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Eldercare Advocate & Geriatrician Dr. Mike Wasserman On SeniorsSTRAIGHTTalk

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Eldercare Advocate & Geriatrician Dr. Mike Wasserman On SeniorsSTRAIGHTTalk

Dr. Mike Wasserman was one of the first geriatricians in the country to recognize the dire situation COVID 19 presented to our nations nursing home residents. He has devoted his entire career to serving the needs of older adults and, since the early days of the pandemic to the present, he has not stopped speaking out about the care needs of  our vulnerable older population. Dr. Wasserman has been regularly quoted by various major news outlets and has appeared in interviews on CNN, MSNBC.

Dr. Wasserman has served as a member of the National Academy of Science’s “A Framework for Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus” Committee. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Springer’s upcoming textbook, Geriatric Medicine: A Person Centered Evidence Based Approach. Previously he served as Chief Executive Officer for Rockport Healthcare Services, overseeing the largest nursing home chain in California and prior to that, he was the Executive Director for Care Continuum, a Health Services Advisory Group, the Quality Improvement Organization for California. In 2001 he co-founded Senior Care of Colorado, which became the largest privately owned primary care geriatrics practice in the country, before selling it in 2010. In 2016 and 2017 respectively, Springer published his books, “The Business of Geriatrics,” and “Primary Care for Older Adults:  Models and Challenges”.In the 1990’s he was President and Chief Medical Officer for GeriMed of America, a Geriatric Medical Management Company.

This lively discussion with Dr. Wasserman is not to be missed!! His insights about nursing home care comes from the unique perspective of having been the CEO of the largest nursing home chain in California. Because he served at the helm of a nursing home chain, Dr. Wasserman’s insights into the root causes of the problems in our nations nursing homes comes from a valuable inside perspective that one does not often hear. Anyone concerned with care of older parents, grandparents or their future selves should tune in.

 

Seniors Connections Matter: Connecting Seniors Through Technology

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Empowerment
Seniors Connections Matter: Connecting Seniors Through Technology

The impact of the coronavirus on our nation’s elder citizens has been enormous and  has highlighted the disconnect elders experience from family and loved ones. Directives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Federal agency that oversees Nursing Homes, is that all visitation is to be restricted, exceptions noted in the case of end-of-life or comfort-care. This has resulted in nursing home residents being isolated from families and loved ones.  Family members and loved ones are also increasingly concerned about their loved ones, knowing all too well that their presence plays a key role in their ability to  advocate to for their loved ones  care. As we move forward from the virus, and the possibility of easing restrictions for in-person family nursing home visits ensues, the need for families who live a distance from their loved ones residing in nursing homes having access to virtual visits should not be any less of a priority.

We all need and crave connection, especially with loved ones, and now more than ever.  Understanding that need, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,  has urged facilities to facilitate visual connections between residents and their loved ones. Many residents do not have mobile devices to establish these connections or, if so, need assistance to use them. Of the 15,600 nursing homes, the vast majority of facilities may not be equipped with a sufficient number of devices to enable residents and families/loved ones to have frequent virtual visits, especially since many facilities have upwards of 200, 400, and 500 residents.

Nursing home residents are isolated, lonely and understandably frightened. The stress from prolonged isolation is documented and can be considered equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes/day. It impacts anxiety, sleep disorders, falls, cognitive decline and symptoms of depression.

Of all the states, Florida took swift action in mid-March to ban visits to nursing homes in an effort to manage the spread of the virus. Now, Governor Rick DeSantis, in a May 26th Forbes magazine article,[1] suggests that “we must restrict visits to nursing homes by family and friends for at least the next several months, with the possible exception of those who can prove that they are not actively infected with the novel coronavirus”. If this suggestion becomes a reality, residents and family members may not be able to have valuable in-person visits in the foreseeable future.

Please think about the mothers, father, grandmothers, grandfathers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, in the nursing homes all across the United States and Donate Now. A Nursing Home resident and Family member/loved one will thank you.

“Nursing Homes have been my life’s work. Seeing the pervasive loneliness and isolation nursing home residents experience as a result of being disconnected from their families and friends is heartbreaking. It’s important for me to find a way to bridge that gap.”

PLEASE HELP US!! Visit Senior Connections Matter, Connecting Seniors Through Technology https://www.gofundme.com/f/senior-connections-matter

 

[1]Roy, A. The Most Important Coronavirus Statistic: 42% of U.S. Deaths Are from 0.6 % Of The Population, Forbes, May 26, 2020.https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2020/05/26/nursing-homes-assisted-living-facilities-0-6-of-the-u-s-population-43-of-u-s-covid-19-deaths/

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