Blogs, Guest Columns, Things I Think and Living Leadership
Honoring Black History Month: Ideas for LTC organizations to celebrate and commemorate
By
Marsha Wesley Coleman
Shanda O’Dennis
Feb 08, 2024
As Black History Month comes to the forefront this February, aging services leaders nationwide are recognizing the need to celebrate and embrace diversity within their long-term care organizations. ...
Serious work. Serious play.
By
Julie Thorson
Feb 07, 2024
Ditch the PowerPoints and make way for play and Jenga blocks. Every month or so, we invite new and current employees to a three-hour get-together called The Friendship Haven Experience to introduce or...
Can Medicare Advantage be redeemed?
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Feb 06, 2024
I just got back from vacation and didn’t have to think about this for a whole week. But there’s no place like home. For a whole week, I didn’t have to worry about chores, obligations, or how Medicare...
Impossible expectations are undermining nursing home care
By
Brendan Williams
Feb 05, 2024
Maine has the nation’s oldest population, and yet almost 40% of its nursing homes have closed within the past few decades. As the Bangor Daily News has reported, that’s forced residents of some...
Embracing end-of-life choices: A journey with Grandma
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 02, 2024
At the beginning of the year, my grandmother found herself in an acute-care hospital, addressing blood clots in her legs and lungs. Having just recovered from COVID-19 at the age of 100, uncertainty loomed...
Understanding and addressing pain: Thoughts for therapists
By
Renee Kinder
Feb 01, 2024
In my continued endeavor to win Mother of the Year, I really racked up some points this week. Isaac, my youngest son, took a nice spill last Friday while skiing. He suffered what we thought...
Only wet babies
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Jan 30, 2024
I have a friend who says, “The only person who likes change is a wet baby!” She may be right. Most people are not comfortable with change. I mean, I get it, some change can be scary. When something...
Nursing home staffing standards good for business, care and jobs
By
Matthew Yarnell
Jan 26, 2024
There is a crisis in our nation’s nursing homes. The pandemic showed us what happens when access to care is compromised, and we are calling on a staffing solution that brings more workers to the...
The blinking light
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 25, 2024
The office next to mine is empty. Well, not completely. A few pieces of furniture, an ugly lamp and some dog-eared file folders clutter the space a long-term care colleague once occupied. But that’s...
Release the hounds! The power of the MDS
By
Joel VanEaton
Jan 23, 2024
I am a Tennessee Volunteer fan through and through. Through all the ups and downs, I love Smokey, our hound dog mascot, wearing Volunteer orange, singing “Rocky Top,” watching the football team run...