LCS Blog Entry #1
In this blog entry, I’m going to be talking about my experience at the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center as well as how my experience as a CNA in a *nice* nursing facility has given me a different perspective on caregiving and aging in different financial situations.
Before going to the wellness center last week, I had only gone downtown a couple of times to bars at night, so I never really got a chance to really look at the streets and notice how prevalent homelessness is in that area. It was honestly shocking to see how many people were living out on the street with nowhere to go, and learning the statistic for how many beds (28) are open on any given night in the entire SD county was just heartbreaking. It’s so easy to see a homeless individual and think about them more as an issue that needs to be fixed rather than as a human being that’s facing extreme hardship. While listening to the CEO of the wellness center, I learned that a huge amount of homeless people are homeless because their savings were drained and they could no longer afford to live in their homes, so they found themselves out on the streets. It’s absolutely terrifying to think that all it takes is one big medical incident to drain your life savings and sweep you off your feet because that’s the type of bizarre thing that could happen to anyone when you least expect it. Meeting with the people from the wellness center reminded me to regard everyone with compassion and never assume anything about anyone’s situation.
After receiving a tour of the facility, we had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the older adults who were entering the dining hall for lunch. My classmate, Marilyn, and I got the chance to sit down at a table with four other seniors and two of them were kind enough to share a bit about their lives with us. These two women were charismatic and happy to engage in conversation and even though I was a little nervous at first, we started talking about dogs and I was all in. One of them showed me a picture of her neighbor's new puppy, so naturally, I started showing her pictures of my own dog and the conversation just flowed! It was such a great experience getting to know these ladies because it really showed me that no matter what situation you’re in, your outlook on life and financial position, and were away from family, however, they both saw the joy in being alive another day and getting to meet new people. It was a reminder of how easy it is to take life for granted and lose light of how blessed we are in our own lives.
I currently work at a nursing facility that’s part of a pretty nice retirement community. The residents there are mostly white and their families are very involved in their care. When I first stepped into the Gary and Mary West Center I realized just how huge the financial gap was between the residents I care for and the older adults that are living near downtown San Diego. A couple of weeks ago when we had our LCS retreat, Professor Lewis told us that older adults typically fall on either end of the financial spectrum; they are either well off or they are barely making enough social security to keep a roof over their head. In some cases, depending on where they live, social security sometimes isn’t enough to cover their housing costs so they end up in SRO’s, shelters, or on the streets. The number of seniors on the street is growing exponentially and there are not enough resources to help everyone, especially when the majority of these people require medical care as well. Seeing the stark difference between an older adult who lives in a nursing facility and has access to round-the-clock care versus an older adult who has to fend for themselves on the street is astounding.