One I saw was a wool throw blanket that looks like a piece of meat. Now I know my friends in Kansas love their beef, but I cannot imagine any of them wanting to be draped in a flannel steak.

I saw an ad for a Christmas screaming goat toy. Now I find the YouTube video of the fainting goats hysterical, but I am sure I’d go insane if my grandchild was playing nonstop with a screaming goat toy. 

Then I saw an ad for a set of holiday dad joke pencils. While my husband probably would love them, the rest of us would go nuts as he read them to us over and over and over. 

And who wouldn’t want a set of “Jingle Butts” — hand blown glass ornaments that look like a person’s behind but in festive colors. I guess you can combine it with a set of festive beard ornaments. (Yes, that is a real thing.)

One gift that boggles my mind is the padded toilet seat. I mean, how long are you going to be sitting on the toilet? Do you think your legs are going to go to sleep? Hasn’t anyone ever talked to you about bran?

Then there is the assortment of flavored candy canes that seem just so yummy!!! Sour pickle flavored candy canes, ketchup flavored candy canes, sour cream and onion flavored candy canes, hotdog flavored candy canes, Dante’s inferno candy canes and bacon flavor candy canes. (OK, maybe the bacon ones would be worth a try.)

Of course, Hairball Kitty is a great gift because having a fake kitty hacking up hairballs is so much fun. 

I read that an often-given hated gift is a diet book. Like seriously, a diet book when you have all this delicious, delectable holiday food. Who is cruel enough to give this as a gift? Satan? 

The holiday drama emergency ambiance candle might be a good gift when your dinner guests start talking politics. However, the public toilet survival kit may be a gift I get myself. Yes, I suffer from public restroom anxiety disorder. 

But the very best gift is all of you, who dedicate your lives to making this world a better place every day. Thank you for your sacrifices large and small, for your dedication, and for caring. That’s the best holiday gift ever!

Just keeping it real grateful,

Nurse Jackie

The Real Nurse Jackie is written by Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC, Senior Director of Clinical Innovation and Education for Mission Health Communities, LLC and an APEX Award of Excellence winner for Blog Writing. Vance is a real-life long-term care nurse. A nationally respected nurse educator and past national LTC Nurse Administrator of the Year, she also is an accomplished stand-up comedienne. The opinions supplied here are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer or her professional affiliates.

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

Have a column idea? See our submission guidelines here.

As sobering as this finding is, COVID-19 is far from the only infection threat facing long-term care facility residents. For example, studies have also shown that C. difficile — identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a threat level “urgent” pathogen — affects one out of every 50 residents and leads to 29,000 deaths every single year. 

On a broader scale, the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey (2004 was the most recent year that the CDC conducted this survey) revealed that the approximately 1.5 million people who live in long-term care facilities experience, on average, about two million infections per year.

The data is clear: infections are one of the most pervasive threats facing nursing home residents. To help protect their vulnerable populations, facilities must prioritize implementing infection prevention and control (IPC) best practices. These tips are especially important as we enter the holiday season all while influenza, COVID-19, and RSV continue to circulate in our communities. 

One of the easiest and most effective ways to help protect your residents from infection is to educate every individual who walks into your building about the role they play in reducing the spread of communicable and infectious diseases. For example, this signage can describe when visitors should wear a mask or avoid visiting their loved ones (when they are ill). Placing this education where it can be easily seen when entering the facility can go a long way toward keeping your residents safe. 

To be the most effective, signage should also be accompanied by relevant personal protective equipment (PPE). In other words, if you post education advising individuals to wear a mask, ensure there are masks available right next to it. If your sign is about hand hygiene, make sure it’s near an alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispenser (and that the dispenser is fully stocked).

The CDC also has posters you can print out for free that can be hung outside of resident living quarters indicating what precautions people should take when entering and exiting a resident room. All visitors need to be made aware of what transmission-based signage means when it is posted on a resident’s door. 

