Following a procedure to have a kidney stone removed at a large university hospital, Kathy wonders why appropriate equipment could not be made available for a patient's most basic needs. Read More »
What makes a great aide? Kathleen is pleased to know one who has a knack for identifying with resident situations and who intuitively wants to please the residents and give them good care. Read More »
Winter’s end and spring’s increase in daylight hours are typically uplifting events. Yet for many seniors, spring can trigger or exacerbate the dark feelings and lethargy of depression. Read More »
The top award from the American Society of Healthcare Publication Edi, one of four awards Long-Term Living received for 2011 content, recognized its journalistic achievement for the story “Hurricane Irene Tests Healthcare Disaster Response Plans.” Read More »
Incontinence is associated with falls, skin breakdown and social isolation. An incontinence assessment is important for new residents and any resident who has had a change in their continence status. Read More »
A resident experiences an emotional breakdown. An observant and quick-thinking Kathleen alerts her facility's aides to avert what could have turned into a tragic event. Read More »
A state-by-state breakdown by the CDC demonstrates that healthcare-associated infections in hospitals have been declining since HHS first introduced its National Action Plan, which enters its third and final phase next summer with a focus on long-term care facilities. Read More »
Congratulations to the fourth of five Leaders of Tomorrow award winners profiled this week: R. Gary Sibbald, BSc, MD, FRCPC (Med) (Derm), MEd, professor of public health and medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario. Read More »
The study, conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic and Purdue University, found telemonitoring had little effect on people age 60 years and older in significantly reducing readmissions or emergency department visits. Read More »
As patients transfer from one point of care to another, medications that travel with them need to be reconciled for appropriateness and safety at the new care setting. Should those medications be restarted as the patient transfers to a skilled nursing facility? Read More »
Two new studies presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons looked at the effects of smoking on total joint replacement and found evidence of higher rates of failure compared to non-smokers. Read More »
When treating infections in the LTC setting it is imperative that staff members have defined roles in the treatment process and that facilities have clear procedures in place to effectively treat infections. Read More »
Sapovirus, a cousin of the well known and highly contagious norovirus, caused symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and fever that lasted a median duration of 48 hours in the studied outbreaks. Read More »
Hospital emergency rooms that cater to the elderly are drawing attention for their special features (artificial skylights, thicker mattresses, absence of noise and rushing residents) and, most interestingly, their lower rates of return visits. Read More »
The cost of incontinence care in the United States averaged $19.5 billion in 2004, and by one estimate the annualized cost of women's nursing home admissions due to urinary incontinence was $3 billion, according to AHRQ. Read More »
The most common predictor of hospitalization for venous thromboembolism—a potentially life-threatening condition that includes both deep-vein and lung blood clots—was recent exposure to an infection, according to the study in Circulation. Read More »
Successful LTC facilities create an environment where hospice is just as “normal” as any other referral. Providers should have an understanding of disease progression and be able to convey it to the resident and family, alleviating fears through knowledge. Read More »
The Joint Commission online portal on health care-associated infections provides both free and for-purchase resources for combating central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections and other conditions. Read More »
Age alone is not the only contributing factor to pressure ulcer development. It is also about the inconveniences of old age such as impaired mobility, poor nutrition, changes in mental status or chronic diseases. High blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes affect blood flow to organs including the skin, increasing the risk of pressure ulcers. Read More »
The Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses mentoring program, which is supplemented with online resources, is designed to help nurses develop relationships and improve their caregiving skills. Read More »
The 2012 AGS Beers Criteria group more than 50 medications or classes of medications that may be harmful to older adults into three categories. Read More »
Researchers said recognizing the differences between RNs and LPNs could lead to fewer medication errors in nursing homes, where an estimated 800,000 preventable adverse drug events occur annually. Read More »
Representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare last week visited an Evercare office to learn more about an “advanced nurse practitioner care model.” Read More »
More than half of respondents to a Canadian health survey of men aged 55 to 97 fear ailments that would risk compromising independence and quality of life. Read More »
Researchers found that people with "mild" hearing loss were nearly three times more likely to have a history of falling, even when accounting for other factors. Read More »
When I did not get all of my regular meds in the hospital, I thought the doctors had something to do with it, and I was given no explanation why. Only then was I told upon my return to the nursing home that my physician would have to reorder the missing meds. Read More »
