Like many, I’m taking some vacation time during the month of August. It got me thinking about the ways workers interact with residents when they take time off from their jobs. It’s more important...
The very anxious resident: A team approach
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
May 15, 2014
I’ve developed a set of suggestions for working with “challenging,” anxious residents, who can disrupt everyone around them. If caregivers don’t have sound strategies like these,...
I finally visit a Green House (and it blows my mind!)
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Mar 20, 2014
In my last post, I discussed culture change and its positive impact on the mental health of the residents, particularly at Eden Alternative facilities. I recently also had the opportunity to tour a Green...
The keys to reducing turnover in long-term care
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Feb 07, 2014
The turnover rate in long-term care is a very significant problem, so I dug into the research about it. Some of the findings were shocking. Others were simply very disappointing. Here’s what I found,...
Stuff I’ve done for residents as a long-term care shrink
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Dec 31, 2013
Many of us in long-term care think of our jobs as a calling. We handle the day-to-day tasks and the business as usual but also get a lot of energy and joy out of taking our work one step further. Here...
Using psychology to reduce roommate conflicts: A handy guide
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Dec 12, 2013
I’ve heard many complaints about roommates from residents over the years. While some roommate difficulties need to be addressed on a situation-by-situation basis, most conflicts revolve around a...
Would you want to live in the LTC home where you work?
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Oct 17, 2013
I used to live in a fabulous old fourth-floor walk-up apartment in Manhattan. When I moved out of Manhattan to a borough of New York City for an elevator building with a laundry room in the basement, I...
Same-sex couples: Are you and your staff prepared? Probably not
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Sep 05, 2013
Last week, McKnight’s staff writer Tim Mullaney wrote about the new Medicare guidance that guarantees that same-sex married couples can live in the same nursing home. Is your staff prepared to offer...
Suicide risk in LTC: Effective protocols may not be what you think
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Aug 08, 2013
According to researchers, 11% to 43% of LTC residents have thoughts of suicide, with higher rates in larger facilities and in those with more staff turnover. Other stressors include medical illness, the...
Reducing learned helplessness in LTC
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jul 11, 2013
John O’Connor’s recent post on the pain/depression cycle raised some interesting points about depression in long-term care. Reducing learned helplessness that is often seen in depression is...