Staffing

Attn, hirers: Be wary of genetic discrimination

Despite the rapid advancement of genetic science over the past several decades, concerns eventually arose nationwide that Americans were not taking Read More »

A team approach to reducing unnecessary hospitalizations

Skilled nursing facilities often get criticized for their less-than-stellar performance when it comes to resident hospitalizations. Hospitalization Read More »

A thing of beauty is a $230,000 joy forever

Perhaps English Romantic poet John Keats said it first, or at least best:   “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its lovliness increases; it Read More »

Thanking staff throughout the year

A staff picnic at Garden Spot Village. Being recognized for a job well done is a keystone of maintaining a cooperative and cohesive Read More »

Employee satisfaction: A critical factor in the business of caregiving

It is difficult to place a dollar amount on the far-reaching impacts of employee satisfaction on the health of any long-term care provider Read More »

Set a wellness example for your staff, residents

I fear I may have become one of those annoying people who proselytize the benefits of exercise and staying in shape—but I wasn’t always this way. As Read More »

CMS to release customizable nurse aide training modules

Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a memo explaining that the Affordable Care Act mandates enhanced annual nurse Read More »

Dealing with contentious aides

This is the story of resident, who shall go unnamed, in need of assistance with most activities of daily living. Particular aides are causing Read More »

When nursing aides no call/no show

Every so often an aide does not show up for work. Usually there is no notice, and he or she is just suddenly gone.   That happened on a recent Read More »

Help your nurses achieve a balance

Balancing work and life—what is that, anyways? This is often defined as a state of equilibrium in which the demands of both a person’s job and Read More »

A manager’s guide to labor cost management

Labor is a provider's largest expense, and one that historically has not been managed as well as it could and should be.For many providers, Read More »

Employers expand education and career opportunities for CNAs

In PHI’s recent effort to document how LTC employers are investing in their direct-care workers (a project funded by the Hitachi Foundation), we Read More »

The joy of hiring great caregivers

Hiring is often a flip of the coin. In my experience, we strive to hire great people and often they are less than desirable. But every once in a Read More »

What to make of healthcare workers’ piercings and tattoos

The first time I saw a nursing home staff member with a tongue piercing, I shuddered. It looked painful. Since I never thought of having one myself, Read More »

Investment in frontline staff pays off for providers

On Orchard Cove’s skilled-nursing floor, urinary tract infections and pressure ulcers have become rare occurrences and medication usage is down. Read More »

Bring on advanced caregiver background checks

You know the drill: It’s ratings week for your local television news stations and that means the most sensational stories will be featured—local Read More »

How to communicate as a nurse

“I can talk, therefore I communicate.” Wrong! How is the communication in your facility? Do you have a great deal of talking but very little Read More »

The nurse assessment coordinator defined

One of the hallmark traits of a dedicated individual is his or her desire to revisit a completed work, seemingly compelled to reflect on the minutiae Read More »

Micromanaging can be costly

Managers in long-term care facilities have multiple responsibilities in the governance and operation of their organizations, and they therefore have Read More »

The wellness premium

“You saved my life,” a Redstone Highlands' staff member once exclaimed to John Dickson, president and CEO of this faith-based, not-for-profit Read More »

High five for LTC part 3: Laughter and compassion

The “High Five for LTC!” are the things that are needed for each of us in this field to get through the day. Thus far we have visited the first three Read More »

High five for LTC part 2: Love and passion

The “High Five for LTC!” are the things that are needed for each of us in this field to get through the day. Last time we looked at #1—Courage. Today Read More »

Organizational approach to preferred view

Organizational culture shapes care in our communities. The concept of preferred view, which we looked at in February's column, p. 16, applies to Read More »

High five for long-term care

I understand that to work in a nursing home takes a special kind of person. It takes someone who can think on their feet and care on the run. Many of Read More »

Theory of preferred view

Old age is a stage of life in which people are still developing. The Erickson School teaches that organizations that embrace and enact this Read More »

‘Excuse me, DON, but you looked mad!’

I am on a mission as usual. I walk quickly toward my office, across the crowded lobby of the nursing home where I am Director of Nursing, having just Read More »

Valuable lessons from your CNAs

One of the things I love best about being a DON is, if I take the time to listen, I can learn great lessons from my certified nursing assistants. Read More »

Mechanics of a labor investigation

As noted in the September 2010 issue of Long-Term Living (“Old law-New problem,” p. 32), the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division has Read More »

Brightening this holiday season for your staff

In a perfect world, we would all approach December with great anticipation, thinking of that Norman Rockwell Christmas gathering, the opening of Read More »

Organizing the MDS office

A quiet, comfortable, well-ventilated, and properly illuminated office will foster more efficiency and accuracy. With the many changes in the Read More »