Picker Institute and Planetree teamed up in 2010 to produce the Long-Term Care (LTC) Improvement Guide, a roadmap for nursing home, assisted living facilities and other organizations adopting patient-centered care reforms. Planetree and the Picker Institute are two of the … Continue reading →
Risking Drug-Free Alzheimer’s Care Part 2
What happens when Alzheimer’s patients are taken off antipsychotic drugs? A recent initiative by Minnesota-based Ecumen has demonstrated that Alzheimer’s and dementia patients can be taken off antipsychotic drugs with no objective evidence of worsening behavioral distress. But there are … Continue reading →
Breakthrough Early Alzheimer’s Test Raises Questions
There has never been a way to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in living people — until now. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week gave pre-approval to a new screening for early detection of Alzheimer’s that can reveal the unique … Continue reading →
When to Tell Patients They Have Alzheimer’s?
Mark your calendars to join us for a live broadcast of RealCareNowTV on Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 11:30 a.m. EST. Dr. Bill Thomas will be joined by our friend Dr. Al Power for a provocative ethical discusion about early diagnosis … Continue reading →
Don’t Lurk — Join the Conversation!
“Lurking” is the act of visiting a blog without participating in the conversation. Thanks to reader Lyn who shared this comment in response to our conversation about balance and falls: Ronni Bennett’s “Time Goes By” site led me to you … Continue reading →
Healing Conversations Now
Patient-centered care is arguably most important at the end of life, when a person’s needs and desires should be honored. In the latest episode of RealCareNowTV, Dr. Bill Thomas explores the importance of deep and meaningful conversations at the end … Continue reading →
Should we classify hospital infections as terrorists?
Sadly, being frightened for your life is a legitimate fear when entering a hospital or nursing home, even if you’re in great health. That’s because the risk of catching a life-threatening infection is dangerously high in just about all health care environments, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS has […]
