Resident Care

Children jig for seniors this St. Patrick’s Day

Young Irish dancers remind residents at one Washington retirement and assisted living community the magic of the dance for St. Patrick’s Day.  Read More »

Gathering the gray cells

Editor-in-Chief Pamela Tabar jumps into the data pool to help find a cure for Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders. Have you checked out the Brain Health Registry yet? Read More »

Girl Scout Cookies for a cause

Girls from one Minnesota Girl Scout troop fundraised to buy and deliver 400 cookies to veterans at a local retirement community. Read More »

5 treatments seniors don’t want in later life

Many seniors’ health goals shift over time, and the focus on quality instead of quantity has some seniors and theri providers saying “no” to certain treatments. Read More »

Time to rethink guidelines for seniors with diabetes?

Researchers found it may be time to reconsider a medication plan for frail older adults with Type 2 diabetes.  Read More »

One in four seniors leave hospital, enter post-acute care with superbugs

Researchers found the number of seniors with superbugs on their hands increased during follow-up visits, suggesting new practices need to be implemented to curtail the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in nursing homes and post-acute care facilities.  Read More »

Paint me a memory

For people with cognitive impairment, a picture is worth more than any words. Read about memory care programs that harness the power of art to engage residents and help them express themselves. Read More »

Reduce Alzheimer’s risk by brushing your teeth

Researchers have found periodontitis, or gum disease, is associated with an increase in cognitive decline among people with early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.  Read More »

Tony Hawk talks about Alzheimer’s disease

Skateboarder Tony Hawk shares his mother’s progression with Alzheimer's disease and encourages others to reach out and connect while there’s still time. Read More »

Amyloid distribution different in Alzheimer’s memory and language dementias

Researchers found the toxic beta-amyloid protein is distributed differently in people with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a rare language dementia, versus the memory dementia in the early stages. That could result in more targeted treatment plans. Read More »

Report: Patient engagement has a long way to go

A startling number of people across adult age groups are nonchalant about engaging in their own health and wellness, according to new survey data from Frost & Sullivan. Read More »

Teaching today’s youth about aging

A course at UCLA teaches first-year college students about the aging process, how to relate to seniors and exposes them to new career possibilities.  Read More »

SNF blames hospital for resident hepatitis C outbreak

48 residents infected with hepatitis C dropped their charges against the nursing home and are now seeking damages in a lawsuit against a local acute care provider. Read More »

LTC residents at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 is required for red blood cell formation, neurological function and DNA synthesis. B12 deficiency is common among seniors and can cause dementia, anemia and weight loss, among other adverse health effects. Read More »

Harness the MDS for dementia care

The federally mandated minimum data set (MDS) is a documentation tool caregivers use every day that can help ensure quality dementia care. Read More »

F-Tag 309 and the compliance domino effect

Poor training in dementia care documentation can get a facility a pile of deficiencies in a big hurry, explains a national consultant in survey-related regulatory issues. Read More »

What’s your best practice for memory care?

Attendees at the Memory Care Forum in Austin, Texas, share their communities' most successful strategies and programs for engaging residents with dementia.  Read More »

Central catheter maintenance bundle cuts CLABSI rates

Using a bundled approach to catheter maintenance can reduce central line-associated blood stream infections, a high risk for patients in long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs). Read More »

6 ways to manage family expectations in dementia care

People aren't perfect. Neither are memory care facilities. Consultant Michael Gill advises how to keep dementia residents and their loved ones happy by helping families to set realistic facility and caregiving expectations from the start.  Read More »

Dementia bathing: How to keep a bath from becoming a battle

What makes for an enjoyable bathing experience for some may not be the best strategy for those with dementia. Read tips from a national dementia expert on how to avoid struggles and fears in residents with cognitive decline at bathing time. Read More »

7 steps to building a dementia-capable system

Our infrastructure wasn’t built to accommodate people with dementia, but we can build one. And it starts with proper diagnosis. Read More »

Pew research: Fewer female seniors living alone for first time in nearly a century

The number of seniors living alone had risen steeply since 1900, but for the past 26 years, the percentage of senior women living alone has dropped. Yet, more than half of seniors surveyed in the research say they'd prefer to stay at home than move to a professional care setting if they could have a caregiver. Read More »

Canada tries again for national dementia strategy

Canadian lawmakers introduced a bill today that would form a national strategy to grapple with the social, economic and medical costs of Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias. Last year, a similar bill was defeated by a single vote. Read More »

Some viral infections could cause cognitive decline

Researchers found exposure to certain chronic viral infections, which can linger in the body long after infection, are associated with cognitive decline in seniors. Read More »

Possible new drug for Alzheimer’s already on the market

Researchers have found ‘neurostatin’ targets the first step of the reaction that leads to Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting a preventative treatment plan similar to how statins reduce the risk of heart disease. Read More »

FDA approves deep brain stimulation procedure for Parkinson’s

Medtronic's Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy receives new approval to extend its uses to less advanced Parkinson's cases. Read More »

Iowa won’t require nursing home employees to complete dementia care training

State legislators failed to pass a bill that would have required nursing home employees to learn how and be assessed on how they care for people with dementia.  Read More »

An Alzheimer’s-like disease that leaves people speechless

Researchers don't know much about primary progressive aphasia, a neurological syndrom that makes it difficult for people to express their thougths. It's often mistaken for dementia, though most people are able to remain independent.  Read More »

3-D ‘mini-brain’ could be future of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s research

Researchers have grown human neurons and cells that mimic the brain's structures and functions. The mini-brains could eliminate the need for animal drug testing, the results of which are often unreliable in humans.  Read More »

Key to continuity of care a single doctor

A piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association found high-risk older adults benefit from having a phsyician follow them throughout their continuum of care from the hospital to the skilled nursing facility to home.  Read More »