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?...
Amenities gone wild
By
Gary Tetz
Jul 18, 2013
Now and then, I agree to leave my safe, dark hole under the porch and interact face-to-face with actual residents of actual long-term care communities. I did this yesterday, wandering freely through an...
It’s time to observe Dependence Day
By
Gary Tetz
Jul 03, 2013
Sure, let’s celebrate the Fourth of July. Gorge ourselves on commemorative carcinogens and empty carbs. Blow stuff up day and night. Do whatever we always do, for as long and as loud as we like....
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...
Weighing employee health risks — literally — and what it means for you
By
Gary Tetz
May 21, 2013
Will working in long-term care — or anywhere else, for that matter — soon become like flying Samoa Air? It’s possible, maybe even likely.
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...
Bad news about bad news
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 25, 2013
Imagine if CNN, the most trusted name in news, decided to report on the disappearance of a bottle of window cleaner from a nursing home supply closet. We would first be told it was really several gallons...
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...
Uniform conformity
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 14, 2013
How widespread is the adoption of uniforms within the long-term care profession? According to a rigorous and scientific phone survey I conducted of the one nursing home administrator who would take my...