We Are PALTC is a public education campaign to bring awareness to the post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) setting, the people who practice it, those who live in it and are otherwise affected by it.

Often, the focus on the PALTC setting fails to recognize the dedicated and compassionate service of health-care professionals like you and the positive things happening in our communities.

Therefore, each month we are highlighting heartwarming stories and articles showcasing how the PALTC setting is brightening the lives of its residents, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Submit items for future issues of We Are PALTC to emullally@paltc.org. 

July 2023

• Teenage genie: Ruby Chitsey makes nursing residents’ dreams come true by granting their wishes – more than 40,000, in fact
• A Love Story
• Nursing home residents recreate ‘Roaring Twenties’ picnic at historic mansion
• A Cute Couple
• Hospice grants 79-year-old woman’s dying wish to see her horse one last time
• Workforce training expenses would be covered by college funding program under bipartisan legislation
• New humanoid robot literally takes a weight off LTC caregiver burden
• Residents, students share kindness, quality time
• Senior living operator brings tech coaches in-house for residents — and staff
• Skilled nursing residents put on dancing shoes for (another) senior prom

June 2023

• Skilled nursing community celebrates National Skilled Nursing Care Week in style
• Long-term care facility goes wild for petting zoo
• PHCA’s Day of Caring at Abbeyville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Offers Support, Gratitude to Nursing Home Workers
• NY nursing home residents pay homage to Taylor Swift
• A strong case for optimism if you work in long-term care
• New York Nursing Home Goes All Magic Mike
• Seniors Gone Wild in Mississauga as Bingo is Now Illegal
• Fight For Your Right To Party!
• 96yrs Old & Still Got It!
• Senior Rendition:Grease - Summer Nights

May 2023

• High school inventors create virtual friend to help seniors with loneliness
• Nebraska nursing home brings color to National Skilled Nursing Care Week
• 104-year-old SNF resident gets the sweetest of birthday treats
• Service dogs sniff out COVID-19 in nursing homes
• Worcester memory care assistant makes sure nothing gets lost in translation
• Dementia village in The Netherlands
• 'Retirement House' on TikTok shows you're only as young as you feel
• Man with muscular dystrophy shows how AI can be used for good with 'Project Gameface'
• Local nursing home recognized for community between residents, staff
• What a Japanese Nursing Home is Like

April 2023

• Early bird prom: Seniors invite seniors for a treat
• Nursing home residents prepare care packages for less fortunate
• Nursing home worker nails down a manicurist gig
• Events with R.I.T. Show ‘Brighter Side’ of Long-Term Care
• Make It Up To Her Or Face Her Withering Stare
• Silent DJ party in Alliance Care Center
• Nursing home resident awards

March 2023

• Nudging residents toward positive habits can decrease social isolation: study
• Maryland nursing home and assisted living company gives new game show pilot program a spin
• Home health, nursing homes among fastest-growing categories of healthcare spending
• COVID-related changes in nursing home healthcare delivery ‘just starting to manifest’: report
• Video: Not the First Time She's Made Me Cry
• Rihanna Shows Love For Nursing Home’s Rendition of “Rude Boy”
• Video: Culture Matters
• Providers continue to face workforce challenges as Careers in Aging Week arrives
• Academy of Performing Arts dancers share their talents with nursing home residents
• Volunteers prepare gift of carnations for St. Patrick's Day
• Video calls ease shortages in rural facilities where mental health services are lacking

February 2023

• PBS: Intergenerational daycare/nursing home—Fighting boredom and loneliness  
• New Jersey high schoolers send love to nursing home residents with letters
• Illinois senior living residents put on their dancing shoes
• Nursing home uses innovative and fun games to keep their residents engaged and active
• World's oldest person shares her top tip for long life and it's one we can all take on board
• Kind-hearted teen sends 16,000 Valentine's day cards to people who won't usually get one
• Elderly woman finally marries her 'true love' 42 yrs after her mom objected to their interracial marriage
• Team spirit is for the birds
• ‘Strong evidence’ more immigrant caregivers improve nursing home quality: researchers
• The bird is the word at South Dakota nursing home

