Category: Change On Blog (Professional)

The Washington Post wrote a great article on the simplicity of helping seniors get what they want out of their care – whether it is at home care or in the hospital – by asking one question. The doctors were overthinking the care plan. The client didn’t want to continue down the path of more […]

Our intentions are good. All of us in the senior and home care realm are working to change and improve the experience for seniors, and certainly do not want to contribute to anything that detracts from their quality of life. Now LeadingAge has launched a national effort to ‘conquer ageism.’ It’s a monumental effort we […]

Cynthia Schmidt, PT, used to work in a long-term-care setting and was increasingly frustrated because she wasn’t able to do more for her clients to move them forward from a health challenge.  It’s a common issue among physical therapists (PTs) says Karen McCarren, PT, Director of Rehab Services at Lifespark. “We go into this profession […]

One year after accepting our first Medicare home health client, Lifespark Home Health has already served 700+ people in the Twin Cities and grew the census from 0 to 200 – marking us one of the fastest growing home health organizations in the country. And despite that tremendous growth, Lifespark Home Health received a zero […]

‘We’ve Been Wrong About What Our Job in Medicine Is’ The added uncertainty about the fate of the Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) aka Obamacare doesn’t change the perfect storm driving the need for change. While bureaucrats and politicians banter, the need for change – dramatic change – continues. The combination of today’s senior demographics […]

Ever wish that more of your clients were proactive planners? Get tired of hearing ‘I’m not ready for that’ or ‘When something happens, I’ll call you’? At 86 years old, Mildred feels good and stays busy. Despite her recent bout of pneumonia that ended with a hospitalization and 10-day rehabilitation, she remains optimistic that that […]

After watching too many seniors on what he calls the ‘Roller Coaster of Health Care Crisis’ amid a ‘sick care system’ not a healthcare system, Joel Theisen, RN, CEO/Founder of Lifespark knew there had to be a better way. His vision for what home care could be stemmed from being a nurse on the frontlines […]

Think focusing on someone’s purpose is fluff? Think again. Minnesota native Dan Buettner found that having a purpose in our lives is one of the nine factors that influence longevity. In his best-selling book the Blue Zones, he identified ‘longevity hotspots’ around the world as places where people tend to live longer, and purpose kept […]

Your clients and their families have a BIG fear: retirement health care costs. But just because they fear those costs doesn’t mean they don’t want to talk about them. In fact, a new Harris Poll study sponsored by Nationwide found the following: 7 out of 10 pre-retirees list soaring retirement health care costs as their […]

We’ve all seen it – seniors (and/or their families) in denial about the post-acute support they will need to be successful at home. Readmissions goals are only part of the story – it is frustrating as professionals to see the same senior AGAIN. So how do we as professionals help seniors balance optimism with reality? […]