NASL’s Cynthia Morton shares insights on Congressional legislation and CMS innovation projects with attendees at this week’s eHDS User Group meeting. Read More »
Consumer empowerment is on the rise, and HIT leaders explain why the LTPAC industry is looking with new eyes at another potential data source for electronic health records: the residents themselves. Read More »
Today’s morning sessions at the LTPAC HIT Summit included the “Roadmap for 2012-2014” and the meaningful use keynote by Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy Judy Murphy, RN. Both share how far we’ve come in the last two years, and how much further we need to go. Read More »
Are grannies the new Internet marketing demographic? For the first time in history, more than half of Americans age 65 or older are surfing the information superhighway. 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 »
CMS announces a new partnership initiative to combat the improper use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes. Through better reporting and data sharing, the partnership vows to cut the use of antipsychotics in nursing homes by 15 percent before the end of this year. 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 »
The challenging nature of long-term care can make caregivers easy victims of job stress and depression, putting both the residents and the organization at risk. Learn how to assist employees in maintaining the balance between taking care of others and taking care of themselves. 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 »
Earlier this month I sat in on a session at our Environments for Aging conference that challenged attendees to consider the kinds of small renovation projects that can ultimately support culture change in a skilled nursing community. Read More »
What motivates your employees? What would you imagine generates sustainable high performance in the workplace? If your first guess is money, your guess is wrong. Read More »
Edible gardens are providing modern healthcare facilities with the next iteration of the age old “healing garden.” By mixing in herbs, fruits and vegetables, a healthcare environment has the opportunity to take their healing gardens to an entirely new level with an added dimension. Read More »
Can too much safety actually cause harm? Dr. Bill Thomas, Judah Ronch, PhD and Margaret Calkins, PhD, posed a combination of thought-provoking statements and questions to attendees at the Environments for Aging conference. Read More »
“Elderhood” advocate William Thomas, MD, urges Environments for Aging attendees in his keynote address to “consider a radical reinterpretation of aging and the built environment.” Read More »
The answers vary widely, and reflect lifestyle preferences, health issues and both professional and personal experiences. I’m looking forward to exploring the many strategies and ideas for creating attractive and functional living environments for our aging population at our upcoming Environments for Aging conference. Read More »
Picture a bedsore. Stare at it. Now, focusing on that same image, re-label it “skin failure.” Suddenly, the identical wound no longer looks or ‘feels’ the same. Here are suggestions for modifying commonly used words and phrases to clarify what is communicated to residents, families and others. Read More »
Congratulations to the first of five Leaders of Tomorrow award winners profiled this week: Addie Abushousheh, executive director, Association of Households International. Read More »
Beyond tangible, teachable skills, like how to set a table properly, training for thriving employees includes helping them break out of the status quo. When employees are able to take small risks in the service of making the community work better, they feel empowered and engaged. Read More »
Determining what is “less institutional” may not be a foregone conclusion. Making assumptions about residents’ preferences is dangerous business, and when we simply ask residents what they want, they surprise us more often than not. Read More »
Long-term care is replete with many exemplars who, day in and day out, without fanfare, perform minor miracles in the service of our elders. The on-site nursing home managers—the director of nursing and the administrator—serve as a deserving illustration of such unsung LTC stars. Read More »
In today’s connected, savvy and information-hungry society meeting your customers needs and expectations can provide a boost to your organization’s reputation and referral business. Read More »
This month, Dwayne J. Clark, Founder/CEO of Aegis Living is our guest in the Boardroom. Learn more about the company's employee focus, including Aegis Extras and more. Read More »
Our current healthcare system is one of silos: private insurers, Medicare, Medicaid, hospitals, nursing homes, home healthcare, regulators—all working independently, but connected, to haphazardly manage the nation’s healthcare. Read More »
Isn't it curious how there's often a disconnect between those who design LTC communities and those who run them? It's critically important for these two groups to come together to create fully functioning spaces that better serve residents and staff. Read More »
More that 200 residents at Greenspring Retirement Community receive well-deserved recognition for the exceptional service they provide to others. Thousands of hours of dedicated giving not only benefits the the people and organizations they serve, but these selfless individuals achieve hours of self-fulfillment. Read More »
The movement to change the culture of nursing homes to create environments that are real homes, not institutional warehouses, is also changing approaches to staff education. But what types of learning activities support culture change? Read More »
It’s the small, everyday details that send messages to residents and their guests. These details may truly be invisible to providers and staff who have developed habits in a familiar work environment. Read More »
