Pre-Med Core Fieldwork Experience:

Observation and Reflection Process

Name: Guadalupe Macias A Day

Advisory Teacher: Keeble Senior

Location or Agency: Healdsburg Senior Living

Prepare:
Prior to your first visit​ to your fieldwork location, please answer and reflect on the following
questions:
1. What do you know of the location you will be visiting? What services does the
organization provide? What do you understand your purpose of the fieldwork trip to be?

I know that Healdsburg Senior Living is an assisted living facility for elderly people. Most
elderly people at HSL have alzheimer's and dementia. The purpose of the fieldwork trip is to
connect with the elderly people and get to know each other. Seniors at the HSL love to
connect with the students about any topic.

2. If you are visiting a specific department, what is their primary focus?

We didn't visit departments number one and two because there was a flu going on, so instead
we stayed in the main dining room where we got to sit with the patients and talk to them and/
or take them on walks outside.

3. What aspects of mental health do you imagine you will see during your observations?

Some aspects of mental health that i imagine would be are, alzheimer’s and dementia.

4. What bias (or preconceived ideas) might you have about the location you will be visiting?

Some ideas that I think will happen are definitely some talking, connecting with music,
memory talks ( meaning the elderly remembering some memories from his/her past).

5. Please do some brief research on your location. Cite your sources as you look for
information on their mission statement, stated services and clientele supported.

Healdsburg Senior Living is not only a place where elderly people stay to get help from
 nurses, but they also do activities in their daily life; such as bingo, bowling, pet visits, going on
walks and much more.

Observe:
Review the prompts in advance. Add to the text boxes after each visit, with dates labeled.

During your FIRST visit​:

- Take a look at your surroundings and read them as if close reading a text. Pay attention
to sensory details: signs posted, languages you hear, colors of the offices and uniforms.
Does your location have a certain smell or feel? What sounds do you hear? Etc. Record
your observations here.

Shadowing Date: Response: Healdsburg Senior Living felt like a home; they have a lot
1/29/18 of furniture, pets, and they also have different room settings.

During ALL Visits:

- Take notice of your reactions (emotional and physical) to different things and reflect on
why you might be reacting this way. Record these here.

Shadowing Date: Response: Our (Jasmine V. and my) ladies name is Mary and she is 102
years old. We were all very surprised at how old she is because she
looks very young.

Ask questions of the person you’re shadowing and/or the industry people you encounter:
- general questions of interest
- relating to your potential career choices
- mental health issues or challenges they encounter or see as important to consider.

Record your questions and answers here.

Shadowing Date: Response: A question/topic that came up was WW1 and WW2; I was
so honored and grateful that Mary was able to tell us personal stories
about her childhood life. I was speechless because she is such a
strong woman and I will definitely go back and visit her.
Reflect
After your return from shadowing each day, take a few minutes to reflect and answer the
following questions.
1. Describe a few specific highlights or observations from each day and a lesson (big or
small) you took away from each. Consider lessons that may be taken away from
negative experiences or challenges in your day as well as positive ones.

Shadowing Date: Response: Usually senior who are in Healdsburg Senior Living have a
hard time remembering what their past conversations were and something
that was so unique about Mary is that she was able to remember the
conversations and

2. A. After your ​first​ visit: How did the experience meet, exceed, or fall short of your
expectations? How does this inform your expectations or preparation for your next visit?
What can you do to enhance your experience next time, if applicable?

Shadowing Date: Response: At the beginning of this fieldwork experience I thought that
1/29/18 we were going to get someone who didn't talk as much or had really
bad disabilities so my partner and I were really anxious in meeting this
person. On May 13th was our last day and we definitely are going to
miss her because we ended up really having a connection and a huge
boned that she even called us her family.

B. On ​all​ visits: What connections) can you make between what you saw and mental
health:
- the role of mental health within this career path
- mental health needs or challenges within this community
- thoughts on how to prepare for or resolve these needs

Shadowing Date: Response: Jasmine’s and my patient did not have disabilities
1/29/18 physically ; she responded well to everything, she remembers
memories from when she was a child, and she remembers names of
friends and family.