"The social determinants of health and health-related social needs...it's not just health they impact. It really is the ability to be successful in your occupation."

When Dr. Lindsay B. Schwartz, Ph.D., FGSA, completed graduate school, she knew there was more to workforce care than simply the pay: childcare, housing, and even January oil changes in the colder parts of the country. With half of direct care workers on public assistance, how can a crisis of this magnitude be managed? During this episode of Nurse to Nurse, Dr. Schwartz joins Mandy and Gwen for an in-depth discussion on the topic of workforce shortages, pay discrepancies, and how to bolster benefits packages.

Featured in this episode:

• How do we support the people who provide the care?
• Rethinking what meaningful employee benefits look like.
• Addressing workforce challenges beyond wages.
• Connecting employees with existing support resources.
• Building a stronger, more sustainable long-term care workforce.

AALNA's website: https://alnursing.org/

"The most powerful technology in memory care will never be artificial intelligence. It will always be the human heart and the informed human judgment that knows how to use it wisely."

That's how Dr. Schekesia Meadough approaches the integration of AI in assisted living, along with the ethical, regulatory, and liability considerations that are associated with it. In this episode of Nurse to Nurse, Dr. Meadough joins Mandy and Gwen for a discussion about rapidly evolving AI technology and its place in assisted living and memory care.

Featured in this episode:

• The importance of including nurses and frontline workers when making decisions about technology.
• Why technology should be assessed in a pilot before a full rollout.
• The intersection of technology and regulatory/privacy concerns.
• Understanding the benefits and limitations of AI in assisted living.
• How AI can help detect early risk in residents.

AALNA's website: https://alnursing.org/

"The biggest lie we've ever been told inside senior living is that 100% is enough. It's not enough. We're never going to stay at 100%"

That's how leadership coach, speaker, and 100% Leader cofounder Erin Thompson describes the illusion of "100%" in senior living. In this episode of Nurse to Nurse, Mandy and Gwen are joined by Erin and fellow 100% Leader cofounder Aaron Fish. The conversation explores the transformative power of the "100% Leader" philosophy, discusses how reframing leadership as a mindset rather than a metric can enhance team performance and resident care, and touches on leadership and communication gaps in senior living.

Highlights of this episode:

• Steps leaders can take to empower nurses in senior living.
• Learning from our failures and that going into "hero mode" is not a viable solution.
• Exploring and implementing the "80/20" rule.
• Discussing the Senior Living Leaders Playbook and how it can help industry professionals.
• Understanding the varying communication dialects of senior living as a relationship business.

Visit https://the100percentleader.com/ for more information about the program.

AALNA's website: https://alnursing.org/

"You're a newspaper reporter. Who, what, where, when, why, and how."

That's how Margo Kunze, RN CDP, a legal nurse consultant and author, describes the importance of healthcare documentation. In this episode of Nurse to Nurse, Margo joins Mandy and Gwen for a discussion on the risks associated with poor (or even non-existent) documentation and how healthcare professionals can protect themselves while also improving the lives of their patients.

Highlights of this episode:

• The importance of capturing subtle changes in documentation to anticipate issues and improve care.
• Risks associated with charting by exception, which can miss early indicators of serious issues.
• The necessity of detailed and transparent charting to protect residents and providers legally.
• Avoiding the use of abbreviations in documentation to ensure clarity and usefulness.
• Examples of legal cases that emphasize the importance of documentation.

Visit www.sepsis.org for more information on the Sepsis Alliance.

Most assisted living residents could benefit from palliative care, but many don't realize it's an option.

In this episode of Nurse to Nurse, Mandy and Gwen are joined by Daniel David and Komal Patel Murali, who both serve as Assistant Professors and researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. During their discussion, Daniel and Komal reveal how palliative care is fundamentally about enhancing quality of life, not giving up. From clear distinctions between hospice and palliative services to practical tips for nurses, this episode uncovers the untapped potential of integrating person-centered support into everyday care.

Highlights of this episode:

• Defining primary palliative care and specialty palliative care.
• An exploration of the differences between palliative care and hospice care.
• Understanding how palliative care can truly enhance quality of life.
• Practical strategies for nurses and caregivers to incorporate palliative principles.
• The crucial role nurses can play in initiating serious illness conversations that respect residents' values and goals.

https://alnursing.org/

In this episode of Nurse to Nurse, Mandy and Gwen are joined by David Sawyer, CEO and founder of TSOLife, the industry's preeminent resident insight and experience platform. During the discussion, David explores the topics of how resident insights directly correlate with health, the value and impact that social interaction has on residents, and how data can ultimately elevate resident engagement and operational success.

Highlights of this episode:

• Analysis of how data and empathy intersect in senior living.
• How social interaction directly correlates with a longer length of stay.
• Discussion of implementing technology and AI into operational workflows.
• A look into how thoughtfully-trained AI can have a positive impact in senior living.
• Learning how to align care quality with residents' perceptions and needs.

Click here to learn more about TSOLife.

https://alnursing.org/

Leading off the third season of Nurse to Nurse, Mandy and Gwen are joined by Dr. Tara A. Cortes, Executive Director and a Professor of Geriatric Nursing at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. In this episode, Dr. Cortes assesses the current challenges of assisted living, unlocking the future of person-centered care, and exploring the training needs to transform assisted living communities into personalized havens where residents truly matter.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

• A community-based approach for assisted living.
• The unforeseen costs and resulting challenges of assisted living.
• The availability of online resources and courses for nurses to improve care for older adults.
• Efforts to make person-centered care a standard practice across the country.
• The "four M's" of assisted living.

https://alnursing.org/

In this episode of Nurse to Nurse, Mandy and Gwen are joined by Dan Wilder, Vice President of Operations for Sorenson, Wilder & Associates. During their conversation, Dan discusses his education in law enforcement and how it segued into a career centered around workplace violence prevention, real-world training scenarios, and a unique focus on the safety of residents and staff in assisted living communities.

Highlights of this episode include:

• A focus on the importance of practical training exercises to promote workplace safety and prevent violence.
• Why real-world role-playing scenarios are crucial for staff when it comes to deescalating potentially violent situations.
• Understanding effective communication strategies for senior residents and their family members.
• Preparation for addressing the concerns of family members with empathy.
• Assessing safety in communities utilizing P2T2: People, Programs, Training, and Technology

https://alnursing.org/