Well, this is disappointing. I was convinced Donald Trump was going to be our first real long-term care president — a tireless and compassionate advocate for the profession and those we serve. Guess...
Of mice and men — and beer
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 25, 2014
Over a beer one day, tipsy researchers decided to study … beer. Now, before you install a keg in every nurses’ station in every memory care unit, you should know that they didn’t exactly...
Tickle me, Earmo
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 19, 2019
Resist the urge to rush outside and attach jumper cables to your earlobes — for now.
Long-term (care) anxiety at bargain prices
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 10, 2014
The median annual cost of a nursing home room is now more than $87,000, according to a recent survey. To an uninformed member of the public, I’m sure that seems like a lot. But what the average person...
Fumbling in the dark — my Virtual Dementia Tour
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 09, 2013
It seemed like a low-tech gimmick, but I signed up anyway to take the Virtual Dementia Tour. I had seen it promoted at the opening session of the American Health Care Association convention this week in...
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...
The smiling robot
By
Gary Tetz
May 16, 2024
When I was still a prepubescent boy with many questions, never once did my father take me aside and explain how smiles are made. As a result, I’ve always been a terrible smiler, simply because I never...
Marry for love, or for blood sugar?
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 06, 2023
As a wounded veteran of multiple misguided unions, the McKnight’s headline raised at least one of my eyebrows: “Marriage, acrimonious or not, appears to protect blood sugar levels in seniors.” From...
Everything matters
By
Gary Tetz
Jul 22, 2021
I’m a slow and resistant student in the classroom of life. And perhaps the truth I face most reluctantly is how unwelcome and painful challenges teach lessons that I probably wouldn’t learn any other...
I’ve just seen a face
By
Gary Tetz
May 27, 2021
I don’t want to put a hex on the situation with a premature celebration, but the downward trajectory of the pandemic makes it appear that long-term care people can finally perhaps maybe start discretely...