Imagine you’re an elderly rehab patient, maybe trying to recover mobility after a stroke, and receiving treatment in a long-term care facility. Your therapist is a ferocious taskmaster, constantly...
Don’t buy green bananas
By
Gary Tetz
Jun 27, 2024
I just bought a house. Yes, at this age. A common admonition to those on intimate terms with aging and mortality is to avoid buying green bananas. Well, I chose to laugh in the face of that bit of...
Getting your steps in
By
Gary Tetz
May 30, 2024
I and most other humans I know are obsessed with steps, and not just of the 12 variety. We wear tracking devices 24/7, like an entire society under house arrest, and monitor step counts with religious...
The smiling robot
By
Gary Tetz
May 16, 2024
When I was still a prepubescent boy with many questions, never once did my father take me aside and explain how smiles are made. As a result, I’ve always been a terrible smiler, simply because I never...
Giving an ear to healthcare reform debate
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 28, 2012
Did you know you can download audio recordings of all oral arguments heard by the Supreme Court of the United States? I didn’t, and I haven’t been this excited since stumbling across all those...
Dr. Ben Carson nicks a long-term care nerve
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 24, 2013
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,...
In a death-phobic nation, long-term care embraces the ultimate privilege
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 21, 2022
Some in long-term care wake up thinking of pay cuts, business survival or reform. Me? I awoke this morning thinking about cremation.
When good men say nothing
By
Gary Tetz
Aug 05, 2021
Though Genesis HealthCare is making vaccinations for long-term care workers mandatory, I’m not so foolish as to reveal my own true feelings about the requirement. I fear the warring ghosts of liberty...
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...