Track 3 #4 Personal Routine

I fully agree with David Greenburger in his radio broadcast about the personal routines of the elderly. Elderly people are extremely habitual, they require consistency, and I believe it helps them to feel safe. Just like when we are children and need a routine, and the comfort of knowing what to expect, we revert back to that same need as elder adults. Although routine is comfortable for people of all ages I have particularly noticed that some elderly people cannot function with out their normal routine. As for my generation of grandparents I think they need this routine because it is a duplication of the simple life they led. In this day and age our lives are far from simple, but my grandparents led simple lives, no computers, no cell phones, no crazy schedules and hectic lives. They worked, made money, and cared for their families. In my experience elderly people today need the simple things in life to be habitual or they feel lost, and confused at times scared. Putting an elderly person in a nursing home completely destroys everything they have grown to know and trust. Mr. Greenburger states that the experience of entering a nursing home is like being on a bus ride and never getting off, how true I believe this analogy to be. So many times these elderly people decline as soon as they enter, they don’t know how to deal with the change, as it is so different from the home they have always known.

Assisted Living Vs Nursing Homes

After reading this story about Doreen Sparks I realized a situation like this never even came to thought for me. How terrible to be living in a nice Assisted Living location then is told that you are being evicted due to your increasing medical problems. Having read these reading about nursing homes and the elderly it is so apparent that once being relocated to these places a serious loss of independence takes place. But in Doreen’s case you will have to experience this loss twice, and all the while taking steps down in the process. This seems like such a tough thing to have to do but it is inevitable, if there are standards and rules in Assisted Living places then it is bound to happen due to ageing and medical problems. I feel a huge deal of sadness for these people whom manage to finally make this place a home, only to eventually be uprooted due to medical issues. Again I feel class would play a huge role in this, without the proper money to pay for Assisted Living most elderly people aren’t even given the chance to experience this. However on the other hand if someone who is in a class that can afford such living how difficult it must be to go from your own home, to assisted living, and then to a nursing home all due to illness and aging. Just as the article states, dignity places a huge part in the struggle to accept their aging.

There must be a way to better transition these elderly people since we know this is a problem and bound to happen. The one thing that Assisted Living offers is a home like presence, this helps the transition for newly widowed, or newly ailing people that can no longer take care of themselves. Class or culture should never dictate how one spends the last years of there life. A home like setting should always be an option no matter if it needs to be a nursing home or assisted living. I don’t think that past generations had to make these decisions because today we live in a world of more greed and less empathy for those who need our help.

Nursing Homes Coming up Short

This article was extremely disturbing to me in the fact that nursing homes are lacking in so many areas. Not meeting state mandates, 93% turnover rate, 54% violating federal standards some of which including food preparation! The scary thing is that these are all based on Sonoma County nursing homes, the local places that house our elderly people. If this isn’t the exact opposite of the American Dream I don’t know what is. Once the hard decision is made to have to place your loved one here the last thing on one’s mind should be if they will be properly taken care of. Unfortunetly I think that class has a huge thing to do with this. If everyone could afford to put their loved ones in a beautiful assisted living facility with luxury accommodations they would. But the hard facts remain that when an elderly loved one is at a point where they need assistance there aren’t many choices if you are limited with funds. However this is no excuse for the basic necessities of these locations to not be meeting guidelines. This article states that the main reason for the problems is finding good quality nurses and keeping them employed there. I do not feel that we live in a society that gives enough thought to the elderly, nor do people want to take responsibility to make things better for them. I feel this attitude could be a reason for why it is difficult to keep these nurses around. On the other hand I would find it difficult to work in an environment that holds such low standards; it would be terrible to see that everyday.

This is such a terrible problem today; something must be done to raise the expectations, or the repercussions to these low ratings. Life is difficult enough when you must be forced into a place like this; it is unacceptable that these nursing homes here in California aren’t meeting even the lowest guidelines. With this as problem there is no conceivable way these nursing homes could ever be called anything close to home. I think as our economy has grown weaker we may have cut corners in these facilities, and just in the thought process of how to care for the elderly. We must create a culture that puts more pride into elderly care; it is our duty to make the last years of the elderly life the best it can be. After all we are all headed there, and we will all want that same respect when it comes time for us to experience this type of life.

