arkansasculturechange

Several medical newsletters in the past month have focused on dementia, due in part to a push by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce the use of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes.  Many of the recent … Continue reading →

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, the proportion of the population 65 years and older is projected to increase from 12.4 percent in 2000 to 19.6 percent in 2030. The number of … Continue reading →

“CMS created the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily and to help identify areas about which you may want to ask questions.” The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) … Continue reading →

Recently I read an article about how to implement the simple pleasures in a nursing home. This article was a study and suggested that “you must start at the top.” The responsibility must rest with the administrator, the article went … Continue reading →

This month is Older Americans Month.  This year’s theme is perfect for Arkansas.  This has been the goal of our culture change projects all over the state.  We are working toward an environment that encourages activity and fun instead of … Continue reading →

“I am not a speaker.” The woman spoke these words in a quiet, shaky voice. I just laughed; she had said the same words many times throughout the past year. No — maybe not a speaker, but a “mentor who … Continue reading →

 ”What is this for?  I heard the young boy ask as he held up a piece of  equipment.  The onlookers laughed, one of the gentlemen said, “That’s a bridge.”  I looked at the man who answered the young boy’s question.   He was sitting in … Continue reading →