High doses of vitamin D play a role in preventing bone fractures, especially in older women, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. Read More »
Pressure ulcers are painful and dangerous for residents and costly for facilities. Next year, PUs are going to cost facilities even more. Learn how to improve wound care intervention to protect your patients and manage risk. Read More »
This facility requires me to eat meals in the dining room. Since I need to be fed, I spend a great deal of time waiting. Mealtimes have cut my computer time from seven hours a day (at my former facility) to four hours a day here. Read More »
Portable stroke monitors, video visits, diabetes testing on a cell phone… these tools and more are coming soon to a healthcare site near you, according to an emerging technology report. Read More »
Sore feet, ingrown toenails and sore are no laughing matter. Whether young or old, foot problems can plague anyone. Recent data show that a staggering number of Americans age 21 and older have had one or more foot problems. Read More »
New approaches to wound care using biological dressing, negative pressure wound therapy and other devices are driving the growth of the wound care market, according to market research. Read More »
Last spring (May 2011), the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) published a report titled, "Medicare Atypical Antipsychotic Drug Claims for Elderly Nursing Home Residents." Here is what medical directors practicing in long-term care had to say about the appropriate prescribing of antipsychotic medications. Read More »
Sexual appetites don’t disappear after age 50, an Australian study concludes. However, seniors in nursing homes often have to sneak around because administrators are concerned about safety risks. Read More »
Cutting-edge organizations that are effectively meeting the challenges of caring for an aging population with acquired brain injuries are implementing strategies that promote good health and quality of life by actively engaging both mind and body. Read More »
Solving the problem of hospital readmissions will take much more than follow-up calls at home. Each link in the care chain has quality improvements to make, say health IT experts at the 2012 LTPAC Health IT Summit. Read More »
On a hot day in the spring of 2011, a nurse said the building’s temperature could get hot in the summer, sometimes as high as 100 degrees. I remembered that on May days when my room was not cool. Even with a fan some evenings my thermometer read 87 degrees and I was perspiring profusely. Read More »
Loneliness is not just a case of being alone. Findings from a University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) study show how loneliness can negatively impact the health of seniors. Read More »
A study shows how ApoE4 can unleash an excess of the protein cyclophilin A into the cardiovascular system, causing inflammation in atherosclerosis and other conditions. The study also found that ApoE4 makes it more likely for cyclophilin A to accumulate in cells that help maintain the blood-brain barrier, reducing blood to the brain and allowing toxic substances to infiltrate. Read More »
While hospitalization affects any patient with Alzheimer’s disease, those who suffer delirium are at a greater risk for adverse events, which may lead to nursing home admission, cognitive decline or death. Read More »
The authors identified five conditions—pneumonia, congestive heart failure, urinary tract infection, dehydration and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma—that were responsible for more than three-quarters of the potentially avoidable hospitalizations. Read More »
A new report found that half of violent victimizations of persons age 65 or older involved serious violence, based on data from crimes known to Michigan law enforcement from 2005 to 2009. Perpetrators of elder abuse were often related to the victims. Read More »
I cannot remember when my AFOs (ankle-foot orthoses) were made. But I know they are more than five years old. I want a dependable orthotist who will repair my AFOs or explain if he cannot. Read More »
Nursing facilities with higher CNA staff levels can offset the lack of confidence that newly admitted residents exhibit in trying to safely navigate unfamiliar surroundings. The availablity of CNAs to assist residents has helped to lower the rate of falls, study says. Read More »
Can religion add quality to life in advanced age? Can it do so when dementia sets in? Ethnographic evidence, abundantly found in long-term care, speaks of the salutary contribution religion makes in advanced age. Read More »
In 2012, it's hard to believe that people still go hungry in the United States. When a senior doesn't have enough food or good nutrition, that is a recipe for health complications. Read More »
Ultraviolet light treatment works better than bleach to control outbreaks of Clostridium difficle infections (CDI) in resident spaces, and UV cleansing technology may be a smart addition to routine housekeeping and infection-prevention measures, researchers find. Read More »
Experts at this week’s International Society of Advance Care Planning & End of Life Care conference discuss medical ethics, caregiver responsibilities, and a culture of avoidance when it comes to end-of-life care decisions. Read More »
In my years as a med nurse, unit manager and DON I always enjoyed working with hospice. My experience was that they were also there for the resident and staff. That is why hospice belongs in long-term care. Let us help you help the resident. Let’s collaborate and share the load. How can we help you today? Read More »
A resident’s withdrawal from life’s opportunities does not have to be a permanent condition. How can you help a resident who is unhappy, has lost interest in life, or has become testy and difficult? Read More »
Dining is the ideal way to socialize. Residents eagerly check out their monthly activity calendar to see what local restaurant they will be visiting. Read More »
In many LTC communities, the basic need for excellent service has been overshadowed by a single-minded adherence to numerous state and federal regulations, medical regimens and cost pressures, even though service and an environment conducive to healthy living were stated objectives of the organizations. Somehow, companies have not been paying attention to their own core values. Read More »
Without faith in the mix, living in a facility would be vast wasteland for me even though there are other things to do and much in the world to learn. It helps me to have faith in something larger than myself. Faith gets me through most days. Read More »