This typically indicates that specific PPE needs to be worn before entering the resident’s room. It is important to have a restocking process in place so that there is always an adequate supply of PPE. If the bins are empty, individuals may go into the resident’s room without PPE which increases the transmission risk. Consider assigning this role to the environmental service employees as they enter each resident room every day. They can check the PPE bins before entering the rooms. In addition, you could consider assigning it to the other staff who may conduct frequent stocking of supplies. Consider avoiding assigning it to one individual such as the infection preventionist as they are not always in the facility.

This approach is far better than taking the stance that keeping PPE stocked is “everybody’s responsibility.” Too often, that leads to nobody checking PPE, because everyone assumes someone else will take care of it. Assigning people to handle this task is a simple way to avoid this problem.

Finally, one of the best ways that visitors can protect their loved ones during the holidays is to stay up to date on all recommended vaccinations. This can include COVID-19, influenza and Tdap vaccinations. It is important to remember that long-term care residents are a vulnerable population and that outbreaks spread rapidly within this congregate healthcare setting. Everyone who enters a facility has the potential to protect or infect this community. 

Taking measures like these will help reduce and prevent infections among your facility’s vulnerable population. Reminding everyone who comes into the facility of the importance of hand hygiene — which is demonstrably one of the most important elements of effective IPC — and giving them access to alcohol-based hand sanitizer, for example, can reduce rates of bacterial and viral infections. 

Placing informational signs, keeping relevant PPE within easy sight and access to visitors for at-risk or infected resident rooms, and staying current with all recommended vaccinations can similarly reduce the spread of pathogens and mitigate the risk of infection outbreaks among other residents and staff. 

Ultimately, these IPC best practices are highly effective and can be part of every facility’s IPC program. They don’t require a large investment or time and can be put into practice today. 

Buffy Lloyd-Krejci, DrPH, CIC, is the founder of IPCWell. Drawn to action to improve the infection prevention landscape for these communities, she utilized her over two decades of experience in the healthcare field and her doctorate in public health (DrPH) to launch IPCWell. She and her team have provided training, education, and technical assistance (both in person and virtually) to hundreds of congregate care facilities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

Have a column idea? See our submission guidelines here.

But then there is Valentine’s Day itself. A holiday not without controversy. I mean, look at the origins. How did we go to Valentine’s Day, from St. Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint, which originated as a Christian feast day honoring martyrs named Valentine? (As an FYI, numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine and there are a number of martyrdom stories associated with various Saint Valentines connected to February 14.) 

According to an early tradition, St. Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer. An 18th-century embellishment to the legend claims he wrote the jailer’s daughter a letter signed “Your Valentine” as a farewell before his execution. 

Wow, what fun and joy! Let’s celebrate. Like, how did that evolve into leaving your partner on the hook for getting you flowers and candies, you ask? 

Well, the day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries. (I’m not positive why and, despite a few smart-aleck remarks to the contrary, I was not around to witness firsthand!) Then in 18th century England, it grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”).  OK, there’s the part where we got put on the hook for buying stuff. 

Through later traditions, Valentine’s Day somehow has become a significant commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world. All I know is, every year I had to go out and buy a zillion tiny cards and candy (… and somehow it fell on me to fill them all out) to send with my daughters to school so they could give these to their classmates.

It gets worse, though, in middle and high school. That’s when the PTSD really starts if you don’t get cards! So, hey, I am personally not a huge fan of this holiday, if you can’t tell by now.

But it’s here now and we can have fun celebrating it in our facilities because who doesn’t want to have fun at work? My hand is raised for that! Heart decorations, cupcakes, yummy pink punch, pin-the-arrow on the big red heart, love trivia and more. Crafting for our more active seniors and placing their art around the facility is fun. Learning something new about the holiday could be a great discussion topic. Putting on a romantic movie. Playing love-themed songs during the meals. You get the idea. 

So, while I run around spending a mortgage payment on Valentine’s Day cards, gifts and meals for my family to prove to them I love them — because obviously the sacrificial and unconditional love I show them the other 364 days a year isn’t enough (just joking!) — let’s just go and have some fun with our staff and residents.

