Why Five-Star ratings should measure staff retention, not staff ratios
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Mar 26, 2019
If we shift to a system that measures staff retention rather than staff ratios, the whole picture changes.
How to quit like a shrink
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Feb 26, 2019
There are entire volumes devoted to the psychological process of termination, but I’ve created a quick guide based on my experiences with leave-taking in long-term care.
Self-care, team-care and an empty well
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jan 29, 2019
While it’s tempting for organizations to meet staffing needs with someone who always says yes, good managers recognize that such requests can push employees to the brink.
A gift from LTC families
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Dec 18, 2018
A study of interactions between families and healthcare providers is worth knowing about. Family members can be experts for us on their loved ones’ medical history and behavior.
Healthcare changes that burn me out — and burn me up
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Dec 04, 2018
The aspect of a changing healthcare landscape that most increases my likelihood of burnout is the prioritization of short-term profits over the care needs of residents and the preservation of a tolerable...
A hopeful day at LeadingAge 2018
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Nov 07, 2018
I headed to the 2018 LeadingAge convention last week looking for a fix of long-term care enthusiasm and that’s exactly what I got.
How to support depressed workers and reduce absenteeism
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Sep 11, 2018
As a consulting psychologist, my official job is to provide psychological services to the residents of the nursing homes in which I work. Occasionally, though, I’m asked by a department head to informally...
9 reasons why it’s better to congregate than disperse short-term rehab residents
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Aug 28, 2018
In most of my long-term care career, I’ve witnessed short-term rehabilitation residents housed together. But not always. I don’t know the reasoning behind dispersing residents, but from my...
Suicide prevention in the workplace: What employers need to know
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jun 19, 2018
As I prepared for this article, I realized that we don’t hear much in the industry news outlets about suicide among our staff members. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
Enhancing organizational communication improves outcomes, reduces adverse incidents
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jun 05, 2018
There will always be adverse events in any health system, but strengthening communication between team members and between different levels within the organization can improve outcomes and reduce the likelihood...