From blame to education: Rethinking the nursing home survey process
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Nov 17, 2020
What if, instead of a system based on the notion that nursing homes should be punished for deliberately flouting the rules, the underlying belief was that facilities were trying to do their best?
Act now to avert a holiday season fiasco
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Oct 20, 2020
The holidays are typically a busy time for long-term care centers, filled with special activities and extra visitors. Because of the pandemic, this year will be much different.
Contending with employees’ pandemic-related stress
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Oct 06, 2020
Be sure to include inadequate emotional support of staff around pandemic-related stresses to the long list of failures regarding lack of investment in long-term care staff.
McDonald’s versus long-term care: How nursing homes can compete for staff
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Sep 22, 2020
Recent calls1, 2, 3 for an increase in nursing staff levels may have providers wondering how to accomplish this. Under normal circumstances it can be challenging to find qualified individuals; the pandemic...
Increasing the positive visibility of long-term care
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Sep 08, 2020
The COVID-19 health emergency has opened a rare window of receptivity in society to recognize the needs of elders and their caregivers.
My role in long-term care led to PTSD, not COVID-19
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Sep 01, 2020
In my role as a long-term care psychologist in New York City, I try to ensure that each of the residents on my caseload makes the most of the time they have left in life and that they have a “good”...
Clinical considerations when the census is low
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Aug 25, 2020
A low census caused by things like the pandemic can lead to the challenge of balancing the urgency of filling the beds with the risks of admitting residents that the team is clinically unable to manage.
My job in a COVID-19 hotspot didn’t give me COVID — it gave me PTSD
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Aug 11, 2020
Even a long-term care psychologist can fall prey to the psychological and emotional terrors of the COVID-19 pandemic, I can unfortunately report to you with ironic confidence.
Advice from LTC pros who have been through COVID-19
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jul 28, 2020
Here is some advice from staff members of New York City nursing homes hit early in the pandemic.
Protecting residents of nursing homes from pandemics
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jul 14, 2020
“We can’t worry about keeping the virus out [of nursing homes], we have to figure out how to live with it.” It’s a sobering comment that rings true to me.