Just keeping it real (and full of love),

Nurse Jackie

The Real Nurse Jackie is written by Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC, Senior Director of Clinical Innovation and Education for Mission Health Communities, LLC and an APEX Award of Excellence winner for Blog Writing. Vance is a real-life long-term care nurse. A nationally respected nurse educator and past national LTC Nurse Administrator of the Year, she also is an accomplished stand-up comedienne. The opinions supplied here are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer or her professional affiliates. 

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

Imagine, for example, the surprise felt recently by the residents of a nursing home in Illinois when, in the middle of a peaceful fall morning, a deer suddenly crashed through a facility window. Understandably, panic ensued, as the renegade beast “brushed against two people and knocked down a nurse,” according to police, before escaping the way he or she came. 

Admittedly, to be merely brushed against, or even thrown to the ground without apparent injury, doesn’t sound like the worst possible outcome. And given what happened to Bambi, we might do well to forgive whatever well-deserved aggression toward humans the nation’s deer continue to carry. But still, I suspect this possibility was never acknowledged on facility tours, and a Waiver of Facility Responsibility for Unprovoked Deer Attacks should definitely be included in future admission paperwork. 

Now that I think about it, this distressing story also stirs up traumatic memories of a squirrel attack on a Florida senior living campus I wrote about a few years back, a tale which haunts me still. I’m also reminded of the day I shared that houseflies are carrying drug-resident bacteria into long-term care facilities, and informed grateful readers of the unfortunate woman in Taiwan who had to have four live bees removed from her eye.   

But disturbing as these events might be, I’m suggesting we choose to remember that with their actions, the animals and insects of America are actually embodying the real spirit of the holiday season. They’re offering us something truly priceless: the gift of perspective. 

Instead of trying to forget the terrors they’ve inflicted, or could, let’s keep the horrific happenings I’ve described fresh in our minds, for easy recall whenever times get tough. Census low? At least a resident wasn’t mauled by a rabid squirrel. Financials frightening? Better than a cloud of houseflies strafing the activity room with payloads of lethal organisms. Survey team at the door? Stick some bees in your eye and tell me which you prefer. 

The ongoing battle between long-term care and the animal kingdom is like all unwelcome life events — the path to healing is through a change of mindset, from threats to gifts. I just wish those horrible creatures would wrap them a little nicer.

Things I Think is written by Gary Tetz, a two-time national Silver Medalist and three-time regional Gold and Silver Medal winner in the Association of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) awards program, as well as an Award of Excellence honoree in the APEX Awards. He’s been amusing, inspiring, informing and sometimes befuddling long-term care readers worldwide since the end of a previous century. He is a writer and video producer for Consonus Healthcare Services in Portland, OR.

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

I sing along loudly for all I’m worth while driving to work, thankfully with my windows up so no other driver feels the need to hurt me! (I live in Florida, and lots of people carry guns there.) 

Many of us listen to Christmas music this time of year, but do we really pay attention to the lyrics? I am not positive I ever really paid attention because when I don’t know that second or third verse, I just “la, la, laaa!” But for some reason, I actually listened this year and then was like, “Whoa, did I just hear what I think I heard?” And then, being me, I had to just start researching songs. 

I thought after the year we have all had, we all could use a laugh. As you know, dear readers, I am a bit strange, and sometimes when I hear something, it strikes me as “funny.” So let me share some of these “odd” lyrics or songs and share how my weird mind works. 

Hopefully, this will make those long shifts seem shorter and more sane!

Up on the Housetop

So yup, this is a real stanza from the song “Up on the Housetop” a Christmas song written by Benjamin Hanby in 1864: 

“Look in the stocking of little Bill
Oh, just see what a glorious fill
Here is a hammer and lots of tacks
A whistle and a ball and a whip that cracks”

And everyone wondered why little Billy grew up to be a psychopathic teenager!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Songwriter Ralph Blaine wrote the classic song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” for Judy Garland’s 1944 movie “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

Arguably the most “downer” of a Christmas song. The composer Ralph Blane must have been in a very dark space when he wrote this song. Did you know that the lyrics originally went, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas / It may be your last/ Next year we may all be living in the past.” Talk about depressing!

