Our experiences have reinforced the value of trauma-informed leadership—a strategy that pivots from punitive oversight to fostering a culture of support and understanding. Grounded in principles like safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment, this leadership style acknowledges and mitigates the impact of stress and trauma on staff.

Food is more than just fuel for our bodies; it's a source of joy, comfort, and connection. In long-term care environments, where individuals may rely on puréed diets for extended periods, the quality and flavor of these meals take on an even greater significance.

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, the safety and well-being of residents in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities across the United States remains a top priority. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has set forth regulations aimed at enhancing life safety, emergency preparedness, and infection control measures. These steps are designed not only to protect those who call these facilities home but also the dedicated staff who support them daily.

Consistent demonstration of empathy towards residents is among the strongest predictors associated with positive resident outcomes, including resident satisfaction and health-related outcomes. Showing empathy is a critical method of providing individualized care that takes a plethora of unique resident needs into consideration, therefore improving the overall quality of care. There are three primary branches of affective resident empathy: cognitive, behavioral and affective. Cognitive empathy shows interpersonal sensitivity and shows effective verbal and nonverbal communication which allows a staff member to get to know a resident on a deeper level and helps to foster comfort and demonstrates kindness.

Assisted living facilities provide care for elderly or disabled individuals who may require assistance with activities of daily living. One of the most critical aspects of care in these facilities is narcotic control. Narcotics are prescription medications that have a high potential for abuse and addiction and can cause serious harm if misused or mishandled. In this blog post, we will discuss best practice approaches to narcotic control in assisted living settings, including strategies to prevent diversion of these medications.

In August 2021, significant changes were introduced to Assisted Living Regulations, which have had a profound impact on the roles and responsibilities of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). These changes have led to a shift in LPNs' ability to conduct certain assessments, specifically every other 90-day assessment, which were previously delegated by Registered Nurses (RNs). This alteration now mandates that all assessment duties fall squarely under the purview of Registered Nurses.

Assisted living facilities must meet certain standards set by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to ensure that they are providing high-quality care. Regular surveys are conducted to assess the facility's compliance with state regulations. As a caregiver or staff member, it is essential to be prepared for these surveys to ensure that they run as smoothly as possible. Here are some tips for making the survey process as efficient as possible.

It is hard to believe, but it has been 3 years since the world went on full tilt due to Covid. During this time health care workers have become ‘health care warriors.’

Are the Sunday Scaries taking over your whole weekend? Do you feel your patience with everyone and everything is wearing thin? Does it seem as though no matter what you do at work it is never enough? For many of us in healthcare these thoughts and feelings are quite real and likely have been for some time now. As COVID continues to rage on and struggles with staffing continue to persist, how do we cope? How do we find the joy in healthcare?

Music is an important part of our everyday lives; it is more than just chords or lyrics. Music resembles your feelings and can create a sense of calm. To most, the playlist you choose can mimic your current feelings or help you resolve stress. You can relate to the music. This is true for the elderly as well.

Coffee, often regarded as the elixir of life, is a beverage cherished by people of all ages. While it's commonly associated with jumpstarting our mornings or providing a midday pick-me-up, coffee offers numerous benefits that can be particularly beneficial for the elderly. Let’s explore a variety of ways in which coffee can positively impact the well-being of older adults.

Does hiring new leadership for your organization seem daunting? Have the last few leadership hires been quick hires, only to turn out not be a good fit for your organization, leaving you to start the process all over again?  What if you had another option? What if you could tap into a seasoned leader, to allow you the time to vet the perfect fit, to end the revolving cycle?  Let’s look at a few benefits of hiring an interim leader. 

While you are out in public, have you ever noticed the unspoken draw that young children have towards the elderly? And vice versa?  Just last weekend while out for breakfast, I observed an older gentleman and a toddler waving to each other and playing peek a boo, as if no one else was around. Both of their smiles were so genuine and heartfelt.  Intergenerational socialization is something we all benefit from and should be encouraging.

As we all know, Communication is a vital part of success for any company. Important information is not passed to the correct people without communication…

The Department of Health continues to write a high number of Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) tags in nursing homes. It is critical that facilities become familiar with what constitutes noncompliance…

COVID positivity rates may be on the decline, but the incessant stress, anxiety and social disengagement health care workers took on during the pandemic persists…

Many do not understand the MDS nurse contribution to the LTC building and see them as an extra nurse who is just sitting at their desk. This can’t be farther from the truth. The MDS nurse is an irreplaceable part of the team…

Dehydration can lead to many health issues varying from mild to life-threatening complications. According to the National Council on Aging, seniors are more at risk for dehydration due to body composition changes…

Change can be hard for people in any capacity.  In an organization, change is successful when you have a leader who can guide their staff through the following eight steps.

Work-life balance is a concept that holds different meanings for everyone. It includes the ability to maintain harmony between work commitments and personal life, allowing us to engage in activities that bring us joy and fulfillment. Whether it's spending quality time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, or simply having time for oneself, work-life balance plays a crucial role in achieving overall satisfaction.

If you have ever worked in a management position, you know that there are few “perks” that come with the job. Typically, you are paid a salary of 40 hours a week, and you don’t have to work weekends. But the truth is the responsibilities that come with the job can be overwhelming. You often find yourself working way beyond the standard 40-hour work week, taking on extra hours to get the job done. And if one of your employees calls in sick and you can’t find a replacement, guess who’s left to cover the shift? That’s right, you!

Fall in Minnesota is a very bizarre time for weather. One day it can be 70 and the next day it is snowing. The weather here changes so quickly it will be winter before we know it. One of biggest environmental vulnerabilities in Minnesota are blizzards or freezing temperatures. With that in mind, how do we ensure that our residents are safe from these hazards?

In this blog post, we will explore things to keep in mind and steps to take in order to protect residents from these hazards.

As nursing home administrators and directors of nursing, we share the responsibility of providing a safe and healthy environment for our residents. Despite our best efforts, our facilities may sometimes face immediate jeopardy citations, which indicate situations where residents are at risk for serious harm or even death. Understanding the CMS definition of Immediate Jeopardy is essential to our efforts to prevent these situations.

Let’s look back at the places you have worked at throughout your career. Did the morale of your team members have an impact on the culture of the company? Did the culture of the company have an impact on the morale of the team? Or were they the same thing?

Ask anybody what some of the greatest challenges facing their industry, and staffing needs are sure to be within the top 5. In the current climate, operating with a less-than-desired level of staff has become normal…

The beginning of a new year is always a suitable time for reflection, setting new goals, and planning for a successful year. Spending a half day or full day with your leadership team to discuss these things is instrumental to your success…

Allow me to point out the 1:2 punch from CMS in one of the recent QSO’s for SNF’s. The QSO is making the staffing patterns more visible to the public by requiring facilities to share their weekend nursing hours as well as their staff turnover rate…

In healthcare, there must be teamwork. All departments have their specific responsibilities and when everyone does their part, it is wonderful…

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March of 2020, very quickly the realization was made that there was not enough personal protective equipment available to effectively protect our healthcare workers as they provided care to our loved ones…

Take a moment and think back on the different positions you’ve held in your career. Think about your managers, leaders, mentors, and co-workers – what qualities stood out to you that you may have integrated into your own leadership style? What have you experienced that might have caused you to think “I would act differently in this situation”? As managers, we are in a position to tremendously impact our employees’ lives every single day. We have a responsibility to our staff to inspire, teach, and develop.