The location and views from Casa de Manana were amazing! I enjoyed the Spanish inspired architecture and the various activities for the residents from sightseeing to volunteering in a day care for them to socialize with different groups of people and learn new things. Life at Casa seems luxurious and I was shocked to find that there was a resident that will turn 100 next week. We met a guy who is very active in Casa and started a bingo group and a choir group. Another resident went skydiving on her 90th birthday! I have never met anyone over 80 who is still learning a new language or taking part in many activities to stimulate their brains. I do wish that we had more time to socialize with some of the residents there. Maybe if we were a smaller group we could have taken the chance to ask questions because I am very curious about their experiences and their views on life since they probably have a lot to share. It would be interesting to ask them what advice they have for people our age or what they think the meaning of life is. Seeing all of these residents talk about their lives and how involved they are makes me wonder how I will be when I am their age. From the introductions we got, I took away a couple of messages. It is never too late to do anything or learn things that you wanted to do. Don’t let stereotypes dictate your life. Live life open-minded and it is never too late to change your career. It is interesting to see the contrast in how people age from my own experiences living in San Francisco where most elderly people are first generation Americans with limited English and how educated elders age. I see the importance of brain stimulation and learning for people across the life course and I hope to create a healthy aging plan that incorporates both of these.
|
Amena NgWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
Categories |