We should always work under the premise “what if this were me or a loved one?”
Federal rules will come to assisted living
By
John O'Connor
Mar 16, 2012
If you ever want to get an assisted living operator’s blood boiling, ask how the plans for federal oversight are coming along. You’d be better off asking a less insulting question, like how...
9 things NOT to expect in a nursing home
By
Esther Heerema, MSW
Dec 17, 2014
Family members need to know what to expect when their loved one enters a nursing home: Falls may happen, medications may change, and a private room may not be an option.
A lesson on life from Guatemala
By
Liza Berger
Nov 23, 2010
As Thanksgiving comes around, I think back to my volunteer experience in Guatemala City last summer. There, I was reminded about the importance of taking time to enjoy life—wherever you happen to be.
Congress improves its writing skills
By
Liza Berger
Sep 29, 2010
It sounds like a set-up for a punch line. The Senate this week passed the Plain Writing Act of 2010. Plain Writing Act? So what do we have now? Inscrutable, government-speak?
HBO documentary reveals a certified nursing assistant’s struggle
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 18, 2014
President Lyndon Johnson highlighted impoverished families in Appalachia when he declared a “war on poverty.” Fifty years later, as the nation takes stock of how successfully we’ve waged...
Community connections and quarters: How one nursing home responded to a 45-day water crisis
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 08, 2014
In its forthcoming emergency preparedness guidelines for long-term care facilities, maybe the government should include this directive: The facility is to cultivate strong relationships with area businesses...
What to do with unused meds
By
Liza Berger
Mar 10, 2010
There is more and more talk in state legislatures of finding new ways to dispose of unused medications at healthcare facilities. This is an idea whose time has come.
Stern, a force in the labor movement
By
Liza Berger
Apr 16, 2010
Many nursing home owners may be bidding good riddance to outgoing labor leader Andy Stern. While they may not have liked what he stood for, it’s hard not to respect what he achieved.
Alzheimer’s and the magic pill
By
Liza Berger
Aug 07, 2008
They say there’s no such thing as a magic bullet, but could we have found it in the case of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease? Scientists in the field of aging were reportedly ecstatic last week when...