Of all the scourges that hit nursing homes, there is one that always causes me to shudder. It’s not pressure ulcers or norovirus, C. diff or MRSA. It’s something less dangerous, but that I...
Therapy with a twist (of lemon)
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 01, 2013
As you read this, you might be eyeing the new RAI manual that takes effect today, and are feeling a bit overwhelmed at the sheer number of new pages. So it’s with great regret that I have to add...
Fike 2.0: How national tragedy created a long-term care champion
By
Tim Mullaney
May 20, 2014
Last week, President Obama dedicated the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City. The occasion got me thinking about how the searing experience instilled in some survivors a fierce sense of mission. Katy...
For happy residents, don’t go the extra mile
By
Tim Mullaney
May 13, 2014
I have a welcome message to share with long-term care professionals: You should relax. Don’t worry about going above and beyond for your residents and their families, because chances are, they’re...
Now available on a screen near you: ‘Derek’ shows the complicated life of a nursing home...
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 17, 2013
I sat down to watch an episode or two of “Derek” over the weekend. I thought I’d write a blog about my impressions of this Ricky Gervais show set in an English nursing home, newly released...
Goodbye, Colbert . . . hello, flu
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 23, 2014
In honor of Stephen Colbert’s recently ended run on Comedy Central, I’d like to address some “truthiness” I’ve recently spotted, which I believe could harm long-term care...
A story to promote empathy in dementia care
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 22, 2013
Earlier this month, I was excited to learn that one of my favorite writers, Alice Munro, had been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature. To mark the honor, The New Yorker republished one...
The key to preventing whistleblower lawsuits
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 04, 2013
Recent research suggests nursing home leaders, especially those who hire workers, may need to think more deeply about how whistleblower lawsuits come about.
The best thing you’ll read all week
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 10, 2013
My grandmother passed away on Sept. 1. In the days since, those who knew and loved her have celebrated her life and mourned her passing together — and the obituary we wrote for her has gone viral on...
The easiest rule to break in long-term care?
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 30, 2013
If you work in long-term care today, you might feel like you’re drowning in an alphabet soup of possible deficiency ratings. So forgive me, but let’s imagine there’s yet one more possible...