Pondering difficult end-of-life situations made me think, naturally, of Chevy Chase.
Weighing employee health risks — literally — and what it means for you
By
Gary Tetz
May 21, 2013
Will working in long-term care — or anywhere else, for that matter — soon become like flying Samoa Air? It’s possible, maybe even likely.
Slouching toward nursing home admission
By
Gary Tetz
May 09, 2013
Here’s a little medical news that made me sit up straight: People with really bad posture are much more likely to eventually need help with activities of daily living (ADL), according to research...
A not-so-joyful noise
By
Gary Tetz
May 01, 2013
I’m sure you remember the old joke: “Why are nursing homes so noisy? Because we forget people actually live there.” Oh sorry, that’s not a joke. My mistake.
Bad news about bad news
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 25, 2013
Imagine if CNN, the most trusted name in news, decided to report on the disappearance of a bottle of window cleaner from a nursing home supply closet. We would first be told it was really several gallons...
Swallowing a ‘Bitter Pill’
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 11, 2013
The best med aides I’ve ever seen have an almost spooky knack for getting nursing home residents to take their medicine. It’s an art form, really. A mystical mix of command, humor and good,...
Half a dose of reality
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 01, 2013
We insomniacs know sleep is important. We’ve read all the studies, usually late at night when we can’t sleep. We’re very aware that insomnia is shortening our lives, and that our knowledge...
Uninventing the wheel in the nursing home
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 27, 2013
Better watch your back, people. Gangs of angry, wheelchair-bound residents are screaming at high speeds through our nation’s nursing homes, pursuing their mobile vendettas with brutal demonstrations...
Uniform conformity
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 14, 2013
How widespread is the adoption of uniforms within the long-term care profession? According to a rigorous and scientific phone survey I conducted of the one nursing home administrator who would take my...
Ahhhhhhhh, there’s the rub
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 04, 2013
In all the tumult over the Time magazine expose of pervasive and obscene healthcare billing excesses, you might have missed the almost as exciting discovery that foot massages at work lower blood pressure...