In May 2023, the Missouri legislature approved the FY24 budget, which included a line item of $2.2 million in enhanced funding for the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. This funding was intended to hire around 25 new ombudsmen across the state, doubling the program’s capacity and bringing the program in line with national standards. Twelve…
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Causes and factors worsening staffing shortages across the continuum of care Healthcare staffing shortages are a significant and undeniable issue affecting patients and workers, especially in long-term care. Fewer women having children and longer life expectancies have created a circumstance in which more of our population is growing older than is having children. It is…
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Baby showers, birthing classes, stroller research – we do all these things (and more!) as we prepare for a birth. And that’s good. We should be prepared for this momentous life event. But why don’t we prepare with the same care for death, another momentous life event? Some people do not like to think about…
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A Little Background In May of 2008, the US House of Representatives announced July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Campbell was an author who pivoted her efforts to advocating for the mental health of minorities and eliminating the stigma associated with mental health in communities of color. In 2005, Campbell,…
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The only constant in life is death and aging. No, it isn’t death and taxes. Taxes can be avoided, delayed, or eliminated, but not aging. From the day we arrive on this planet until we leave it, we age. A new parent can tell you that their newborn baby changes daily. Adults change too. Yet…
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There’s a quote from Mr. Rogers that circulates around social media when a tragic event occurs. I have mentioned it before. “When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people helping.’” I, like many others,…
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From a young age, I knew I wanted a career where I could help people. Like many young people who want to get into a helping profession, I thought I would pursue nursing. After some coursework and a job at a hospital, I realized that nursing was not my career path. I enjoyed working in…
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