The World According to Dr. El by Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
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.
Nursing homes, which could generally do with an increased focus on “home” over “nursing,” have many reasons and opportunities to add some hygge.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It wasn’t a world tour, but I did come away with some interesting observations regarding our field on a recent road trip.
It’s a good thing to pay more attention to the emotional experience of residents, but I’m worried about how asking them about their traumas — which is mandated in a new rule about to go into effect — will be implemented in the field.
Nurses and physicians can be taught to recognize health problems typical of the severe mental illness population so that they’ll be alert to the increased risk of illnesses such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity-related cancers, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, hepatitis B/C, tuberculosis, impaired lung function, poor dental status and other concerns.
Most nursing home residents I’ve encountered ironically have their own prejudices about aging and older adults. This is harmful in a variety of ways.
While long-term care facilities might not be able to gather information easily from sham residents, SNF leaders who want to illuminate the important, human details behind dry customer service statistics might find these ideas useful.
Imagine how things would change if toileting were a billable service. It might not be as laughable as it first appears.
As we celebrate our freedoms in the country this week, perhaps we can consider ways in which to create a better balance between the need to provide a safe environment for residents and their right to make their own choices.
The first step in the process of addressing the behavioral health needs of nursing home residents is to improve staff retention.
To improve the mental health of those who live in nursing homes, my well-being initiative would first tend to the mental health of those who work in long-term care. If employees aren’t emotionally well-balanced, it’s much more difficult for their charges to be.
I’ve learned from experience that there are numerous ways facilities can address family concerns and reduce potential hospital transfers. They center on educating residents and families, and on setting reasonable
Instead of accepting aggressive behaviors as normal, facilities would be wise to approach then as anomalies that can and should be addressed.
It might be a surprise to some, but social workers will pay for themselves — as in bring in enough revenue to cover the cost of their salaries.
Dealing with extensive regulations, reimbursement challenges, elaborate documentation requirements and a punitive environment can erode the joy of helping elders. Acclamation for accomplishments, on the other hand, can bring joyfulness back to the job.
If we shift to a system that measures staff retention rather than staff ratios, the whole picture changes.