January 2023

• A light in the darkness: Swati Gaur, MD, medical director
• Stranger at the Gate (the story featuring Saber Bahrami, MD, CMD, is told in the short film Stranger at the Gate, which was just nominated for an Oscar)
• Confused Dogs Try to Grab Tennis Balls Fixed Below Mother-in-Law's Walker
• Donated scarves keep residents warm in many ways
• Childhood Best Friends Who Lost Touch Reunited 60 Years Later–in a Senior Care Home
• It takes a (winter) village…
• Staff warms partially paralyzed resident with family quilt project
• Provider slams home run with World Series tickets for employees
• How to gain radical flexibility and improve staff development in 2023, and beyond
• Regulators Announce Changes to Nursing Home Ratings System
• 105-year-old woman with memory loss is using her passion for art to keep going
• Mini pot-bellied pigs love on Alzheimer’s patients

December 2022

• Share-a-Christmas program raises $63K for Holmes County families in need
• Pickin’ and grinnin’ and jingle-jamming spreads the holiday cheer
• Legislation to address nursing home workforce shortages finds new supporter
• Improving well-being for older adults through virtual music theater
• Memory Café offers safe, fun space for dementia patients to get out and socialize
• Staff warms partially paralyzed resident with family quilt project
• Facility resident gets surprise birthday performance — from the high school band he used to direct
• Woman finds biological father in a nursing home 56 years after adoption. She now cares for him
• Dutch town was built just for people with dementia and it helps uphold their sense of independence

November 2022

• Facility resident gets surprise birthday performance — from the high school band he used to direct
• Social prescribing – the new drug for feeling better
• Forget sixth grade camp. This LTC camp makes seniors’ dreams come true
• 100-year-old woman was arrested on her birthday to cross it off her bucket list
• Provider slams home run with World Series tickets for employees
• LTC staff to receive free behavioral health training in new federal program
• Barbershops are for girls too
• Aging is beautiful
• Pro wrestlers ring up fun for nursing home residents and community
• Long-term care leaders can have ‘the best of both worlds,’ experts assert

October 2022

• Bill aims to protect nursing home residents during infectious disease outbreaks
• Florida nursing homes evacuated 1000s before Ian hit. Some weathered the storm
• Nursing home group establishes relief fund for long-term care staff
• Uber driver quits job to take care of elderly passenger: 'She is like a daughter to me'
• 81-Year-old Wows Nursing Home With Incredible Impromptu Performance of Righteous Brothers Classic–WATCH
• Renaissance Masterpiece Found Hanging in 90-Year-Old Woman’s Bedroom
• Music Helps Reconnect Elderly Patients with their Memories in New Study
• Believable experience happening to a night shift nurse

September 2022

• Nursing, residential care jobs up 8,000 in June — ‘a positive sign’ but still below pre-pandemic level
• Senior living accounts are blowing up on TikTok and turning senior citizens into stars
• 'Doggies in the Window' cheer up Grand Haven nursing home residents
• 4 Ways Reminiscence Therapy for Dementia Brings Joy to Seniors
• A young spin on an old idea: Two teens tackled senior isolation with 460,000 handwritten letter
• 60 percent of ‘culture change’ nursing homes able to maintain most measures during pandemic: survey
• National Guard Empties Bedpans and Clips Toenails at Nursing Homes
• 95-year-old grandma and her grandson have the most fun dressing up in hilarious costumes
• Man asks for 104 birthday wishes for his dad turning 104, and is flooded with thousands of messages

August 2022

• From residents to rock stars: Nursing home recreates iconic album covers
• StoneCreek’s feline friend has important job
• The Healthcare System Failed My Mom, a Retired Nurse, Will it Fail Yours?
• Benchmark campaign aims to dispel senior living misconceptions
• Nursing Home Residents Recreate Famous Portraits From History – And They’re Amazing (LOOK)
• It's All Greek to Alden CVA who tackled language barrier for patient's v=care
• Retirement Home Hires Male Strippers To Make One Woman’s Dreams Of A Man Come True
• Fight For Your Right To Party

