For Royal Baby and long-term care profession, spooky coincidences abound
By
Gary Tetz
Jul 29, 2013
That poor Royal Baby just can’t catch a break. What were the odds of His birth occurring within hours of an inebriated Amanda Bynes being accused of trespassing at a Los Angeles long-term care community?...
Lost in a nursing home elevator — and lived to not talk about it
By
Gary Tetz
Jun 20, 2013
Here’s one that slipped through the cracks, and I’m beating myself up about it. How did I miss the McKnight’s story about Rosalie, the 87-year-old nursing home resident who was trapped...
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,...
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...
Things I think: Sunshine’s dream
By
Gary Tetz
Nov 01, 2012
Margaret was just one of those people. She always wore a smile and a bright yellow sweater, and staff and residents at her assisted living community called her “Sunshine.”
Lose the bad attitude
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 01, 2012
If blatant displays of disinterested hostility were an Olympic event, I know a nurse who would have taken the gold — and maybe the silver and bronze as well.
Too much TMI
By
Gary Tetz
Jun 05, 2012
“Too much information.” That’s a phrase I hear the kids using a lot these days as they menace the sidewalks on their long-boards. They actually say “TMI,” apparently because...
You’re fired! Welcome to the team
By
Gary Tetz
May 09, 2012
The holy grail of long-term care hiring would have to be the ability to divine in advance who will end up becoming a personnel liability and workplace nightmare. Most providers try to do that with a combination...
There will be blood
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 25, 2012
I knew I was a hopelessly timid Canadian when the armed phlebotomist approached with his hands trembling and needle drawn — and I didn’t think to protest. No hand raised in the international symbol...
Care like the tire man
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 02, 2012
It wasn’t the worst start I’ve ever had, but it wasn’t good. My wife woke up sick and my dog woke up whining, or maybe it was the other way around. It’s all such a blur.