This past week I officially moved into a new apartment. I was forced to move and my apartment complex didn’t honor my lease. Although this new apartment is not terrible, being displaced from a home when it’s not your choice is a hard thing to experience. Thinking back now, I think this is the first time this has happened to me.

My heart goes out to the families in California who have lost their homes. I can’t imagine going through losing a home and belongings in a way that is a hundred times worse than what I experienced.

I’m not sure if I am just in a certain mind set but performing the home assessment and thinking about our roles as health care providers to sometimes address the living situation that some of our patients will have is something I realize I have to prepare more for. Although some living situation may not be safe or ideal, I have to remember that people live their lives a certain way due to circumstances and that sometimes it’s the only way they know. Maybe however uncomfortable it is, there is also something jarring about being told that it’s not an ideal situation.

I really appreciate difficult and challenging times because it gives me the opportunity to reflect on my reaction to the circumstance and think about someone else going through it. My experience the past week, the natural disaster, and class activities that relate to addressing home environments has made me aware that “home” is something I have to educate myself more about and be more sensitive about when addressing it with patients.