The United States was introduced to the COVID-19 pandemic through an outbreak in a nursing home in Kirkland, WA, where over 30 residents died in March after contracting the deadly disease. From there, we learned that COVID-19 is a rare mix of an easy transmission and lethal impact, especially for the elderly and those with…
With New York City being the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, many here discuss the new norms of social distancing and infection control in terms of limiting rehabilitation services and not promoting functional mobility. While these realities are of primary importance, it is not why any of us entered the field of rehabilitation. Therefore, why does this…
Any business owner knows that his or her company is only as good as the staff members he or she employs. You can have all of the strategies and competence on your side, but those working under you are the ones who keep the machine running smoothly. If they’re functioning well, then you’re going to…
Nursing homes and long-term care (LTC) facilities throughout the country have reported significant clusters of SARS-CoV-2 infection, often with high associated mortality among the residents infected. The recent COVID-19 outbreak has raised questions about the need for improved infectious disease prevention measures, earlier infection detection and coordinated management of infectious diseases in nursing homes and…
I recently listened to a senior care leader’s video address to his company’s employees. I marveled at the message he was sending and his ability to create a genuine connection with his listeners. Particularly impressive was his ability to speak candidly, even bluntly, about the reality of the COVID-19 crisis, while at the same time…
Telemedicine has become the go-to tool of choice during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep individuals, healthcare providers and staff safe. The good news for long-term care professionals is that providing virtual care during these chaotic days does not have to be complicated. In early March of 2020, Medicare began to temporarily pay clinicians to provide…
Mental Health Month and National Nurses Month are coinciding this May, and at a very appropriate time. Nurses and other healthcare workers are making enormous sacrifices during the COVID-19 pandemic, including their mental health. Encounter Telepsychiatry, a division of Encounter Telehealth LLC, partners with senior care facilities across the country. We have seen, firsthand, the…
It takes a certain caliber of leadership to prevent a crisis from turning into a stack of dominoes. While you focus on containing the spread of COVID-19 in your communities, consider how to mitigate the downstream effects of patients being forced into social isolation. Skilled nursing and long-term acute care facilities are now following the…
Florence Nightingale is an inspiration to all generations of nurses. She introduced new standards for training and creating hygiene guidelines that helped institute modern infection control. She was a social reformer, the first woman to be nominated to the Royal Statistical Society and a prolific writer. A leader and an innovator in many ways, she…
Note: See full list of authors below story. In roughly the seventh week after a majority of states and the federal government issued emergency declarations or “lock down” executive orders, the true impact of COVID-19 is only beginning to be fully transparent. In long-term care facilities, such as skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and assisted living…
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