And the Oscar goes to…
And the Oscar goes to… The Oscars kind of bug me. In the gloom of winter, it can be hard not to notice that the extravaganza is filled with self-congratulatory workers wearing clothes that cost more than the yearly salary of several nursing aides. Rather than stew, however, about the puzzling priorities of the world,...
Why Five-Star ratings should measure staff retention, not staff ratios
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Why Five-Star ratings should measure staff retention, not staff ratios The Five-Star Quality Rating System reports the results of health inspections, staffing and quality measures. I suggest we replace the current staffing measure with one tracking staff retention. Here’s my logic: The existing staffing score is...
Self-care, team-care and an empty well
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Self-care, team-care and an empty well “How’s it going?” I asked Larry, one of the maintenance workers I chatted with from time to time. He didn’t have his usual smile and his wrist was in a brace from a repetitive stress injury. “I’m tired,” he replied....
A hopeful day at LeadingAge 2018
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: A hopeful day at LeadingAge 2018 I headed to the 2018 LeadingAge convention last week looking for a fix of long-term care enthusiasm and that’s exactly what I got. I met up with old colleagues, put faces to voices I’d spoken to for years and wandered...
How to support depressed workers and reduce absenteeism
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: How to support depressed workers and reduce absenteeism As a consulting psychologist, my official job is to provide psychological services to the residents of the nursing homes in which I work. Occasionally, though, I’m asked by a department head to informally assist a staff member in...
How to support depressed workers and reduce absenteeism
As residents and family members know, the moods of the workers have a vast impact on resident care. Showing your appreciation for their efforts can help. If you see more is needed, consider sharing these article ideas with those in a position to make use of them. Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care...
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,...
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,...
The tumult of turnover
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: The tumult of turnover I once rode down a crowded afternoon elevator with the CEO of a managed care company. “It must be 5:01,” he commented wryly. I heard a measure of scorn for his employees’ lack of dedication to the job. What I saw was...
Dr. El featured on Nursing Assistant Guides podcast series
NursingAssistantGuides.com, an educational site for certified nursing assistants, has a new podcast series featuring experts in the field of geriatrics and long-term care. The podcasts offer the chance for those considering or working toward becoming a nursing assistant to get insider information about the field. I was pleased to be interviewed by registered nurse Patricia Laramee...