So, it was rewritten by request of the filmmakers but still remained pessimistic with, “Through the years, we all will be together / If the fates allow.” Great, so maybe we’ll all be dead next Christmas? Thanks Ralph!

Baby, it’s Cold Outside

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” was written by Frank Loesser in 1944. While the lyrics make no mention of a holiday, it is commonly regarded as a Christmas song owing to its winter theme. The absolutely worst line in this one: “Say what’s in this drink?” Because nothing says Merry Christmas like a roofie, right?

Silent Night

“Silent Night” is about the wonder of a tender and mild newborn child, written in 1816 by Joseph Mohr, a young priest in Austria. But I’m not mad at this one. I mean it is a Christmas miracle if your baby sleeps through the night. Just saying.

Twelve Days of Christmas

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an English Christmas carol. The lyrics detail a series of increasingly numerous gifts given on each of the 12 days of Christmas (the 12 days that make up the Christmas season, starting with Christmas Day).

The carol, whose words were first published in England in the late 18th century, are attributed to a few writers. But the lyrics and music we are familiar with were updated in 1909 by Frederic Austin.

If he were still alive today, I’d say, “Fred, it’s in need of another serious update.” If someone gave anyone these gifts (except for the five golden rings, because, come on…) no one would question you breaking up with this extravagant gift-giver. Animal and bird droppings everywhere, people leaping and dancing about, overcrowding your place. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Winter Wonderland

“Winter Wonderland” is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song. But … just who the heck is Parson Brown, and why is he going around asking people if they’re married? Seems kind of rude to me. None of your business, Parson! 

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” is by British songwriter Tommie Connor and was first recorded by Jimmy Boyd in 1952. I say first recorded because, as you all know, it has been re-recorded by many artists. To me, perhaps the most disturbing was the Jackson 5 in 1970. I mean, these kids weren’t exploited enough to then have their hopes and dreams of Santa destroyed? Singing this song, they learned that a child is awakened by the sound of reindeer on the roof. Then there’s a sound in the chimney. Could it be? Jumping out of bed, our little child rushes into the living room, and yes! He’s real! Santa is real. And then whoa, hey, wait just a minute! Get your hands off my mommy, you bearded holly-jolly homewrecker!

Dominick the Donkey

“Dominick the Donkey” is a Christmas song written by Ray Allen, Sam Saltzberg and Wandra Merrell, recorded by Lou Monte in 1960. The song describes Dominick, a donkey who helps Santa Claus bring presents (made in “Brook-a-lin,” huh?) to children in Italy because reindeer can’t climb the hills. Wait, don’t reindeer fly? Whatever. Now, Italians have given us wonderful things, such as designer clothes, Ferraris, pasta, and pizza, but man, oh man, this song. It’s “Hee-Haw, Hee-Haw!” refrain is enough to make you want to jump out of that Ferrari. Just no.  

“Please, Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas)”

Originally written and sung by John Denver, and then forgotten, which was good. But nooooo! Alan Jackson had to bring this one back to life. Why, Alan, WHY?? This song just should NOT exist. Period. Enough said.

The last, and absolute worst, on the list is so bad I had to attach the video.

“Leroy The Redneck Reindeer”

This song by Joe Diffie is so bad, that between the mullet, the line dancing and Santa now delivering beer and cans of oil for Christmas, I may never be the same!

May your days be merry and bright, no matter what shift you’re working or what your building census may be!

Just keeping it real (hopeful for happy holidays!),

Nurse Jackie

The Real Nurse Jackie is written by Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC, Senior Director of Clinical Innovation and Education for Mission Health Communities, LLC and an APEX Award of Excellence winner for Blog Writing. Vance is a real-life long-term care nurse. A nationally respected nurse educator and past national LTC Nurse Administrator of the Year, she also is an accomplished stand-up comedienne. The opinions supplied here are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer or her professional affiliates. 

