Seven Stories of Appreciation National Senior Citizens Day 2020
August 21 is National Senior Citizen Day, the day designated to let seniors know how much we care and to recognize their accomplishments. Started in 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed this holiday to raise awareness about issues that affect senior citizens and their quality of life. EMH prides itself in the quality of our relationships with…
Caring for the Caretakers of COVID-19 The Neglected Victims of the Pandemic
Dr. Ari D. Kalechstein, PhD , President and CEO, Executive Mental Health At this juncture in the history of our nation, we are witness to a crisis, COVID-19, that is unparalleled in most of our lifetimes with regard to the devastation that it has wrought. In the United States, over 4,500,000 individuals have been diagnosed…
A Story about Challenging our Implicit Biases
Stacy Ann Aquipel, Psy.D. Clinical Manager To say that the past few weeks have been a whirlwind for me would be an understatement. The last time I can recall having such a high intensity, wide range, and unpredictability of emotions was during my first year of college in Williamsburg, Virginia, at the 2nd oldest college…
Challenged By COVID-19 Making Telehealth Work for SNF Residents and Teams
Penelope Gallegos, Regional Nurse Consultant and Community Liaison Back in March, Executive Mental Health’s partner facilities started closing off access to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Our psychologists and neuropsychologists couldn’t visit their patients, and neither could the patient’s families. Unable to offer mental health care when most needed, EMH worked fast to devise a…
Partners in Progress: TeleHealth is a Success
Dr. Ari Kalechstein When the stay-at-home order was implemented in California in mid-March, Executive Mental Health (EMH) was faced with the challenge of how best to manage the unexpected changes associated with the pandemic so that we could continue to provide mental health care for our inpatients and outpatients. EMH chose to adapt to and…
Helping those who help others
Dr. Jennifer Geren Addressing the Wellbeing of Long-Term Care Workers in the Age of COVID-19 Even before COVID-19, staff at long-term care facilities managed stress and hardship on a daily basis. Every day they care for people facing serious and life-threatening health problems, putting residents’ needs ahead of their own. The nurses and caregivers, rehabilitation…
Fighting Fear and Keeping Connected During COVID-19: Five Tips to Connect with Your Aging Parents While Social Distancing
Dr. Michelle Feng Thinking about your aging parents in this crisis can be stressful. They may know to wash their hands and stay at home. But, can you help them feel connected in this time of social distancing, without letting your worry interfere? Is there a better way to say, “Mom, I just called to…