Severely mentally ill residents: A ‘perfect storm’ creates a SNF wave
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jan 15, 2019
The severely mentally ill population is increasing in skilled nursing facilities and action is needed. This explores the impact of this change and strategies to manage care.
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...
Relationships key to long-term care success
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Oct 23, 2018
Long-term care success is about steady, reliable relationships. That’s my takeaway after attending two recent conferences that echo my experiences in the field.
The sounds of LTC
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Oct 09, 2018
Observing the customary cacophony at the nursing station, I’d estimate that so-called “alarm fatigue” contributes to more than a few tragedies in long-term care.
A truly healing yarn
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Sep 25, 2018
An anecdote that touches on the impact of where residents are placed within the facility, the value of consistent staffing and the importance of “leaning in” to meet residents where they’re at emotionally.
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...
The tumult of turnover
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jul 31, 2018
I once rode down a crowded afternoon elevator with the CEO of a managed care company. “It must be 5:01,” he commented wryly. I heard a measure of scorn for his employees’ lack of dedication...
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.