CARING FOR THE CLINICALLY COMPLEX PATIENT

As our long term care admissions become more and more acute, the interdisciplinary care team has increased challenges in caring for the resident with comorbidities and diagnoses that can complicate and hinder the care and recovery process. The clinically complex...

“PET POWER”

There is an intrinsic connection between human beings and animals. During the course of our lives many of us experience the love of a wonderful pet. When a person is placed in long term care, often the family pet must be left behind. This can be experienced as another...

URINARY INCONTINENCE IN LONG TERM CARE

Urinary incontinence (UI) affects over 13 million Americans of all ages.1 in 4 are women ages 30-59 and 50% or more of elderly living at home or in long­ term care (LTC) facilities are incontinent. In a recent study it was estimated that approximately 25.6% of men and...

AUSCULTATION OF THE LUNGS

Remember your last doctor’s visit when he came at you with a stethoscope and proceeded to put that cold device against your chest? And then said……”take a deep breath and hold it”? And you did, until you were about to pass out? That my friends was your doc...

VISION AND FUNCTION

Therapists and caregivers working with the elderly in the long term care setting must assess the impact poor vision has on functional performance. Often, it is an area that is placed low on the totem pole by the interdisciplinary team but can have a dramatic impact on...