Nope, I won’t do it. I just won’t. This is a column about long-term care and the important issues facing our profession. I absolutely refuse to get drawn into a heated discussion about the...
Gum control
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 07, 2016
I’m not surprised dementia is now being tied to gum disease. I have long believed the mouth offers a convenient and unflinching window to the soul, and that everything important about someone can...
Ode to Joy
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 06, 2016
Let the record show that on the evening of Dec. 30, 2015 — otherwise known as New Year’s Eve Eve — I found myself in a buoyant and celebratory mood, craving a buoyant and celebratory beverage....
Lincoln at night is the cure
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 22, 2015
Anyone worried about the macro-challenges perpetually facing long-term care, and the country, should spend some quality time with Mr. Lincoln — preferably at night.
Transcen-dental meditation
By
Gary Tetz
Nov 21, 2013
Some people do their best thinking during meditation or yoga. For others it’s the shower, or while they’re swimming from Cuba to Florida. Personally, some of my deepest, most insightful thoughts...
Dr. Ben Carson nicks a long-term care nerve
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 24, 2013
At the end of a long day doing skillful and important things for elderly residents, do you ever pause and mutter to yourself, “He won’t get any better. She won’t live much longer. What...
Expo yourself
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 26, 2013
Each year about this time, I get that special tingle, followed by an irresistible impulse. Soon I’m dancing madly around the house, racing from room to room, jumping and gyrating on pieces of furniture...
Leveraging the obvious
By
Gary Tetz
Aug 29, 2013
Three things we’ve learned from long-term care news so far this month. Angry Facebook rants can get you into trouble at work. Republican lawmakers would love to defund Obamacare. And nursing home...
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,...
Cashing in on grief
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 03, 2013
I know being cynical is bad for me. I’m sure it’s even worse for my health than all the arsenic in my rice. It’s probably killing me slowly and softly, as its tentacles snake into my...