Pre-Med Junior Fieldwork Reflection Writing:  

 
Name​: 
Emily White 
 
A/B Day:  
A Day 
 
Advisory Teacher:  
Vinson 
 
Fieldwork Location:  
Healdsburg Senior Living 
 
 
PREPARING FOR YOUR VISIT:  
Complete this section ​before​ you go on your fieldwork trip. If you do not know about the 
organization, please research and include your research findings below. 
 
 
1. What do you know of the location you will be visiting? What services does the 
organization provide?  
Healdsburg Senior Living is a housing community located in Healdsburg that offer a 
variety of assisted living services, with the help of a “skilled, caring, and experienced staff.” 
The facility offers independent and assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, long and 
short term rehabilitation, and outpatient care. 
 
2. If you are visiting a specific department within the agency, what is that department's 
primary focus?  
 
Windsor High School students will be engaging in a ‘buddy’ system with the residents at 
the Healdsburg Senior Living community. We will talk to them about our lives and theirs, 
and share with them what we hope will brighten their day. It is important the Seniors are 
able to engage in activity, and not just stuck in their living quarters with no interaction. 
Their lives can become depressing and sad with isolation. We will go there and try to 
prevent their lives from becoming uneventful and lost. 
 
3. What is the public health function the organization/agency addresses?  
(Assessment, Policy Development, Assurance) 
 Healdsburg Senior Living Community functions as an assurance for the elderly in our 
community.  
 
4. What preconceived ideas (personal bias) do you have about the location you will be 
visiting? 
 
I am excited about going to Healdsburg Senior Living. I believe it will not only be a 
positive impact on the Seniors’ lives, but also on mine. I will learn how to understand the 
lives of those living with constant challenges. It will be a good experience. I have heard 
how some senior living centers are run; no interaction or engagement of the residents, 
leading to a dull, depressing, and ultimately one hundred percent medicated life. That 
would be so sad, to one day be living a happy, free life, then be put into a room, where 
you aren’t able to experience the same happiness as you did before. I have heard 
Healdsburg Senior Living tries its best to overcome this stereotype of senior living 
facilities, and I hope that proves true. 
  
 
 
 
​ URING YOUR VISIT - OBSERVATION: 
D
Review the prompts i​ n advance​ and take a small notebook on your fieldwork visit. You should 
be taking notes on each of these topics so you will be able to add your observations ​after you 
return.  
Close Read your Surroundings:  
Observe the physical space 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 the location have a certain smell? 
● what sounds do you hear?  
Observations: 
Day 1​ (10/21/2019): The environment is busy. There is constant movement of staff and 
residents moving around. This is good because it creates a lively world inside this 
confined place. They is a lot of talking (english). Communication is good for the residents. 
However, while some are talking and talking, others are falling asleep. (It’s a bit funny to 
watch.) The environment smells a little hospital like. I am not necessarily comforted by 
this, but the visual appearance of the dinning area was inviting. 
Day 2 ​(12/02/2019): The environment today is very similar to what it was like the last visit. 
There are always people moving around, both staff and residents. The residents passing 
by always look into the dining room where WHS students and residents are visiting and 
smile and wave at us. I felt like a few more residents were sleeping this time than last. The 
colors in the room are mostly brown, which isn’t the happiest color but it’s better than just 
 white or gray. The room is inviting.  
Day 3 ​(01/28/2020): The workers are busy completing their routines...cleaning, organizing, 
helping. The dining room has no residents in it when we arrive so it seems quite quiet. But 
when they start to arrive the room fills with more energy. They seem happy to see us. 
Everything seemed in order. All the tables are preset ready for anything to come or that’s 
needed. It smells sweet and clean. Like a kitchen, just cleaned after breakfast. It’s relaxing.  
 
 
Observe your Emotional Response: ​Take notice of your reactions (emotional and physical) 
to different things and reflect on why you might be reacting this way.  
 
