’Tis the season to help families address end-of-life care
’Tis the season to help families address end-of-life care The holiday season will soon be upon us and with it will come out-of-town family members visiting their loved ones in long-term care settings. Early November is a good time to increase the focus and training on customer service so that the facility is performing at...
9 reasons why it’s better to congregate than disperse short-term rehab residents
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: 9 reasons why it’s better to congregate than disperse short-term rehab residents In most of my long-term care career, I’ve witnessed short-term rehabilitation (STR) residents housed together, but occasionally facilities have scattered them throughout the building. I don’t know the reasoning behind dispersing residents, but from...
Dr. El’s ‘Quality of Life’ star ratings are the way to go
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Dr. El’s ‘Quality of Life’ star ratings are the way to go The Nursing Home Compare star rating system assesses quality of care based on health inspections, staffing and quality of resident care measures. It examines important factors such as emergency preparedness, resident/staff ratios, re-hospitalization rates,...
To reduce burnout and turnover, improve family-staff relationships
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: To reduce burnout and turnover, improve family-staff relationships Earlier this month, I took some much-needed time off to go on a cruise. I came home to a LinkedIn notification about “The big cost of not taking vacation,” reflecting on a CNN article regarding the vast number...
The importance of leadership in creating good deaths in LTC
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: The importance of leadership in creating good deaths in LTC In one of the more disturbing encounters I’ve had in long-term care — in a 5-Star deficiency-free nursing home — I offered my condolences to an aide on the loss of a resident she’d cared for...
Using technology to improve care, reduce costs
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Using technology to improve care, reduce costs At Maimonides Medical Center, 24 frail older adults were taught to use laptops so that they could manage their health information from home. The technology facilitated communication between patients and providers and improved the quality of life of participants....