Christmas vacation or no, these ‘gifts’ kept on coming
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 05, 2022
There’s a pit of desperation of sorts that normally envelops most journalists around holiday periods. With few folks working in government or corporate offices, important decisions and developments sometimes...
Almost done
By
Gary Tetz
Feb 04, 2021
“Almost done,” the doctor assured me, as she aimed her laser at my right eye. Then over the next 20 minutes, she said it several more times. By then I knew it was all a cruel deception, meant to distract...
Facing ways to improve PPE long term
By
Jay Baker
Aug 11, 2020
Protecting vulnerable populations, particularly long-term care residents and staff, from viruses and infections is critical. The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on the fact that not only is there a need for...
Listening in at the intersection of policy and pain
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 10, 2021
My obsession with podcasts began a few years ago, when I spent quite a bit of time on the road. Naturally, I found true crime podcasts the best sidekick for long solo drives, and my library remains stacked...
Personal Care Attendants add more hands to the frontlines of long-term care
By
Deborah Franklin
Mar 01, 2021
As America’s population grows older and drives up demand for long-term care, nursing centers are continuing their decades-long struggle to fill direct care positions — the qualified caregivers who...
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...
Diary of a new hire
By
Nancy Anderson, RN, MA
Aug 18, 2020
While employee retention is always a top priority, operating in a pandemic intensifies the urgency to hire and maintain competent, committed staff. Since the first three months of employment are particularly...
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...
Seeking paradise in a pandemic
By
Renee Kinder
Apr 09, 2020
When will we ever see paradise again? It may be staring you in the face already, or just around the corner.
Administrators on the front lines of COVID-19
By
Liza Berger
Mar 24, 2020
COVID-19 just hit a little closer to home for long-term care providers.