In today’s Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Daveen Rae Kurutz cites several health care professionals that work in Pennsylvania and attended an annual statewide conference that focuses on changing the long-term care environments. Most attendants believe the medical care is good, but the problem is that the nursing homes are to institutionalized and don’t emphasize the human side enough.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article:

The medical end of long-term care is not the problem, said Carol Tschop, president of the coalition. Instead, it is the quality of life that has been lost over the years, to the point that residents are expected to follow a schedule that takes away choice.

That stifles residents and stops them from getting to know the people taking care of them, workers said. At Vincentian de Marillac in Stanton Heights, staff members are encouraged to eat lunch with residents and take part in recreation activities with them, said Aimi Long, manager of recreation services.

“We want them to feel like they are just at home or in their neighborhood,” Long said.

Please click here to read the full article, or share your thoughts below.