As the editors of the June 2021 volume of The Gerontologist put it, “Workforce issues are the most significant challenges facing the long-term care industry.” This special edition of the journal...
Foster relationships to improve staff retention
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jul 20, 2021
“God bless you,” an aide said to me the other day after I handed her a container of homemade green bean salad. She’d joined the same psychology-based weight loss program I was using and the green...
When it comes to staff, sweat the little things
By
Thomas Millay
Jun 10, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light many challenges for long-term care providers, but staffing retention continues to remain a top challenge for most organizations. With turnover rates nearing 50%,...
Employee recognition programs: What works
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jan 21, 2014
After Ms. Ryan’s psychotherapy session, I stopped at the nursing station and asked the nurse for the name of her aide. The nurse pointed to a uniformed woman right next to me, who turned and asked...
Nursing home employees often suffer from compassion fatigue
By
Patricia Smith
Jun 19, 2012
Compassion fatigue and grief are the unrecognized downside to working in the nursing home industry. When sufferers are overburdened by emotions, they want to escape from work, end up feeling isolated from...