Today our group ventured to Lovisenberg Omsorg+ for our community health clinical. Omsorg+ is housing for those over age 67 who can mostly manage on their own but feel it is unsafe, impractical or lonely to do so. At Omsorg+, these individuals have their own apartments with various community spaces where they can connect and continue to build relationships. Here they have a program called “eat with friends” where volunteers from the community can come and have dinner with the residents. Today our group participated in this by serving them dinner and keeping them company during the meal. This aligns with health goal #3, ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, as this program aids in decreasing the health concern of loneliness and social wellness for this particular age group.
While we were there we noticed a few assistive devices we have not seen used in the US. The first was an assistive device for the stairs pictured above to help them up and down the stairs in a safe and discreet way. This is comparable to the chair lift but allows the person to still have some independence and takes up less space. We also noticed a difference in the walkers they used, they had elbow supports to allow them to stand straight up while walking versus normal walkers where many users become hunched over. Overall we felt they were able to move around better and had much better posture with the use of this type of walker.
Lastly, we brought an Ohio tradition to Norway, making buckeyes! We explained to them where the candy got its name and how to make them. And then of course we ate the candy when we were done! They were overjoyed by the whole experience and loved the buckeyes! Some asked for seconds and thirds, and even asked to take some back to their room for later! It was such an amazing experience to show them this and see their joy in learning about it.
