At the end of a long day doing skillful and important things for elderly residents, do you ever pause and mutter to yourself, “He won’t get any better. She won’t live much longer. What...
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,...
Gum control
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 07, 2016
I’m not surprised dementia is now being tied to gum disease. I have long believed the mouth offers a convenient and unflinching window to the soul, and that everything important about someone can...
You’re fired! Welcome to the team
By
Gary Tetz
May 09, 2012
The holy grail of long-term care hiring would have to be the ability to divine in advance who will end up becoming a personnel liability and workplace nightmare. Most providers try to do that with a combination...
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...
Exercise is your job
By
Gary Tetz
Jul 13, 2017
I didn’t go to the gym this morning because I had to write this blog about the importance of exercise in the long-term care workplace. Ironic, isn’t it? Also, sad!
The blues drummers of long-term care
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 26, 2017
After witnessing a musical performance that left me amazed and stupefied, I went home with a flash of insight and a long-sought analogy — facility administrators are the blues drummers of long-term care.
Cashing in on grief
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 03, 2013
I know being cynical is bad for me. I’m sure it’s even worse for my health than all the arsenic in my rice. It’s probably killing me slowly and softly, as its tentacles snake into my...
Garden variety denial
By
Gary Tetz
May 17, 2018
Maybe the real reason some people don’t like gardening has little to do with the time and effort required, the proximity to deadly spiders or the pesky dirt under the nails. Maybe it’s the...
Expo yourself
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 26, 2013
Each year about this time, I get that special tingle, followed by an irresistible impulse. Soon I’m dancing madly around the house, racing from room to room, jumping and gyrating on pieces of furniture...