Building Morals into Long-Term Care

Amid the current national debate over new nursing home regulations, Dr. Eleanor Feldman Barbera presents a provocative reframing of the system-wide problems in long-term care. A psychologist who specializes in mental health care for older adults, particularly those who live in nursing homes, Feldman Barbera lays out a distinction between dysfunction and amorality in nursing homes – in part inspired by her experiences seeing the negative changes that occur when for-profit providers take over facilities from smaller, more mission-driven organizations. It's one thing to help people navigate a dysfunctional system. But when caregivers feel as though they are being asked to do amoral things – for instance, make care decisions based more on profit than science – they lose hope and the will to effect change. In this wide-ranging interview, Feldman Barbera talks about her experience working in nursing homes during COVID – including the real need to treat the mental health issues that she and her fellow care providers developed in the wake of the pandemic – and her vision for a more humane and moral LTC system. Read Dr. Feldman Barbera's blog: https://eleanorfeldmanbarbera.com/blog/ Learn more about the Sleepover Project: https://www.mcknights.com/blogs/the-world-according-to-dr-el/ltc-leaders-gain-remarkable-insights-from-the-sleepover-project/ Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org