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

Home (ˈhōm) has many definitions: one’s place of residence; the social unit formed by a family living together a familiar or usual setting; congenial environment; the focus of one’s domestic attention; or a place of origin.

I pulled into my home driveway at 1:30 am today, MixMas on the radio, and even though it was pouring rain, I still had a smile on my face.  

There is a wreath on the door, after all.

Home for the holidays never gets old.

At this hour, my only welcome comes from Peanut, our dachshund, who cheerfully sideways hops down the stairs to greet me.

Following a long day of travel arriving to the smell of fresh pine, opening cards from friends and family, and seeing what new creations the kids have made at school can’t help but warm my spirits.

We all have different traditions, memories and experiences that impact our love for the holiday season. 

We should also consider what the holiday season means for our patients, those we serve.

What are their traditions? What skills may they need to learn in order to safely participate in meaningful family visits? 

Perhaps your patients’ traditions include wrapping presents, decorating a tree or lighting the menorah.

Maybe they will have the opportunity to hold a new grandchild or spend time preparing and eating a special meal with loved ones.

More importantly, consider the following targets and how rehab teams can integrate these areas into skilled therapy seasons.

Physical Therapy

• Perform car transfers with contact guard assist (CGA) of caregiver in order to attend holiday celebration at family member’s home.
• Improve stand-pivot transfer from wheelchair to dining room chair to CGA with caregiver in order to sit with family for holiday meal.
• Improve gait with single-point cane to supervision for 30 feet in order to hand out gifts to family members.

 Occupational Therapy

• Improve bilateral coordination to fair to wrap gifts with modified independent.
• Improve fine motor coordination to good to don jewelry for a holiday party.
• Complete upper body dressing with button-up shirt with modified independent in order to prep for family visit.
• Complete lower body dressing task with dress pants with CGA in order to prep for family visit.
• Sequence 5/5 steps of holiday baking activity with supervision to participate in holiday meal.

 Speech Therapy 

• Improve memory to recall family/extended family members’ names with key facts about each person’s life happenings for increased socialization and communication effectiveness.
• Improve swallowing to enjoy holiday meals without fear of embarrassing choking episodes. 
• Demonstrate independent return demonstration by family/ caregiver on ways to modify foods to enjoy holiday meal.

In closing, let us use this special time of year to make our patients feel cared for, loved and truly home for the holidays.

Renee Kinder, MS, CCC-SLP, RAC-CT, is Executive Vice President of Clinical Services for Broad River Rehab and a 2019 APEX Award of Excellence winner in the Writing–Regular Departments & Columns category. Additionally, she serves as Gerontology Professional Development Manager for the American Speech Language Hearing Association’s (ASHA) gerontology special interest group, is a member of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine community faculty and is an advisor to the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology CPT® Editorial Panel. She can be reached at rkinder@broadriverrehab.com.

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

The holidays are a time of year when many families want to gather together, and this year, it seems like it’s finally the perfect time to do so. After all, COVID-19 numbers were down this spring and summer, as are hospitalizations and deaths. 

Still, since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve known that we need to protect the most vulnerable members of society, and that should still be a priority. Even while many regions of the world have dropped COVID restrictions and many people see a light at the end of the tunnel, certain settings have populations that remain at high risk of complications, hospitalization and death from COVID. 

Long-term care facilities are one of those settings. In particular, the senior population in such facilities is more likely to develop severe symptoms, as well as long COVID. Coming down with long Covid means they can experience debilitating, life-altering symptoms for more than three months after initial infection. 

Let’s take a look at the risk COVID poses this holiday season and how long-term care facilities can protect seniors during this time. 

The risk is higher for seniors

Booster shots were approved first for seniors for a reason. The elderly are more likely to get COVID which can often lead to serious symptoms requiring hospitalization, and these cases are, in turn, more likely to lead to fatalities. Getting an updated booster is critical to the health and safety of seniors. Without a booster, the immune response is much like not being ever vaccinated. 

