I knew I was a hopelessly timid Canadian when the armed phlebotomist approached with his hands trembling and needle drawn — and I didn’t think to protest. No hand raised in the international symbol...
LTC 2018 — an icy epiphany
By
Gary Tetz
Dec 28, 2017
I have to admit that this vilest of seasons, winter, can be a useful teacher, meting out stern but valuable lessons about life, and of course, long-term care.
Laces out
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 15, 2016
You think Five Star is bad? That cherry-picked data can lead to misinterpretation? That it’s unfair to be publicly vilified online, and perhaps eternally defined, by every little mistake? You’re...
Election log: Time for Change—or just a time change?
By
Gary Tetz
Nov 07, 2012
Dear Diary: Tuesday’s election raises so many questions, including: Will Obomneycare live or die? Will the anger, polarization and poor spelling that rears its head sometimes in comments after McKnight’s...
The elephant in the room
By
Gary Tetz
Nov 10, 2016
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...
Lessons from an orphan
By
Gary Tetz
Jun 30, 2016
It’s a disquieting visual I can’t quite get out of my mind — a single hiking boot hanging from a trail sign. Even you, a crisis-tested long-term care professional, might feel surprised and...
Changing lives or just shoveling snow?
Feb 13, 2014
Like any good long-term care provider, I should know that to breathe a sigh of relief after weathering a crisis is to challenge the gods. Remember Brad, the nursing home administrator who left the deposition...
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.
Thank you for not yolking
By
Gary Tetz
Aug 20, 2012
I had a newspaper in one hand and an Egg McMuffin in the other when I got the news, and I dropped them both like they were deadly poison. Canadian researchers have apparently determined that eating an...
Good news about bad news
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 11, 2012
Great. Perfect. Dental x-rays have been officially linked to brain tumors. Now I have a headache. I think I need to lie down.