Integrity: Our quality indicator

I like to think of

Long-Term Living as a vibrant community. Yes, we’re a magazine and a website and a “brand,” but we’re also something bigger than that: We’re a forum for the myriad professionals and groups that have an interest or stake in the long-term care industry. There are many that rightfully request participation in this forum: LTC owners and administrators, clinicians, associations, product and service purveyors, researchers, educators, policy advocates and consultants.

I daily-and happily-field story pitches and requests to author articles from people representing various interests. Long-Term Living wouldn’t exist without these generous contributions. But on occasion I must gently (or not so gently) reject a submission, especially if the content is promotional or advances an agenda.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with promotion or advancing an agenda. But Long-Term Living isn’t the platform for it. There are countless other online and print vehicles-blogs, newsletters, corporate websites-that welcome such content.

Long-Term Living‘s editors strive to frame news and industry issues in a manner that reflects balance and fairness-and always with an eye toward integrity. Most of the time we’re successful at it and on the rare occasion we falter, like all other publications, both consumer and business-to-business. But we always take our responsibility seriously. I know our readers respect that commitment to integrity, which is why we’ve been able to successfully serve the LTC community for 60 years. We intend to continue that service for decades to come.

Long-Term Living 2011 October;60(10):06

Patricia Sheehan

Patricia Sheehan was Editor in Chief of I Advance Senior Care / Long Term Living from 2010-2013. She is now manager, communications at Nestlé USA.