While plodding a narrow, precipitous path high on the flank of Mt. Rainier this week, I saw a father and his young daughter approaching on the trail. She was an adorable child of maybe 4 or 5, all decked…
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…
Singing the praises of the unsung-est of heroes
By
Gary Tetz
Jun 01, 2023
In a long-term care profession rife with unsung heroes, women have usually been the unsung-est of them all. Then five years ago, McKnight’s stepped into the void and created the Women of Distinction…
Don’t spring a wellness leak
By
Gary Tetz
May 18, 2023
In a valiant attempt to achieve maximum personal and professional potential, and in support of her difficult job recruiting long-term care staff, a colleague of mine chooses one word every year on which…
End of the ‘youdate’
By
Gary Tetz
May 04, 2023
The departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security have announced their intention to “start the process to end” the COVID-19 vaccination mandate. Now, before we get too excited,…
Great resume. Now can I have a lock of your hair?
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 20, 2023
When interviewing a prospective long-term care employee, you’re right to be extremely skeptical. In this age of blatant resume deception and social media artifice, reality can be many layers deep. So…
Marry for love, or for blood sugar?
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 06, 2023
As a wounded veteran of multiple misguided unions, the McKnight’s headline raised at least one of my eyebrows: “Marriage, acrimonious or not, appears to protect blood sugar levels in seniors.” From…
Wine on a dog
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 23, 2023
You work in a difficult profession — long-term care. We all know that. I’m not even going to list the myriad challenges again, for fear of manifesting them into permanence. And yet, if your existence…
We don’t have any frogs. Now go away.
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 09, 2023
In a cruel twist of fate, I spent the past weekend in Las Vegas. Now, before I say more, I need to be clear: I love the people of Vegas, the long-term care facilities of Vegas, the long-term care staff…
Swearing good, drinking bad
By
Gary Tetz
Feb 23, 2023
Last time out here, I gave long-term care professionals official permission to swear, making the case, with strong scientific support, that an occasional obscenity is actually healthy. I assume for most…
It’s good for you, I swear
By
Gary Tetz
Feb 09, 2023
What did you say when you found out your director of nursing had quit? Or that a new COVID-19 variant was knocking at your facility door? Or when CMS announced that survey citations will appear on Care…
Finally, a pod-based staffing solution
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 26, 2023
Finding warm-ish, semi-qualified bodies is just part of the long-term care staffing challenge. Without being psychic or subjecting each applicant to a full, military-grade psychological evaluation, how…
Celebrating poise and positivity in chaos
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 12, 2023
At the end of a long shift on Christmas Eve, two CNAs are chatting in the facility parking lot. “Rough day,” says one. “A family member yelled at me about problems I can’t solve and things that…
On Prancer, on Crasher …
By
Gary Tetz
Dec 22, 2022
At this festive time of year, it’s all-too-easy to be charmed and delighted by visions of reindeer leaping from rooftops and scampering across the sky. But before we let such images cloud our judgment,…
Prolonging life, one smile at a time
By
Gary Tetz
Dec 08, 2022
I think it’s a law that every boy has to try secretly smoking behind the garage, at least once in childhood. For me, that first attempt involved a neighbor kid and I grabbing a handful of grass — no,…
Let there not be light
By
Gary Tetz
Nov 17, 2022
It’s the first command in the Biblical creation story — let there be light. But if you’re working a night shift in a long-term care facility, I need you to stop reading this right now and go turn…
The positive wake-up call
By
Gary Tetz
Nov 03, 2022
Generally, I’m a law-abiding citizen. If I have a good reason, I’ll occasionally violate a minor rule or two, but nothing significant. I don’t do much murder, for instance,
Things I Think: Save enough to get back home
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 07, 2022
I wanted so badly to keep going, to devote everything I had to my mission that day, and I felt like a complete failure when I turned around.
Breaking news: The pandemic was hard
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 06, 2022
That pandemic. Wow. While it was happening and people were dying and stuff, I remember thinking, “This is kind of a difficult time we’re going through. I feel a little stressed and anxious.” But…
Up from the ashes
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 08, 2022
With the president of AHCA predicting a difficult 2023, it confirmed just how tough a slog the road back from the darkest days of the pandemic will likely continue to be for long-term care. But if we’re…
