My focus on the importance of the medical director in improving nursing home quality occasionally gets pushback from family members who have had negative experiences with doctors in nursing homes. Those...
Organizational issues to consider in disaster planning
By
Betty Norman
Mar 01, 2013
Just as Hurricane Katrina prompted discussion about emergency preparedness in 2005, Superstorm Sandy has re-ignited talks in the senior living communities about their ability to respond to disasters. When...
Interdisciplinary team power needed for upcoming quality initiatives
By
Renee Kinder
Jul 07, 2022
Yesterday evening, one of our typical summer storms blew through Kentucky fast and furious. Unfortunately, I was heading home at the time as street lights went blank, tree limbs of all sizes blew in the...
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...
Let’s not overlook economy’s impact on seniors
By
Jack West
Jan 05, 2009
It’s important to consider how older Americans are coping with the economic downturn–and what we are doing to care for them.
Skilled nursing facilities face enforcement challenges in COVID-19 environment
By
Jon Ferry
Aug 12, 2020
Skilled nursing facilities have faced unprecedented challenges since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Individuals with many high-risk characteristics are the typical patients of these facilities....
Climate change and older adults: Lessons from Canada
By
John Muscedere
George Heckman
Sep 13, 2019
You don’t have to look far to see the effects of climate change these days. But those effects are all the more acute for vulnerable seniors, especially those living in nursing homes. The reality is that...
Emergency preparedness: More than an act of paperwork
Jul 31, 2017
My phone rang and the voice said, “We are activating our incident command center.” I asked, “Is this a drill?” The voice in a solid tone replied, “This is not a drill.”
Let there not be light
By
Gary Tetz
Nov 17, 2022
It’s the first command in the Biblical creation story — let there be light. But if you’re working a night shift in a long-term care facility, I need you to stop reading this right now and go turn...
6 tips for strengthening emergency plans
By
Harsha Anapur
Jan 26, 2015
With another massive New York snowstorm on its way, and as we prepare for unstable weather across the country, long-term care facilities and senior living communities need to ask themselves: What can we...