Is unbearable
By
Steven Littlehale
May 04, 2020
Amid a deep bout of “nurse guilt,” I feel like I should be doing more.
Hospitals are heroic, while nursing homes are always to blame
By
Brendan Williams
Apr 29, 2020
Hospitals have always enjoyed “most favored nation” status in healthcare, and that’s even more true during the COVID-19 pandemic. But apparently you can’t have heroes without villains. While lauding...
Making the case for universal, on-demand testing in nursing homes and assisted living facilities
By
Tina Sandri
Apr 24, 2020
Nursing homes are cruise ships on land; they have conditions that create the Perfect Storm. Physically, even with communal dining and group activities cancelled, often residents are in shared bedrooms...
Have you learned how to play SPADEs in the new world of PDPM?
By
Joel VanEaton
Apr 22, 2020
EDITOR’S NOTE: For the new column on this topic, with all up-to-date observations, newly appearing Nov. 28, 2022, click here. So much is being written recently about the current trends that many...
Nursing homes’ raw deal during COVID-19
By
Bill McGinley
Apr 15, 2020
On their best days nursing homes start out behind the eight ball. Underfunded and understaffed, they care for the most physically needy and vulnerable among us. Generally, they are paid about 70% of the...
Person-centered care is more than a buzz word
By
Phyllis Ayman
Apr 13, 2020
Person-centered is the “new” terminology for care in skilled nursing facilities. That seems almost like an oxymoron. Wouldn’t the care for people always have been person-centered? The truthful answer...
Seeking paradise in a pandemic
By
Renee Kinder
Apr 09, 2020
When will we ever see paradise again? It may be staring you in the face already, or just around the corner.