July 2022

• Meet Susan Levy, 2022 Veteran VIP honoree
• DC-area nursing home, assisted living residents show off their strength at annual fun run
• Westby Nursing Home Gifted a UTV to take residents on rides
• 'Proud of being a nurse': For Austin-area family, nursing is a multigenerational calling
• Florist planning to help bring smiles to nursing home residents
• Elvis gets residents at a Horsham care home 'All Shook up'
• Advocates Celebrate Historic Investment in Long-Term Care
• Big change in Medi-Cal rules opens the door to more seniors

June 2022

• CNA celebrates 49 years of service at Garvey Manor
• Intergenerational playgroup brings kids to nursing home to hang out with older residents
• Volunteers Are Soothing Senior Loneliness, Giving Free Rides on ‘Couch Bikes’ Worldwide – Find One Near You
• Watch Seniors Come to Life When Puppies Flooded Their Nursing Home
• How Nurses Enable Health Plans to Support Members Aging in Place
• 83-Year-old Sets World Record Sailing Alone Across the Pacific Without Stopping

May 2022

• Former nurse molding students into next generation of healthcare workers at Grundy Area Vocational Center
• No taste like home: Iowa group provides weekly meals for nursing facility’s workers
• Veterans in Lexington VA nursing home Dress Up for Dinner
• Local nursing home hosting 'Spring Fling'
• BAYADA Home Health Care to Hold Vacation Giveaway for Nurses Week
• Stonerise nursing home holds Easter egg hunt for kids

April 2022

• 'We had to be there': Staff walked more than 2 miles in winter storm to Mount Holly nursing home
• Employers looking to hire first responders, health care staff at job fair
• Nursing homes spearhead donations for Ukraine
• Indiana nursing homes collecting supplies for Ukrainians impacted by war
• Grannies in Tennessee make 'Love Bears' for Ukrainian refugee children
• Students deliver birdhouses to River's Bend in collaboration
• Author Sam Mym's New Book, 'Life at the Angel's Nest Nursing Home', is a Reflective Piece on the Lives of the Elderly and All They Can Teach
• Local church makes 70 Easter baskets for a nursing home
• On Des Moines' west side, friends whip up home-cooked meals for nursing home workers
• Volunteers sought to advocate for nursing home, assisted living residents
• Developing Town: Pink Ladies and the nursing home

March 2022

• Girl scouts deliver to area senior facilities
• Watch elderly residents revert to their childhood selves with joyful indoor tube rides
• ST. PATRICK'S JIGS: Academy of Performing Arts dancers share their talents with nursing home residents
• Interim Home Health and Hospice: Never the end of the line
• Volunteers prepare gift of carnations for St. Patrick's Day
• Virtual reality could help ward off Alzheimer's by making people feel less lonely
• Hospice is Love: Social Worker Speaks to Rewarding Experiences Working with Hospice Patients

February 2022

• Shelter dogs make valentines for local nursing home residents
• Senior Living Center gives residents a special Valentine’s Day, with surprise from community
• Clarksburg nursing home gets Valentine’s drive
• Traverse City Nursing Home Receives Valentine’s Day Surprise
• Pre-K students learn a lesson on love, brighten nursing homes just in time for Valentine’s Day
• Petals for a Purpose program delivers Valentine's Day flowers to nursing homes
• Seniors in Orangeburg celebrate Valentine's Day
• 10,000 Valentine's Cards Handmade for Older Adults in Care Facilities
• Clark County task force, Springfield elementary make Valentine’s goodie bags for nursing home residents
• Words of Wisdom from Six Inspiring Seniors for 2022 and Beyond
• OK teen uses money to buy gifts for the elderly
• Siblings donate robes to hospice patients in memory of their mom
• A Pittsburgh nursing home looks to in-house training and better pay to ease a staffing shortage

