It seems a lot of us would like to bury not just our feet in the sand this time of year, but our heads too. 

While in the midst of a string of 90-degree days here on the East Coast, the news came that July had been the planet’s hottest month on record. To paraphrase a Washington Post headline, it also might have been one of the coolest summer months we’ll ever experience from here on out.

“That’s kind of scary isn’t it?” my mother-in-law asked rhetorically as we dined amid the blasting air conditioning of our vacation rental.

Throwaway comments aside, few of us can say we’re doing much to slow the impact of climate change. Just over half of Americans (54%) see climate change as a major threat to the country’s well-being, according to a Pew Research poll conducted earlier this year. That’s somehow down from 2020.

Pew reported that a perception that the effects of climate change are “happening close to home” could drive public concern and calls for action on the issue. 

For plenty of nursing homes, this summer has localized climate change by testing the limits of modern air conditioning. It’s also underscored the need for tried and tested evacuation plans as violent and severe weather becomes more routine.

Of course, it’s not just climate change we’re ignoring. We’re metaphorically hiding our eyes and ears in the sand to avoid all kinds of threats, from climbing COVID numbers to predictions on how dire the hush-hush federal nursing home staffing mandate will be.

In fact, more Americans than ever are ignoring bad news by turning away from the news altogether.

Reuters’ 2023 Digital News Report found that, despite the numerous political and economic threats  people around the world are facing, just 48% say they are “very or extremely interested in news” — down from 63% in 2017.

But getting out of the kitchen when things get too hot won’t get dinner on the table, as the saying goes. Managing high-stress realities, financially damaging regulations and potentially dangerous operating conditions may be the wave of the future for nursing home operators. Better to prepare than melt down once it all comes to a head.

There clearly aren’t a rash of leaders lined up to tackle these challenges, which is what Harry Truman was suggesting would happen if people couldn’t stand the heat back in the cool ol’ 1950s.

So as much as I hope all of you have had, or will have, time for a vacation this summer, let’s be sure to leave the sand tunneling up to the kiddos. Because when the news gets really ugly, and maybe even a little scary, it’s going to be imperative to sweat the details. To stay informed. To find some way to guide the sector and your still-dedicated staff forward until the next crisis arrives, and beyond.

Kimberly Marselas is senior editor of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.

Opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News columns are not necessarily those of McKnight’s.