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...
12 steps to starting a new job with serenity
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: 12 steps to starting a new job with serenity In my last column, “How to quit like a shrink,” I outlined ways to exit a nursing home that solidify the connections made there and offer the opportunity for healing. Assuming you’re not independently wealthy, what follows...
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....
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....
Healthcare changes that burn me out — and burn me up
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Healthcare changes that burn me out — and burn me up I was recently required to take an online training module on burnout for physicians and allied professionals. It was the first time in 20-plus years that I’d received a formal message about self-care from any long-term...
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...
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...
Why it’s impossible to maintain prior levels of care quality, and what to do about it
Here’s my latest article on McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Why it’s impossible to maintain prior levels of care quality, and what to do about it In Editorial Director John O’Connor’s April 16th column, he reported on a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation indicating that increasing numbers of new residents have dementia, are more physically...
