There’s a hopeful phrase we started hearing a lot from long-term care leaders, residents and staff when the vaccines first arrived—“a light at the end of the tunnel.” Invariably some wise-guy or...
Awake for a cure
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 08, 2018
At this point in the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s, each glimmer of hope seems to come with a looming cloud of probable disappointment — and the question, “Will I get it someday?”...
The year of the opinion
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 02, 2014
If 2013 was anything, and I’m not convinced it was, it was the year of strong opinions — even in long-term care. The fact that they were often biased, self-serving or blissfully fact-free seemed...
You ‘Like’ me!
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 01, 2012
It’s not necessarily a bad thing, or a good one either — kind of like Rice-A-Roni or the music of Yanni. But instant customer feedback, and the expectation of immediate response and action is where...
An insomniac’s dream
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 14, 2012
Finally, something else to lie awake worrying about. A news story last week cited a study suggesting that sleep quality should improve with age. Great. That’s all I need. More pressure.
Curse of the blue-blockers
By
Gary Tetz
Dec 16, 2021
I’ve suffered with poor vision for most of my adult life. Sometimes at intersections, I have to actually get out of the car and feel the letter ridges on a road sign to confirm my location. So when I...
Waiting for the ice cream truck
By
Gary Tetz
Aug 21, 2020
There aren’t enough covers to pull over my head anymore.
Courage is contagious
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 02, 2020
Facility staff have no idea if catching COVID-19 will be merely an annoyance or a life-threatening battle, a parking ticket or a death sentence. But still, they go.
Face touching for dummies
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 05, 2020
Can you remember a public health directive than “don’t touch your face” that’s ever been more simple, clear and science-based, yet more difficult to execute? I can’t.
In praise of Roberta
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 07, 2017
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear. I’m not suggesting long-term care facilities are exactly like the Department of Motor Vehicles. They’re simply not equivalent, though I know many...