Delaying death not enough for nursing home residents
By
Jim Towey
Jul 08, 2020
Strict isolation. Constant surveillance. No communal dining or group activities. No hugs, no touching, no visitors except in extreme cases. This may sound like life on death row, but in...
We must solve the senior isolation epidemic. Their lives may depend on it
By
Joel Landau
May 14, 2020
As the coronavirus pandemic unfolded and concerns arose about the increased risk of infection facing older Americans, another worry came to the forefront: social isolation. This concern is of a long-term...
Why nurses are feeling the strain of COVID-19 and four things they can do about it
By
John Lee
Sep 14, 2020
While solutions to the coronavirus pandemic are still up in the air, data and personal testimony abounds on just how hard hit the medical community — in particular nurses —have been by COVID-19. As...
Senior healthcare workers are the forgotten front line
By
Jerald Cosey
Jun 22, 2020
The term “healthcare hero” is now widely used in describing hospital and other frontline workers taking care of COVID-19 patients, and rightfully so. People risking their lives to serve others is something...
It’s not just vulnerable elders — it’s also vulnerable staff: SNFs need urgent help
By
Robert G. Kramer
Jacquelyn Kung, DrPH, MBA
Mar 24, 2020
This is the time for the government and private leaders to step up. They must be creative and aggressive in immediately taking action to support those on the frontlines.
Making the loneliness epidemic a mainstream problem, finally
By
Joel Landau
Feb 22, 2021
With the coronavirus pandemic still raging this summer, a senior living facility in North Carolina began posting photos on its Facebook page, each showing a resident holding a sign that listed the person’s...
Looking at COVID-19 through the eyes of residents with dementia
By
P.K. Beville
Aug 10, 2020
When I was in graduate school as a single parent, barely making ends meet, I lamented to my mother in loud, ugly sobs that I thought I might be going crazy. I was serious. My mother calmly responded,...
Minimizing the impact of touch starvation in long-term care residents
By
Jennifer Birdsall
Sep 09, 2020
What is touch starvation? Also known as “touch deprivation,” “skin hunger” or “hug deprivation,” touch starvation is what occurs when a person’s exposure to physical contact has been significantly...