"Quality of Life in Assisted Living Facilities: Viewpoints of Residents"

It is obvious that the meaning of “Home” in this day for the residents of nursing homes is very lacking. The majority of these elderly people do not consider these places a home, and how could they? In many cases it is much the opposite of home, although they tend to make the best of it, the sadness is very eminent. I think that the American Dream in connections with our homes pretty much dies when you enter a nursing home. It was very sad to me to hear that so many of these elderly people suffer from depression and anxiety, how terrible to live that last few years of your life this way, I think this is pretty much where the American Dream ends for most people. The loss of freedom, the ability to do all things for themselves, and just the sense of loneliness are just a few things that plague these elderly people. I did however find it interesting that the vast majority were all of Caucasian race, women and widowed. I have been told in the past that certain races refuse to put their loved ones in a nursing home. I wonder if culturally this is true. Having visited my grandmother in a nursing home last year I did notice the majority being woman, and white. I have a terrible vision of nursing homes because of those visits to my grandmother. After reading these evaluations, and the facts from the mouths of these elders it only confirms what I saw here in Sonoma County with my own eyes. I was however surprised to hear that when interviewed in the quality of life article 94% of residents were satisfied with the quality of care. However 54% suffered from depression, and in another question 44% were lonely. I think these statistics alone speak very loudly, if 94% of the residents are happy with the care they get but such high numbers still exist about being unhappy it is obvious this lifestyle and surroundings are the cause. Most of the people interviewed expressed happiness that they had private rooms. But again another problem expressed by residents was boredom. I think it would be very difficult as an elderly person to be uprooted, moved, and have your independence taken from you. I would think it would be impossible to call this life home. Although I think most of these people make the best of the situation, they still suffer, and in most cases it accelerates their time left alive. This was a very interesting read for me, I like that the author gave the residents a voice of how they feel about their living conditions. I find it a very sad subject when it comes to having to make the painful choice to put a loved one in a facility like these. I think that elderly people make the best of it by no means it is a place to truly call home, and it is a far cry for the “American Dream” of a white picket fence.

Todd Hido: House Hunting....

This interview seemed strange, just as Mr Hido's work. I do think however that in some of his pictures he captures absolutely beautiful work. The way the light and fog intertwine. And even how the light hits the houses in some of the pictures, it really is beautiful. However it is obvious that he is focusing on the depression of these homes. I think he purposely has chosen homes in run down areas, and homes that are older. His pictures as he describes are very mysterious, as well as what may go on within them. There wasn't much that I found positive with these pictures, strange, mysterious, even cool at times but not a happy atmosphere to me at all. Where as in the other two pieces we have read, Lahrmer's and Owens work, they differ very much to me. In Owens photography it was happy, interesting, and full of family values. Lahrmer's article spoke of a family enviornment, a loving, and comfortable neighborhood. I feel none of this from Todd's work, only depression, and a vision of the dark side of suburbia.

Even the comment they get from the gentleman about them blocking his driveway, the man was obviously grumpy, kind of fitting the style of houses he photographes, rough and scary. Yet I do think this gives us another example that not all suburban areas are full of soccer moms and girl scouts. And in the depths of the night even in suburbia people live in seperate rooms not interacting. It just brings us a dose of reality that not all suburbia life is pleasant.

I do find his photography interesting, and some beautiful. However I am much more attracted to the family pictures that Owens took, they all had great stories behind them. Owens work was more upbeat and realistic where Mr Hido kinds of leaves his work open ended to the imagination, and given the pictures nature the outcome would always be depressing to me.

Bill Owens and Patricia Lahrmer Response

As I read the Bill Owens interview and photography piece I felt he was very in touch with today's suburbia and the culture they develop. It is obvious that he could see that even the boring days that suburbia brings there is a very deep level of love, caring, family, and life within. I felt from him that he had a love for the family life that living in suburbia can produce. Owens seemed to have wanted everyone to understand that living in this environment wasn't some boring stigma that was a curse, but rather a sense of pride and feeling. The picture of the mother in the kitchen with the dishes, could have been seen in such a different context without his comment on the bottom. Here he again tries to get people to understand the family values and caring expressed in these communities. She wasn't at all concerned with the dishes but rather people dieing in another country. I think that toward the end of her article Patricia Lahrmer comes to terms with how deep that same feeling is, a feeling you get from living in a small suburban community. Unlike Owens she didn't at first see how living there created a feeling of comfort, security, and ownership. It took her some time and personal growth to break free from the stigma. However I think by the end of her article and after quite some time in the suburban neighborhood she saw the value in being a part of that type of life. While at first glance everything seems so boring, it is so much deeper than that. I think she began to feel pride because of the family values that surrounded her. Just as Owens shows in his photographs at times living in those neighborhoods it is like one big family all looking out for each other. Just like she felt a connection to that dog, because she learned to care deeply for the surroundings she once condemned.

I enjoyed both the article and learning about Bill Owens and his photographs. Although I do not feel that some suburban neighborhoods are diverse enough there is a sense of security to them. Though in this day and age you are not free from crime or worry suburbia is a wonderful place to raise children and instill family values, as shown in both pieces.

Criteria for Reading Landscape

In Criteria for a Healthy Landscape Paul Groth challenges us to study landscape in specific ways. He uses 7 guidelines for reading and understanding the landscape we live amongst. I found it easy to relate his criteria for a Healthy Landscape to one of my favorite places to go. Howarth Park has numerous attributes that have drawn me there for years. Now having used these criteria to study Howarth Park in a different way I see it from other angles that were always there just never noticed.

