Thank you so much for your response!
Although I did do a lot of day-to-day help with elderly residents and patients, the most fulfilling thing has been seeing their changes over long periods of time. A lot of my passion for geriatric medicine comes from seeing a close family member of mine struggle with losing their independence due to a severe musculoskeletal condition as a result of aging. With my hospice residents in particular, I've been with them for over 9 months so I've gotten to see how their daily challenges have changed them over time. As for working with disabled adults, two of the residents have Parkinson's and one has MCI.
I was born and raised in Minnesota. Lived there for 14 years (in a city adjacent to Mayo). I spent almost every weekend as a kid skiing and snowboarding during the winter, so I have experience with the harsh winters there. Not 100% sure if that still counts as close ties though.