Observations: 
Day 1​ (10/21/2019): So I understand the living center is a place for the elderly to receive 
attention and care for their ailments, but I couldn't help but feel sad for them. The 
residents are confined to this place, where routine can become extremely tiring. Jay, my 
partnered resident, said the hardest thing for him is not being able to have to freedom to 
go out and spend time on his own and do what he wishes to do. I understand. I can’t 
imagine one day being able to decide to go to the store, then the next day, just not. 
However, on the other hand, despite the hardships that the residents face because of the 
limitation they have developed, the opportunities they are presented with can brighten 
their lives. I can see they joy Jay was feeling when we were simply talking. I let him tell me 
about his family (some parts were sad as he remembered how his sister died, or how his 
niece seems to be taking advantage of him) and the good ‘ol days. I enjoyed listening. I do 
wish there was a way that the residents could be treated with more individuality, and give 
them more personally power, but I understand that is hard with all their ailments. 
Day 2 ​(12/2/2019): I feel bad for the residents. I’m sure the staff tries to make the 
environment enjoyable and ‘homie’ for the residents, but I can’t help but feel sad that they 
are metaphorically and literally stuck there. Jay, Kelly and mine’s buddy, said today, “I 
shouldn’t be here. I am health and everything, but my niece thinks I need to be here.” My 
conflict is not with the fact that he should or should not be in the home, it is that Jay does 
not feel his emotional belonging to what is his new home. I am guessing many of the 
residents feel this way; restricted from the outside world. They feel like something has 
been taken away from them, which it has; their freedom. On the other hand other 
residents are laughing and talking and warming the room with their spirits. This is when I 
think to myself that this is a great place to live out the rest of your life. Where you are 
being taken care of and given the opportunities to enjoy themselves. I have conflicting 
feelings about the living center, but I am sure that WHS student visits are no doubtly a 
positive experience for the residents and us students. It makes me feel good to be there 
with them. 
Day 3 ​(01/28/2020): One table had a group of residents and students. They were calling it 
a party. There seemed to be a lot of energy, or as much as to be expected. I felt happy for 
them. I think it’s good to change up the residents’ routines. And keep exciting things 
happening in their lives. Kelly and I got a new resident today, Cathleen. Jay was feeling 
sick today. Cathleen brought a new light to the conversation. She was very positive and 
made our conversation very happy and positive. I was happy to be talking to her because 
 it showed that some of the residents are happy there. Not all of them feel like Jay, 
imprisoned in the residency with force from an outside influencer. That makes me feel 
good and has a more positive outlook on these institutions.  
 
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 
- public health-related issues and challenges they see as important to consider.  
 
Record your questions and answers here. 
 
Observations: 
- Do you have any other visitors? → My niece, but she doesn’t come often. She is 
busy. 
- Can you remember details about the war or just broad information? —> It depends. I 
remember things that happened. My two cousins died in a plane collision during the 
war. The planes were not very advanced. They couldn’t even fly over the Himalaya 
mountains. 
- What jobs did you do? —> I was a truck driver for 20 years. I was also in the military 
for about 4 years until I was called home by my mom who was taking car of my 
eight year old sister, because my dad got sick.  
- Do you have any siblings? —> I had 4 sisters and 6 brothers. I am the youngest. And 
I’m the last one left.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Summary Reflection   
After your return from your fieldwork experience address each prompt below to capture your 
thoughts on your experience.  
 
Reflect on specific highlights or observations from the day. What was a lesson (big or small) 
you took away from your experience? Consider lessons that presented themselves in both 
positive and negative ways.  
Reflection: After returning from the Healdsburg Senior Living Community, I feel I am 
empowered by the experiences and conversations I have with the members there. I 
really enjoy talking with the citizens, and I feel like I am learning too. I am learning about 
their lives and what it was like when they grew up and how they saw the world at that 
 time. I enjoy listening to their stories and comparing how different the world was then, 
about fifty plus years ago. I am also learning and enhancing my skills on how to have a 
conversation. Sometimes the buddies want to listen to what you have to say, and you 
have to know how to effectively get your point across because some of them are quite 
hard of hearing. Others want you to listen to them, and you have to stay attentive and 
engaged in the conversation. I don’t mind listening. I find the stories interesting. Overall I 
think the biggest lesson I have learned so far is trying to understand that what I find to 
be easy, like scooting my chair in to get closer to the table, the seniors find as a great 
obstacle. Or that my hearing is a lot stronger than theirs, so I need to keep in mind that I 
need to keep my voice level at an effective level. I am grateful for this experience and 
what I have learned and will continue to learn from it.  
 
How did the experience meet, exceed, or fall short of your expectations? Explain and 
include specific details from your fieldwork notes to help support your answer 
Reflection: Overall, this experience has met my expectations. Visiting with the seniors I 
can see they are well cared for and are giving opportunities to stay healthy and enjoy 
their lives, to some extent. However, I can also see that some of the seniors, being 
stuck in the building to live out the rest of their lives, are lonely and longing for their 
freedom once more. I know that these types of facilities try to minimize this mindset for 
their members, but I can’t help but feel badly for them. I wish I could give them the 
freedom they long for. This is the only part that fell short of my expectations. But not 
the fact that the learning experience overall was inspiring. I am grateful that we, high 
school students, are able to give the seniors a light in their days.  
 
What connection can be made between what you ​saw​ on your fieldwork experience and 
the functions of Public Health?  
Some suggestions 
- the role of public health within this career path 
- public health needs or challenges within the field you observed 
- thoughts on how to address these needs 
 
Reflection: The role of public health is to care for the general public and to meet their 
health needs. The Healdsburg Senior Living center is an explicit example of this type 
of institution. Health care workers are provided with the task to not only medically 
care for these patients, but to also make their lives engaging and enjoyable. I am sure 
it is a challenge to equally distribute the mindset for doing your job well and also 
effectively making those around you feel like more than patients. Staying happy and 
encouraging as a worker, and engaging in conversation with your patients would be a 
way to succeed in this balance. I believe this career role in the health care system is 
extremely important because it’s not only providing medical attention but also trying 
to make a personable connection between patient and provider.