Howarth Park for me is a place to release tension and stress, a place to exercise, and a place to get fresh air. One of Paul Groths criteria is to realize the physical and physiological ways a landscape affects us. Howarth Park does this in many ways although the individual must be willing to engage this activity. Another way his criteria are spelled out is how we connect with social groups. I have been able to connect with friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers each time I visit Howarth Park. A long walk with my sisters talking about how to plan my wedding ceremony, or watching my children run around and play peek-a-boo in the play structure. Four years ago I met a stranger there, a mother of 4 children, 3 of them type one diabetics. She met me there as a newly diagnosed diabetic mother, why, to offer support, strength, advice and love all to someone she never met. We now have a loving friendship that all started at the playground of Howarth Park, and now my son has friends that he can share is experience of diabetes with. There is no social ladder to go there, there is no money required, just the yearning for fun, activity, and nature.

His third criterion for a healthy landscape involves removing yourself from chaos. I cannot think of a better place to do this exact thing. It can be quiet, serene, and peaceful, I can always count on the ability to walk around the lake and think, to me that is the ultimate. Paul Groth explains that a healthy landscape allows flexibility, spontaneity, and diversity. This was easy to relate, I rarely visit there without running into an old friend, past teacher, friends of my children, even family members! All types gravitate here especially during beautiful weather. Flexibility means it fits you, and this place offers so many different ways to make you happy.

I have connected to outsiders through the numerous fundraising events I attend every year here. The Heart walk, The Human Race, and many other social groups meet here, it is a sacred and serine place to share common goals. At least 90% of the people I see here smile and say hello, which is connecting with outsiders.

Nature must be healthy criteria; you cannot get closer to nature in any city than here. The birds, the water, the trees, it is beautiful and fresh every time I go. The fact that many people frequent this park simply shows their love for it. People thrive and allow themselves to enjoy this public space, I think it is a gift even now writing about it I realize how much it can offer.

In my own experience Paul’s criteria relates to my Kmart experience through his criteria #1. Kmart in my opinion allows those on a budget to afford means of survival. Food, clothing and other necessities are offered at Kmart at a discount, many people these days depend on this.

24 Hours at the Golden Apple

This broadcast opened the door for me to see how such different people can come to a common place and mix. I found this experiment to be particularly interesting since I have always considered myself a “people watcher”. What this broadcast helps us to understand is although people come from such different backgrounds, ages, interests, and careers they all come to this same place for comfort. I think these people are what shape this public space, with out the stories or personalities it would seem empty. It is the character and actions of these people that control the way a public space like this runs and moves from hour to hour. Donna for example has been working at this diner for 26 years, a beautiful mother of three works the night shift I believe for the specific reason of being around these people. Donna being a single mom needed to work the night shift but I think she finds comfort in helping to take care of these people. Bringing cookies for the homeless on Christmas Eve, going to local shows to watch patrons perform, helping a man to read his mail when he does not understand, this may be an extension of taking care of her kids at home, it is what she loves to do. In addition these same customers come to this quaint family restaurant in search of her. The find the same comfort in her that she searches for in them.

Even the young friends that come there to meet boys, they are adding a young, carefree feeling to this type of place. Eddy the harmonica player adds a small amount of happiness as he puts a smile on a face or two in the early morning hours. The older people who frequent the Golden Apple educate us about the changes over the decades, and they also remind us of how much society has changed. Kay the older woman lived here all her life, her story teaches us how much things have changed from the real estate to the changing views of gay people. She also reminds us that racial lines still exist, or at least in the minds of those around her, and quite possibly herself. All these situations add to the ambiance of a restaurant. Without the voices and stories it is just another place.


I do not think that Applebee’s or Chevy’s even remotely compare to the Golden Apple by far. It is very rare in this day and time to find that kind of personal treatment, and family feel. The strange thing is that the same people can frequent a place like Applebee’s but it isn’t the same as when you walk into a place like the Golden Apple. The Golden Apple is a place that makes people feel comfortable; I think it begins with the owner and the staff. Then I believe it trickles down and draws in the same good people. The fact that this restaurant has been there for so long and stays open all night serving all types of people, it attracts the same people too. It speaks very strong that in this broadcast we learn that ¾ of the customers are regular customers that some on a daily basis. They even come up to 2-3 times a day, and often times stay for hours. In the conversation with the cops they are even comparing the establishment to Mel’s Diner; I think it was a great comparison. I also found it interesting that one of the cops remembered all the names of the patrons, and the waitress, however got the name of the place wrong by calling it the "Golden Pancake". This proves, in my opinion, that most people come for the company and service. I really enjoyed listening to this broadcast and think it was such a great experiment. One could learn more about people from listening to that then studying people in books for years!