The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on all of us, and our healthcare workers have faced unimaginable challenges and risks. It is no surprise that many employees in healthcare will need help with the mental aftermath of what they have experienced. The Emotional PPE Project is extending a hand by welcoming “any worker in a healthcare-related field that is …
Researchers have made new discoveries on the benefits of choir singing which may include positive effects on cognitive functioning, similar to playing a musical instrument! The cognitive benefits of playing an instrument are already fairly well known; such activity can improve cognitive flexibility, or the ability to regulate and switch focus between different thought processes. However, the cognitive benefits of …
The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. During the pandemic, about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, a share that has been largely consistent, up from one in …
Patients and families desire compassionate care from healthcare providers. In today’s healthcare environment, challenges exist for all providers, including nurses, with balancing the delivery of consistent, compassionate care and maintaining a professional quality of life (QOL) that incorporates overall wellness and a healthy work environment. Professional QOL incorporates positive and negative aspects. An important positive aspect is compassion satisfaction (CS) …
Social isolation – a measure of an individual’s social contact and networks, is detrimental to health and well-being. Two researchers (Berkman and Syme) developed the “Social Network Index, a summary measure of social isolation derived from several components: Marital status Participation in church groups and other groups Number and frequency of contact with close friends/relatives They found that men and …
As the COVID-19 pandemic persists into late 2020, findings from the new NSHAP-COVID Study show that many older adults are resuming in-person interactions. Older adults who are known to be at higher risk for COVID-19 would be expected to be particularly careful about potential exposure to the virus. Yet the data show that 53% of older adults report no change …
Reopening America’s nursing homes to visitors is of critical importance as many residents continue to sustain severe and potentially irreversible consequences from lack of human contact, especially with family caregivers. The CDC nursing home guidelines published as of June 2020 are confusing and lack detail with respect to visitors and essential family caregivers. While the evidence concerning COVID-19 is still …
During this pandemic and beyond, we see that the stress put on our caregivers and staff has increased dramatically. We have added new policies, revised existing policies, and required staff to take on additional documentation and tasks throughout their shift. All of these changes can and have proven to increase their level of stress. As a leader, are you aware …
Can you believe that 1 in 3 respondents age 65+ think they can just “snap out of it” when asked about their symptoms of depression? A new nationwide poll, the GeneSight Mental Health Monitor, shows that nearly two-thirds (61%) of Americans age 65 or older who have concerns about having depression will not seek treatment! “The ‘pull yourself up by …
From the early days of Alexa, customers have loved the simplicity of the voice service. With the current state of the pandemic, loneliness and managing day-to-day tasks can be overwhelming for seniors. Alexa has become a companion for many allowing them to feel more confident about living independently. We have also observed residents in senior living using this device to …
