Advice from LTC pros who have been through COVID-19
Here is some advice from staff members of New York City nursing homes hit early in the pandemic.
The World According to Dr. El by Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Protecting residents of nursing homes from pandemics
“We can’t worry about keeping the virus out [of nursing homes], we have to figure out how to live with it.” It’s a sobering comment that rings true to me.
Why long-term care needs psychology treatment
Returning soul to long-term care, as the system needs, should include the expansion of psychology services.
Reflecting on injustices in long-term care
As the country reexamines long-held practices concerning diversity and areas of unfairness, perhaps long-term care will reconsider its own policies, payment structures and assumptions.
Re-envisioning long-term care: A psychologist’s perspective
In the mental health world, we encourage people to try to learn and grow from tragedy. I hope we in the long-term care world can do the same with the current pandemic conditions.
Celebrate Psychology Day on May 27
While it would be wonderful to have a systemwide honoring of psychology, psychologists and mental health, even small gestures of acknowledgement can go a long way toward emotional repair, in these pandemic-stressed days in particular.
Conversations with COVID-19 survivors
The more I do this work, the more apparent it is to me that mental health support is essential, regardless of whether or not there’s a global catastrophe.
8 reasons why, despite COVID-19, I’m still glad to work in long-term care
Despite distressing times of late do to COVID-19, there are many reasons I continue to don my PPE to sit at the bedsides of those in need of emotional solace. Here are eight of them — I think you’ll identify with at least some.
Grim but unwavering: Notes from the COVID-19 epicenter
Hopefully, facilities in other parts of the country will be spared what we’re going through in New York City, where 1 in 4 facilities had COVID residents as of last week’s reports. It is, in a word, grim.
Managing staff anxiety in the time of COVID-19
Personal, workplace and organizational strategies are going to help us all get through this current coronavirus crisis (and others).
Addressing residents’ coronavirus fears
Despite their general calm and resilience, it’s perfectly reasonable for residents to have questions and concerns about the coronavirus and its potential spread.
A look at Germany’s intriguing long-term care system
There’s a lot we can learn from the German long-term care system.
LTC leaders gain remarkable insights from the Sleepover Project
It’s rare for long-term care leaders to spend a night in their own facilities, despite the wealth of information they could glean about their enterprises from doing so. There is an answer for this.
And the Oscar goes to…
Rather than stew about the overdressed, self-congratulators flaunting at the Academy Awards ceremony, I’ve decided to give out my own Oscars — to the loving, deserving stakeholders in the various elements of long-term care.
A resolution to serve physical and mental health
With new options for plant-based foods proliferating, 2020 is a great time to assess your facility’s menu with the dietary and food service departments to consider substitutions and alternatives.
Getting ‘hygge’ with it, at the holidays and year-round
Nursing homes, which could generally do with an increased focus on “home” over “nursing,” have many reasons and opportunities to add some hygge.
The Minister for Loneliness in LTC
We have recreation departments that encourage resident socialization, but a Minister for Loneliness could do so much more. The Minister also could target staff loneliness and the isolation of those in the community.
The last-minute guide to trauma-informed care
For those who might not be completely ready for the Nov. 28 start date of trauma-related F-tags, I offer some basics on trauma-informed care practices.
’Tis the season to help families address end-of-life care
Early November is a good time to increase the focus and training on customer service so that the facility is performing at its best when those infrequent but important guests arrive.
How to apply the best antidepressant — other residents
Providers wondering how they can be more attentive to behavioral health issues and needs can turn to theirown ready source for help — their own residents.
Want to read more?
Please login or register first to view this content.
Next post in The World According to Dr. El