January 2022

• Georgia nursing home residents share sweet wedding day
• After sending hundreds of holiday cards, NJ toddler turns focus to Valentine’s Day
• Now that's an old master! How care home has transformed its residents into classic works of art
• Nursing home offers sleigh rides for patients
• Kane Tanaka, born in 1903 and world’s oldest person, celebrates 119th birthday in nursing home
• Retirement home ‘rocks’ video contest and wins 2nd place
• Delivery Care Robots Are Being Used to Alleviate Nursing Staff
• LTSS Choices: Empowered Direct Care Worker: Lessons from the Green House Staffing Model
• Nursing home workers set to get hazard pay after nearly two years of pandemic work
• Mills Administration Announces Increased Payment Rates for Long-Term Care Facilities to Support 125 Percent of Minimum Wage for Direct Care Workers

December 2021

• Fast-acting staff reduced death toll at nursing homes struck by tornadoes
• Memory Café offers safe, fun space for dementia patients to get out and socialize
• Vikings legends, local football team bring cheer to Fertile nursing home
• 'Assisted Living the Musical' sequel is selling out
• Annual Letters to Santa program ensures GCC’s residents are never forgotten at Christmas
• Drive-thru Santa visit returns to Colorado Springs
• Abbeville assisted living hosts fun and friendly Christmas decorating competition
• Arizona foundation showers residents with brightly wrapped gifts
• Nursing home residents visit Festival of Trees at Fort Fisher Aquarium
• Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home holds drive-in movie night
• Senior citizen sock drive seeks to warm hearts, feet of some Red Springs residents
• No kidding: Chill 105-year-old shares secret to a long life
• Employees win cars for being vaccinated against COVID-19
• Penguins delight residents at British care home with Christmas visit

November 2021

October 2021

• America’s longest-living married couple celebrates 86th anniversary
• This French Pianist Has Been Playing For 102 Years and Just Released A New Album
• A ride in the skies: Facility helps resident fulfill dream of riding hot air balloon
• Cognitive function maintained among elderly who feel good about life
• Nearly a millennium of fun: NY facility celebrates 9 centenarians
• Going Mobile: Irish group shows how to lighten the mood during pandemic
• It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love

September 2021

• Man on Mission to Make Music Accessible for Dementia Patients
• Man’s best friend: Nursing home residents gift robot therapy pets for emotional support
• Construction workers and assisted-living residents form unlikely bond
• Oohs and Oz: First party in 18 months is a Toto success
• Like therapy in a gift box, service reminds lonely seniors of their ‘purpose’
• ‘Granfluencers’ taking to social media to ‘show off’
• Seniors Series: Bridging the gap between seniors and high-schoolers
• Castle Rock woman looks back at 100 years
• Serendipitous encounter led Metro State professor to endearing friendship with 86-year-old veteran
• A dream come true
• Nursing Home Residents in for Musical Treat

August 2021

• Repairing the world gets a little easier with new children’s book from resident and employee of senior living community
• Veterans Center receives more than $13,000 activities donation
• Cookout honors employees at Green Bay nursing home
• Scent with Love brightens Pittsburghers' days with repurposed flowers
• Nursing home residents attend group outing at the zoo
• Burrell students deliver board games, fun to Belair nursing home residents
• Nursing Homes Use Virtual Reality Tech to Help Residents Cope with Isolation
• Versailles Rehab Center celebrates social wellness month
• Teen Volunteers Get a Foot in the Door for Nursing Home Careers
• Care centre buys adapted beach wheelchairs for residents
• Braintree care home takes residents on virtual world cruise

July 2021

• Grayling Nursing Home to Celebrate 200 Days Covid-19 Free
• Missouri nursing home residents ‘horse around’ after year inside
• New adult trikes a big hit at senior center
• A joy to cook for nursing home
• United Way of Roanoke Valley volunteers add joy to senior living homes by hanging birdhouses
• New dementia household opens at Shrewsbury nursing home
• Paint and Sip: Seniors at De Pere assisted living facility enjoy Paint n Sip class
• Seniors get bunny hugs, thanks to a soft-hearted teen with a plan