Another significant risk is the problem of long COVID. Nearly 80% of people who get long COVID struggle to perform normal daily activities for at least four to six weeks. They may have difficulty breathing, brain fog, extreme fatigue, or even more serious problems like heart issues. 

For a smaller but significant number, these symptoms can last many months, to years, to a lifetime. Long COVID is enough of a risk that the federal government has initiated trials for potential treatments. Until those treatments come, however, the risk is still great for the elderly. 

Not only that, but COVID case counts are on the rise once again, and experts worry about a surge this winter with new variants that may be even more contagious and deadly than the current ones. 

This is not the right time to drop precautions. Especially where the most vulnerable are concerned, you should always ensure health and safety through whatever measures possible. 

Prioritizing safety this season

The holidays are a natural time for families to get together, and there will inevitably be more visitors in long-term care facilities during this time. Unfortunately, that brings more risk of bringing COVID into the facility. 

First, you can start to protect your seniors by ensuring that they and your staff are all vaccinated and boosted. Those who are 65 and up and fully vaccinated can have up to a 94% reduction in hospitalizations after getting COVID. 

While some of the latest variants are unfortunately very good at evading immunity provided by vaccines, the newly developed bivalent boosters target BA.5 and BA.4 variants. Those variants are the most common at the moment, so the boosters should be highly effective at preventing serious cases. 

Second, consider asking visitors for proof of a best-in-class negative test. Many event planners and facilities choose to ask for proof of a negative “home test,” but home antigen tests do not provide certainty of safety. The FDA recently reviewed these tests and indicated that they are most effective when used serially, meaning three tests taken roughly 48 hours apart. Trying to plan for that kind of testing regime makes visits more complicated, plus you have no guarantee that a visitor has tested properly. 

Another option is a highly-accurate PCR test. Unfortunately, most lab-based PCR tests take up to three to five days to return results. COVID-19 takes just takes, on average, three and a half days to incubate. This means people can get tested with a PCR test, get their result three days later, and still bring COVID into the facility where it could spread among your senior population. Ideally, you should look for rapid microfluidics antigen tests (M-Ag) or Point-of-Care PCR testing options that can return results in minutes from innovative local or mobile COVID-19 testing labs in your area. 

Third, send out a guide to potential visitors during the holidays. Family members of people in your facilities will naturally want to keep their loved ones safe in every way possible. Encourage guests to prepare ahead of time with serial testing or a highly-accurate rapid test. Explain that an updated booster shot should be a priority, and recommend that all visitors consider the risks of long COVID and take appropriate precautions. 

There’s no reason your senior population should remain isolated during this time — they can enjoy their family and friends during the holidays while you maintain best-in-class safety. 

Bill Stone is the CEO of AllClear Healthcare, a next-generation personalized health diagnostics company providing rapid, highly accurate and affordable COVID-19, gastrointestinal and respiratory testing to the general public and corporate partners.

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

Unlike previous years, there are little or no postings on social media encouraging comments from “friends” on what they want to ask Santa to bring them. It is almost as if making public one’s heart’s desires will some weird way influence the events of 2022 to do the exact opposite. 

It also might be that we do not know how the naughty and nice list is being defined these days. What is nice? Who knows what to say about naughty? We all know that Santa is watching but we hope from a safe distance, wearing a mask and has made plans to not drink from millions of cups of milk. Talk about a super-spreader event.

I must admit I sat down the other day and wrote a letter to the guy in red. I told him that while he hopefully knows who has been naughty or nice, he needs to have a new category. The category of showing up. You see, I want him to know that you showed up.

I am not sure he is aware of what showing up means now. I feel a sense of urgency that he understands that showing up has a new meaning. If you look at the definition in a dictionary, it states, to be clearly visible, to arrive and to be present. I am pretty sure that is what he thinks, to look for people that were visible and present. I even envisioned that he would argue that those people would be on the nice list. I wanted him to know that those who showed up this last year did so much more than that. 

I wrote to him that showing up has meant putting oneself in the line of fire with an invisible enemy that keeps changing the rules of engagement. Showing up has meant exposing oneself to the totality of the loss of life. Experiencing the sheer pain of grief. Showing up has meant to deny oneself acknowledgment of the emotional exhaustion that is continually present. 

