When I was a student nurse, I had a professor who said, “You will never know what gem is before you, unless you are willing to open your eyes and your heart.” Being young and excited about...
‘The Best Days’ — a best read
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 02, 2014
Where to start when discussing Jean Rene Champion’s engrossing memoir is a difficult question, rivaled only by the struggle of where to stop. His self-published “The Best Days of My Life: Memories...
How to take a whole-person approach to patient care
By
Marlene Sheehy
May 16, 2022
During the COVID-19 pandemic, patient care mattered more than ever. Unfortunately, patients’ perceptions of care have slipped downward since 2020. According to recent research by Press Ganey, patients...
Regaining realistic workloads: Humans need maintenance and upgrades too
By
Cara Silletto
Apr 05, 2022
My seven-year-old son recently saw a pick-up truck sitting on the side of the road and asked what happened. From my view, it had clearly blown a tire, so I said, “His tire blew up while he was driving.” ...
Nursing homes and the welcoming of reforms
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 03, 2022
Long-term care operators should actually welcome many of the reforms proposed by the administration this week.
Artificial Intelligence and neural networks, beyond your average key word reader
By
Renee Kinder
May 20, 2021
Mother’s Day in our household always arrives with excessive amounts of artwork, clay creations and the legendary “Top 10 Reasons Why I Love My Mom” letters. The sentences are always nicely structured...
Even a fifth-grader knows a great thing when he sees it
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 26, 2021
J.C. Teeple was 25 years short of his goal to make it to 110, but he had hit the mark with just about everything else, I figure.
Words Matter: Changing the way we talk about people living with dementia
By
Mimi DeVinney
Oct 19, 2020
Language is important. Whether we realize it or not, the way we speak about people reflects our beliefs about them and ultimately affects how we treat them. Whether we are aiming for a community-wide...
How to take families from outraged to understanding
By
Steven Buslovich, M.D.
Oct 02, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing fears, anxieties and uncertainties for everyone, and these feelings can manifest in anger and rage. Physicians and other practitioners are often the target of these tirades,...
Musings of a gay nursing home resident
By
Danny Ventrelli
Jun 07, 2019
I am a 70-year-old openly gay male who has been living at Central Island Healthcare in Plainview, NY for five years now. As we move through June, which is Gay Pride Month, I was hoping to share my personal...