I’ve always been a big believer that the words we choose to use really do matter. They help us understand; they convey emotion and information, and connect us to one another. What will the words of 2020...
Reader poll: What have you stopped doing since starting in long-term care?
Feb 04, 2016
“I no longer get old. I work with people 80, 90, 100 years old that are young at heart. It teaches you that you can have a vibrant and young perspective no matter what your age.”
Reader Poll: What do you do either before or after you take vacation to really help yourself?
Mar 05, 2017
“A week before, I am focused on tying up loose ends, and I delegate things I know are coming so when I get back, they’ll be finished. It clears my mind before I leave, so nothing is pressing.”
Things I Think: A cow in every lobby
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 06, 2019
Every nursing home administrator probably has a favorite story of a resident whose state of health and happiness was transformed by experiencing the unconditional love of an animal. It’s universal, like...
The Bigger Picture: A route to better hiring
By
John O'Connor
Aug 02, 2019
Even in good times, hiring qualified frontline workers is problematic for many skilled facilities.
Insta-gratification next?
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 06, 2017
Here’s a hypothetical for you. Let’s say you’re a busy nurse in a long-term care setting, and your supervisor wanders up and says, “Mrs. Jacobs in Room 203 really wants a cup of...
The Robot Alternative
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 04, 2016
Have you ever had some well-meaning someone give you a gift that turns out to be more like a job?
Dialing up a big smile
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 01, 2021
I saw the weirdest thing today. A guy got out of a car in front of a long-term care facility I was visiting, smiling from ear to ear.
Cynicism is contagious
By
Gary Tetz
Jul 01, 2014
Research shows cynical people die younger and are three times more likely to get dementia? Yeah, right. I’d like to see who paid for that study. And I just read on the Internet that evil corporations...
The trouble with bullies
By
John O'Connor
Jan 02, 2013
The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments on the unpleasant subject of workplace harassment. At issue is whether an employer is responsible when the bully is not strictly a boss.