First 24 Hours Paves Way to Resident Satisfaction

First impressions are so important, the saying goes, and it holds true for new residents moving into a long-term care home.

The first 24 hours sets the stage for success or failure and can even impact the home’s future census, says Lois Baer, Administrator and RN, Director of Clinical and Regulatory Compliance at LeadingAge Oklahoma (LAO). “If it doesn’t go well, the resident and family members are going to question whether they’ve made a good choice … it can magnify minor issues that may come up later,” she adds. Continue reading “First 24 Hours Paves Way to Resident Satisfaction”

Vibrant Living Prevents Falls and Eliminates Need for Alarms

by Carmen Bowman

When restraints were much more common, care plans often stated, “Release restraint at meal time.” Why when we felt people needed to be in restraints all day did we feel comfortable releasing restraints at meal times? Some people say because residents were tucked up to a table. Some say because “we were there” supervising. Although both of these are true, I contend that the residents were still because they were eating a meal and engaged with life. Continue reading “Vibrant Living Prevents Falls and Eliminates Need for Alarms”

Promoting Adequate Sleep in the Nursing Home

This story about adjusting overnight practices to allow residents to sleep without being woken up throughout the night was originally published in our October NewsletterPat Maben, RN, MN, comments on the effectiveness and particulars of these practices.
Continue reading “Promoting Adequate Sleep in the Nursing Home”

A New Awakening

This story about adjusting overnight practices to allow residents to sleep without being woken up throughout the night was originally published in our October Newsletter.

Mr. W. spent most of his days mostly asleep. He was sluggish, had a hard time getting up and ready for the day and required assistance eating. Then the folks of the Miller’s Crossing neighborhood at Rosedale Green in Covington, KY decided to individualize sleep plans for their residents Continue reading “A New Awakening”