News of the Week
Observations About Some Things That Caught My Eye
A followup to my article in U.S. News and World Report, I also did a segment on Caregiver Support Services for Charlotte Today, the local version of the Today Show. I have been a contributor for some ten years and probably close to 100 segments.
They also aired this segment on Seniors and Tech.
Nursing home and assisted living workers to gain representation
The Main Monitor - Maine nursing home and assisted living facility employees soon will be represented by a new statewide advisory council that is among the first of its kind in the nation, and that marks the first time in Maine that direct care workers will have a collective voice.
Direct care workers faced workforce shortages and low pay even before the COVID-19 pandemic added stress to healthcare professions.
Maine direct care workers historically haven’t had an organized voice in policy decisions related to their work, said Brenda Gallant, the state’s long-term care ombudsman.
“Providers have a strong voice. Advocacy organizations have a strong voice. State government has a strong voice,” Gallant said. “It’s important that we develop a strong and sustained collective voice for direct care and direct support professionals.”
Observation - Something that should be emulated around the country, don’t you think?
Lifetime of knowledge can clutter memories of older adults
Science Daily - When a person tries to access a memory, their brain quickly sifts through everything stored in it to find the relevant information. But as we age, many of us have difficulty retrieving memories. Researchers propose an explanation for why this might be happening: the brains of older adults allocate more space to accumulated knowledge and have more material to navigate when attempting to access memories. While this wealth of prior knowledge can make memory retrieval challenging, the researchers say it has its upsides -- this life experience can aid with creativity and decision-making.
Observation - be interested to know how that complicates diagnosing someone with simple memory loss or dementia.
Study: PACE should court more racial and ethnic minorities
McKnight’s - Racial and ethnic minorities could hold the key to expanding Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). A new study led by Jasmine Travers, RN, Ph.D., from New York University’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing, found Blacks and Hispanics are using nursing homes more, but would prefer to remain in their homes and communities.
Travers told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse there needs to be much better communication to this population about the benefits of PACE.
“There needs to be education, so providers can say there is this other option,” Travers said. “You want to have as many options at your disposal.”
Observation - I have always believed that P.A.C.E. programs where one of the best kept secrets out there. It’s a case of having most of the solution but not the marketing and messaging behind it.
New Disney business will develop residential communities with 55+ housing
McKnight’s - The Walt Disney Company announced plans to introduce Storyliving by Disney master-planned communities that include 55+ housing.
The first Storyliving by Disney community, named Cotino, will be built in Rancho Mirage, CA, where Walt Disney once owned a home. Disney said it is exploring additional locations in the United States for future development.
Observation - With Jimmy Buffet already in this business, maybe some smart assisted living and home care providers need to be on the radar of Buffet and Disney to help them offer a continuum of care. No doubt these larger communities will spawn physician offices, urgent care, etc.
Nearly all high-touch surfaces in LTC are contaminated, study finds
McKnight’s - More than 90% of “high-touch” surfaces in long-term care facilities, including handrails and equipment controls, are contaminated with fecal matter and other potential sources of infectious disease spread, according to a study released Thursday.
Observation - No Words!
Embattled Louisiana operator claims dementia, cognitive impairment amid lawsuits
McKnight’s - A Louisiana operator facing dozens of lawsuits over botched evacuations that left 15 nursing home residents dead following Hurricane Ida is claiming he can’t sit for depositions due to “significant dementia and cognitive impairment.”
Observation - How convenient!
The Great Resignation is also the Great Retirement of the baby boomers. That’s a problem.
Washington Post - Goldman Sachs estimated last fall that more than half of those who had left the workforce during the covid era’s Great Resignation were over 55. An analysis released by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis found workforce exits are higher among baby boomers than pre-covid trends would indicate, with a report last month finding women — many of whom work in public-facing positions and are between the ages of 65 and 74 — among the groups leading the way.
Employers are dependent on the outsize baby boomer cohort, whose exit is contributing to growing shortages of workers everywhere, from nursing to school bus drivers to the service industry. It’s not just 22-year-old baristas who have had it with working conditions. Those understaffed stores? Retailers became increasingly reliant on older workers in the wake of the Great Recession. Many are now making an exit.
Observation - read the full article. It really helps explain some of the reasons why some of this mass resignation is irreversible. It also explains why employers need to pay more for people, increasing prices, and adding to inflation concerns.
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