Did You Know?

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A sad and scary situation unfolded in our community over the past week. Early on the evening of October 1, an 80-year-old man walked away from a local memory care facility and disappeared.  Despite extensive searches by police and other groups, they’ve found no sign of the gentleman.

I can’t begin to imagine how agonizing this uncertainty must be for his family. And I know it’s difficult for the staff of the memory care facility, too. While I’ve heard no details about what happened that evening, I do know that this facility has a reputation for providing excellent care for people living with dementia.

[Read more…] about Walking Away: Why People With Dementia Become Lost

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links. 

When I worked as an RN at the senior living community, I sometimes helped admit new residents to the nursing home. We asked residents to bring in the medications they were taking at home, which occasionally led to scary discoveries.

We often found that people weren’t taking their medications correctly. Sadly, this sometimes led to the medical problems that brought them to the hospital or the nursing home.

Today I’m sharing several of the most common medication mistakes we saw. We’ll also look at what we can do to prevent this from happening to our own loved ones.

[Read more…] about How To Prevent Scary Medication Mistakes

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links.

If you have a loved one living at a nursing home, you may receive an invitation to attend their care conference (sometimes called a care plan meeting). Before the pandemic, nursing homes held these meetings onsite. Now, with social distancing rules, you’re more likely to see an invitation to attend through a conference call or a video meeting.

You may wonder whether it’s essential for you to take part in these conferences. Are they simply a formality, or do they make a positive difference in the care of your loved one?

[Read more…] about What You Need To Know About Care Conferences

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links.

I hope last week’s post helped you better understand the dynamics of domestic abuse. We looked at the types of abuse and signs that a co-worker may be in an abusive relationship. I also shared several reasons a victim may choose not to leave her abuser.

This week we’ll consider how you can help a co-worker or a friend who lives with domestic abuse. I want to stress that every situation is unique. If you need more specific guidance on how to offer support, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. For a better understanding of why someone may choose to abuse their partner, you’ll also find it helpful to read this article.

[Read more…] about Understanding Domestic Abuse: Part 2

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links.

Something has been weighing heavily on my mind over the past few weeks. I’m hearing that the incidence of domestic abuse is rising significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s why that bothers me so much.

Years ago, I worked as an RN at a nursing home in a small town in Montana. On a couple of occasions, I noticed bruises on the arms of a CNA. One day, I took her aside and encouraged her to tell me what was going on. She confirmed her husband was physically abusive. I urged her to get out of that situation, and I shared resources where she could find help.

[Read more…] about Understanding Domestic Abuse: Part 1