The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is giving the reimbursement nod to a first-of-its-kind genetic test to help physicians choose the best medication to treat depression in older adults. Will this policy help solve the tricky task of treating depression in care settings plagued by polypharmacy and look-alike symptoms? Read More »
A documentary, a foundation and training materials for caregivers are arising from one man's wish to share "the gnarly truth" about dementia, and the filmmakers and family members who took up the challenge. Read More »
Gastrostomy tubes and other enteral devices are not advised for use in end-of-life or advance dementia situations because risks might outweigh the benefits, according to new report. Read More »
Facility transfers can be traumatic for a resident, especially if he or she is not included in the process. It can be upsetting to have to acclimate to an entirely new environment full of strangers and leave familiarity behind. Read More »
My two-day trip to upstate Massachusetts to visit a community instrumental in the 2014 OPTIMA Award changed my view of memory care programs and their ability to improve the lives of residents with dementia. Read More »
Benchmark Senior Living, the winner of the 2014 Long-Term Living OPTIMA Award, uses set routines in the morning to get its memory care residents off to a good start each day. Read More »
Coverage of Long-Term Living's 2014 OPTIMA Award winner—including the main article, companion articles, photos, video and a blog—are gathered here for your convenience. Read More »
Keeping reading skills honed helps those with dementia stay focused throughout the day. Benchmark Senior Living, the 2014 winner of Long-Term Living's OPTIMA Award, uses hundreds of reading booklets to keep residents' minds engaged in learning new things. Read More »
Social interactions, exercise, music, dance, jokes and foods all can have a lasting emotional effect on quality of life and subjective well-being for residents with dementia, new research confirms. Read More »
Benchmark Senior Living, the 2014 winner of Long-Tem Living's OPTIMA Award, uses six dimensions of engagement in its memory care program to stimulate different parts of the brain and keep residents with dementia involved and focused. Read More »
This year’s winner of the Long-Term Living OPTIMA Award, Benchmark Senior Living, has taken dementia care programming far beyond reminiscing, brain-games and once-a-day-activities. Here's the story of how its award-winning programming got started, and how the lives of residents can be changed when engagement happens all day long instead of just during "activity hour." Read More »
The majority of the professional associations representing long-term care say they support the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care’s goal of continuing to reduce the off-label use of antipsychotic medications in long-stay nursing home residents, although some say more action is needed. Read More »
The building crisis in financing and providing effective long-term care services and supports is an ever-growing problem as discussed in a report by the Commission on Long-Term Care. Read More »
Living on a budget is hard for anyone. It takes discipline. Imagine if you had less than $100 a month to meet your needs, let alone your wants. Read More »
Prioritizing comfort in the care of residents with advanced dementia enabled one nursing home to reap many rewards for residents and their families, the community and staff members. Its innovative model was detailed in a Sept. 8 workshop convened by the Institute of Medicine. Read More »
The final chapter in the series “12 Steps to QAPI” shows how preparation, organization, data and action can correct and improve processes to enhance the quality of care your residents receive. Read More »
An Erickson Living summer intern shares her experiences of planning a major fundraiser and learning valuable lessons about the importance of exercise to memory care. Read More »
Has your community ever hosted a marriage ceremony? One memory care center did, so that a father could participate in his daughter's celebration. At another, a bride stopped by on the way to her wedding so that the residents for whom she cared could see her gown. Read More »
The National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care will use responses to set benchmarks, inform its certification exams and assist policymakers. Read More »
