Delivering health care to the elderly in a high-rise: a learning experience

Students in a gerontological nursing program can gain measningful experience in a metropolitan high-rise for the elderly, as well as provide needed services to the residents. Being involved in the planning stage for the experience proved to be almost as valuable as the experience itself. Working with well and not so well elderly persons in their own homes gives the student the experience she needs in looking for alternatives to institutional care. It also points out to the student the need for a "preventive" approach to health care. We found that it takes at least two quarters to solve problems that residents want settled. After their immediate needs were met, we could become more involved in increasing physical assessment skills. This is not to say that we could lose sight of the broad day-to-day problems that arose and had an effect on the residents. We learned not to plan any programs for the days when government checks or food stamps arrived, as most people left the building on those days. This experience was gratifying educationally as well as personally for both students and instructor.