Category: Change On Blog (Professional)

The New York Times wrote an article on ‘Too Little Too Late’ about a growing epidemic among older Americans: bankruptcy. What does that have to do with healthcare and discharge planning?  A lot, actually. The article shared the story of a senior with Parkinson’s disease whose wife was battling cancer and how, when he lost […]

Minnesota, according to Inc. Magazine has the highest amount of business revenue growth in the country. The 85 companies who made the Inc. 5000 list in Minnesota had a combined growth rate of 321.4 percent and Lifespark was among this list of those fastest-growing companies in America for the second year in a row, earning […]

Doris’s story could have been a failed discharge.  Her situation had the makings of a perfect storm of unforeseen events that would have landed her in the emergency room or worse, lying on her floor for days from a medication error. It almost happened. Medication adherence is one of the main reasons seniors readmit to […]

Medication adherence – it’s not a diagnosis but it is an issue affecting many of our senior clients. It’s one of the main reasons so many are heading back to the hospital after being discharged home. According to a New York Times article, medication adherence is an ‘out of control epidemic in the U.S. that […]

Angela Nelson, BSN, RN PHN, is one of our community Life Care Managers caring for seniors in their home.  Nearly 35 years into her nursing care, she considers this role the ‘frosting on my career.’ She explains what this means in a recent interview with Elizabeth Scala, MSN/MBA, RN, host of ‘Your Next Shift’ a […]

Cost is the elephant in the room.  Many seniors ultimately choose senior care providers based on hourly cost alone – it’s a dangerous gamble. Choosing a lower cost option upfront may actually cost them more long-term.  But we all know that because we’ve seen it – especially with clients who discharge home only to return […]

“Doctors of conscience have to resist the industrialization of their profession,” said Dr. Bernard Lown in a recent NY Times article on ‘Doctors, Revolt!’ Lown, 96, was hospitalized for pneumonia and questioning why nurses woke him up every few hours to take vitals when studies show that practice does little to change outcomes. Lown also […]

A recent white paper written by the National Alliance for Caregivers suggests family caregiving is the next public health crisis. The white paper points out, ‘as medical professionals we ask the client if they have help but we don’t ask the help if they are able to provide care.’ Think about that for a moment. […]

The SuperBowl is behind us but the discussion we had right before the Minneapolis event remains an interesting conversation starter: Who is your home care quarterback? What does that even mean? And why do you need one? Picture the quarterbacks – they are the leaders of the offense whose goal is to win the game. […]

It was several years ago that we wrote a blog on ‘Is Your Nursing Job Sparking Your Life? If Not It Should Be.’ Over the years we’ve had many nurses say that blog gave them pause – a chance to stop and reflect on their own nursing careers. Kari Schwartz, one nurse profiled, remains one […]