December is a festive time of the year for most Americans. Holiday parties are in full swing and families unite for food, presents and companionship. Unfortunately, not everyone is in a celebratory mood...
Depression, Dementia or Delirium: Which “D” is it?
By
Cheryl Swann
Nov 13, 2013
Mr. Andrews was listless this morning, staring at his food as if he didn’t know what to do with it. Normally he eats a big breakfast and jokes with the staff about his ability to eat a lot and not...
Look on the bright side to fight depression
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Aug 20, 2013
I was recently reading an article about depression and what one can do to help themselves. It said that how you became depressed is important, but more importantly, you can learn how to do various things...
Reducing learned helplessness in LTC
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jul 11, 2013
John O’Connor’s recent post on the pain/depression cycle raised some interesting points about depression in long-term care. Reducing learned helplessness that is often seen in depression is...
Residents suffer and die as interventions go unused
By
John O'Connor
Jul 01, 2013
When providers consider the challenges residents face, it’s usually within the context of activity of daily living limits. Things like trouble with walking, dressing, bathing and eating tend to be...
Tapping the power of therapeutic music in long-term care
By
Carol Orsborn, Ph.D.
Apr 22, 2013
You know the music you love personally, and how listening to a certain song makes you feel. But how can you tap the power of music to simultaneously enhance the lives of the many people in your and your...
Cashing in on grief
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 03, 2013
I know being cynical is bad for me. I’m sure it’s even worse for my health than all the arsenic in my rice. It’s probably killing me slowly and softly, as its tentacles snake into my...
Nursing and stress
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Aug 13, 2012
Nurses continue to experience stress at higher rates than most other groups, according to the American Holistic Nurses Association. OK, so we know nurses get stressed — just walk into any nursing home...
Donut hole dangers
By
Mary Gustafson
Jul 05, 2012
It’s well established that nursing home residents frequently struggle with conditions such as heart failure and depression. It’s also true that critics of nursing home care are quick to blame...
‘Alive Inside’ a viral video
By
Mary Gustafson
Apr 19, 2012
Last week, a funny thing happened: For once, I was not the first person I know to post a nursing home-related story to my Facebook page.