I was scared, I’ll admit it. I had never used it before. It was all so intimidating and new. The old system worked fine for me, and I was comfortable with its inadequacies. You might think I’m...
P is for ’possum
By
Gary Tetz
May 30, 2019
After receiving a flash of unexpected insight straight from the universe, I can finally say definitively: The P in PDPM is for ’possum. And, yes, there’s a story to tell.
Drawing a line for a balanced life
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 27, 2014
We hear a lot about drawing lines these days. And that’s what long-term care employees need to immediately do — stand up tall to your facility overlords, muster your courage and draw a big, bold...
Two sheets to the win
By
Gary Tetz
Jun 30, 2022
Infinite call-center wait times. Delivery mix-ups and delays. Rude responses to reasonable requests. Promises unfulfilled. I hear there’s a cutting-edge business principle called “the customer is always...
Coming out old
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 12, 2015
Growing old is a choice. I realize that now. But it took some straight talk from neurosurgeon and likely Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson to help me see the light.
Stress helps wound care — at least if you’re a mouse
By
Gary Tetz
Aug 14, 2014
Lost in all the recent hubbub about the Ebola virus, Justin Bieber going to anger management class and a guy eating a nursing home resident’s pain patch, is breaking news from the exciting world...
Begin what? I begin.
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 27, 2022
As I sit here at 2 a.m. eating a big bowl of unnecessary cereal, driven from bed by work-related stress and the need to speedily write a column for a distinguished publication named McKnight’s, it doesn’t...
LeavingAge
By
Gary Tetz
Feb 26, 2015
I’m feeling extremely unsettled lately. On edge. Anxious. It’s not the threat of rising sea levels, or the erosion of public confidence in the integrity of Nightly News anchors, or the possibility...
Lord of the Rings
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 04, 2021
After mocking wearers of Apple watches not so long ago, citing an annoying interaction that took place in a nursing home lobby, I finally got one myself. I realize this makes me a hypocrite, and I’m...
Long-term care in the land of ‘Sorry’
By
Gary Tetz
Aug 23, 2018
People often ask me what long-term care is like in Canada.* Trying to keep the peace, I usually answer, “Different.” I choose this passive path because a) I’m Canadian, so it’s...