Showing up has meant summing up the courageous strength to face each day, meet the demands and say, “I have given my best for what was on today’s menu of challenges and needs.”

Through a 25-slide PowerPoint presentation that I embedded into my letter, I presented to him that “showing up” deserves acknowledgement. Slide 20 exhibited the gifts that those in this new category deserve.  Showing up needs to be given the greatest gifts of humanity. The gifts of gratitude, compassion and love. 

Gratitude for every second that healthcare providers have given to their profession this last year and every year.

Compassion for them for all they have seen and experienced. Acknowledging their humanness. 

Love, well love is the greatest gift they have given us, and we can give back to them.

I wasn’t expecting a return answer as I know this time of the year is busy for him. But answer he did, and he wrote the following:

“Ah, I see what you are saying about those who work in healthcare. They are so much more than either naughty or nice. You are right they need their own category. I see that they are called heroes, that is true. Yet, they are more than heroes. They are truly the best of the best. I will leave the gifts of gratitude, compassion and love for them. “

“Tell them to look for it not under the tree but in the eyes of those they encounter. 

It is there for them to see. It is there.”

Martie L. Moore, MAOM, RN, CPHQ, has been an executive healthcare leader for more than 20 years. She has served on advisory boards for the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel and the American Nurses Association, and she currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of Central Florida College of Nursing and Sigma. She was honored by Saint Martin’s University with an honorary doctorate degree for her service and accomplishments in advancing healthcare.

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

The Kearney Foundation throughout the month of December has held several gift wrapping events in a push to provide Christmas presents to nursing home residents throughout the Phoenix area. 

The nonprofit organization, which was founded in 2019, was created in the memory of former area nursing home resident Thelma Kearney by her son, Joseph. The organization’s mission is to “spread love and joy” to seniors and “give them a reason to smile” on Christmas. 

The foundation plans to drop off gifts to three nursing homes throughout the Phoenix area. Items set to be unwrapped by residents will include blankets, socks and holiday treats. 

Now all that’s left is to have enough volunteers to help make the special holiday deliveries. 

“We just need people. We were looking for sponsors this year,” Rochelle Kearney told local media. “We just need support. We just want people to come help us deliver on Christmas Day.”

Volunteering is their way of spreading Christmas cheer for all to hear. 

Every year, around Thanksgiving Day, I start off my holiday movies with “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In it, our main character George Bailey, due to a series of events, wishes he’d never been born. His guardian angel, Clarence, grants his wish and George sees his life unfold as if he’d never been born.

What George discovers is that even though his life was difficult and full of sacrifices, life is bleak for so many people if he had not been there. He didn’t realize how many lives he had touched and made better for his interactions with them throughout his life. At the end of the movie, he begs to have his life back despite having to face some difficult conflicts. 

I know that a lot of people right now are pondering their career choice due to the pandemic and vaccine mandates. But please, don’t leave us. Think of all the lives you touch each day in so many ways. Look back among the years of the lives you have changed. That hand you held when someone was scared; the hair you fixed just right before a family visit; that one resident no one could get to take their meds except for you. 

Perhaps it was the resident you hugged decked out in PPE to let them know they could still be hugged and touched despite a pandemic. Maybe it was an act of kindness, staying a bit late to give a person some extra attention and care and then they passed on that night. It was you who gave them that last act of kindness. 

So, when you are debating and making some difficult decisions, please just remember the service you provide and also realize: it really is a wonderful life!

Just keeping it real,

Nurse Jackie

The Real Nurse Jackie is written by Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC, Senior Director of Clinical Innovation and Education for Mission Health Communities, LLC and an APEX Award of Excellence winner for Blog Writing. Vance is a real-life long-term care nurse. A nationally respected nurse educator and past national LTC Nurse Administrator of the Year, she also is an accomplished stand-up comedienne. The opinions supplied here are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer or her professional affiliates.

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.