We have all heard about hypertension being the silent killer, but what about the use of “first-generation” or “typical” antipsychotic medications? A recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that geriatric patients receiving these medications were significantly more likely to experience death or cardiopulmonary arrest compared to people who did not take these drugs! Unfortunately, …
Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery – a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 20.9 million people around the world. No matter where you live, chances are it’s happening nearby. From the girl forced to prostitute at a truck stop, to the man discovered in a restaurant kitchen, stripped of his passport and held against his …
It’s no wonder coronavirus is all over the news. With the number of cases of coronavirus at over 20,000 in China, the number of cases in the U.S. has now risen to over 10. Many of us in the Senior Living Industry are thinking about our community and wondering what we would do it the virus came to our facility. …
The CMS website Nursing Home Compare will take on a new look this spring! The new website “Medicare Care Compare” will standardize the eight different existing compare tools (hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis facilities, long-term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, physicians and hospice). There will be a transition period where you can view new tools and the existing tools before they …
Ask yourself, do you get comfort from familiar surroundings, close family and friends or home cooking? How about folding towels and sorting yarn? It sounds like a silly question, however, if you look at the activity programming we provide in many memory care units, we might be missing the mark. In a recent study published in the Journal of Aging …
Approximately 40% of people with Frontotemporal Dementia inherited it. 15% of all dementia diagnoses are Frontotemporal Dementia. These numbers are significant for many reasons; however, a recent study identified that active lifestyles may slow the symptoms of the disease by providing some form of cognitive resilience to the consequences of brain degeneration. Per Kaitlin Casaletto, Ph.D., from the University of …
As a child during the Christmas holiday, our family had whole nuts in the shell in a large bowl on the counter. There was a nutcracker and small metal picks that we used to pry the nuts from the shells. This was a tradition in our home and to this day I miss it. Little did I know then that …
In a recent article in Science Translational Medicine, January 2020, a study regarding the need for improved treatments for wound healing identified a product that may actually reduce inflammation and infection. This product is not yet on the market but should give us reason to pause. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if residents with wounds could be free …
Everyone is talking about it, it is “catchy”! Yes, Coronavirus is the hottest topic today aside from Kobe Bryant of course. But at the end of the day, we still need to stay vigilant, stay the course and follow the CDC’s recommendations for protecting our seniors against influenza and pneumonia by providing them with recommended immunizations. The “flu”, both A …
As caregivers, we are all aware that residents with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease are at higher risk for falls and head injuries. What we didn’t know until recently is that current trends in treating the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease with antipsychotic medications may actually be increasing these risks. The results of a recent study published in the Journal of …
