Somewhere down the road, when I walk through the front doors of your long-term care facility on my first day as a resident, I hope to move with even half the vigor 80-year-old Barry Manilow showed as he...
The killer hiding on the porch
By
Gary Tetz
May 19, 2022
I’m not easily surprised these days, because…everything. But I just stumbled across an astonishing bit of data.
The pain of being human
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 13, 2022
With COVID-19 variants still punching long-term care staff in the face every day, it’s understandable for us to sometimes lose the ability to get our arms around the sheer scope of collective sadness...
One incontestable pandemic truth
By
Gary Tetz
Dec 02, 2021
Though I strongly support the concept of gratefulness, I’m not much for delivering public speeches about it, even to close friends or family around the Thanksgiving table. Truth be told, I generally...
Tempets in a typo
By
Gary Tetz
Feb 06, 2020
Sometimes a writer has to take a principled stand no matter how oxymoronic that might sound. That’s why today, without fear of reprisal, I want to talk about typos.
Walking on sunshine
By
Gary Tetz
Jul 28, 2022
A cheery good morning from Portland, OR — or as I affectionately call it, the surface of the sun. It’s a million degrees outside, day and night. The heat is constant and oppressive, and none...
The unstoppable power of an activity director
By
Gary Tetz
Jul 13, 2023
A cherished senior (otherwise known as my dad) was lying in a hospital bed having a horrible day/week/month/year when the recreation therapist showed up. Her name was Tiffany, and along with her...
Whatever you’re doing to fight long-term care stress, stop it
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 07, 2022
With another possible COVID-19 wave on the way, and the Biden brain trust still eager to “wallop” the profession, long-term care people have plenty of reasons to continue aggressively seeking stress...
The underappreciated bartenders of long-term care
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 21, 2024
Before you think poorly of me, let me explain. I was in the bar that afternoon only because I had heard such great things about the nachos. Not buying it? How about this: I was conducting an in-person...
A table on the patio
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 07, 2023
Through countless decades, multiple relationships and what feels like dozens of marriages (actually only two, but it’s still early today), this is pretty much the extent of my accrued knowledge: Women...