In the wee hours of the night I recently discovered a Facebook post about a company founded by two brothers called Life is Good. It emerged from the standing request the founders’ mother had for...
‘Honest’ placebos help without side-effects, expense
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jan 19, 2016
Placebos could be a better friend than you realize in the universal quest to reduce the number of medications that elderly patients receive. Don’t believe me? Read on. (It won’t hurt.)
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...
Wisdom from elders
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Aug 16, 2016
I told residents that I was writing an article on advice from elders about how to live life and their responses were immediate and enthusiastic, as if they’d been waiting for someone to ask.
Battling depression: Advice on how to make seniors feel valued by others
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Apr 17, 2014
Senior living providers can design programs that increase the opportunities for residents to be valued within their communities and in the outside world. They have nothing to lose but high depression rates....
Stuff I won’t do for residents and why your staff shouldn’t either: preventing burnout in...
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jan 09, 2014
In my last post, I wrote about some of the many things I do for residents as a long-term care psychologist. The astute reader will note that most of the tasks were accomplished during work hours and within...
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...
Falls: A closer look
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Aug 15, 2017
Speedy assistance should be the norm when falls occur, but the reality is that it’s frequently a rarity. The staff is often stretched too thin. What can be done, aside from ensuring adequate staffing,...
6 steps to manage post-election reactions in LTC
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Nov 22, 2016
The 2016 presidential election has revealed a deep rift in our country, and quite possibly in our long-term care facilities as well.
Loneliness in LTC: Overcoming disability, creating connections
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Apr 14, 2015
Reducing loneliness among facility residents has numerous benefits — for residents and staff. So why aren’t we doing better at it? Here’s what you need to know.