This morning we went to visit Casa de Manana in downtown La Jolla. The actual building itself looked quite ordinary from the outside, but it looked stunning on the inside. It had a beautiful view of the shore and some sea lions. The walkability of the surrounding community was impressive as it included fresh air, benches and railing where needed.
The common areas and facilities inside Casa de Manana were clean and well-maintained. I could definitely feel the hotel vibe that the woman giving us the tour was talking about. All the seniors I saw looked happy to be there and appreciative of all the amenities that were offered. They also had the opportunity to continue reading and learning from all the books and activities that were offered. From the seniors we engaged with, I could tell that everyone in this senior living community was well-educated and enjoyed having the ability to continue growing their brain and worldly knowledge despite their age.
Even though it was delightful to see all these seniors here living their life to the fullest, I was sad to see how vastly the living conditions differed for high-income seniors compared to those living below the poverty line. It felt almost unfair that there are people who live in luxury with unlimited access to meals, pastries, coffee, tea and water 7 days a week when there are people who are only offered 2 meals per day for 5 days a week. The vast difference between living expenses and rent also surprised me (~$800/month for affordable housing units compared to $3,500-12,000/month for a studio/villa at Casa de Manana). All in all, I left Casa de Manana feeling very conflicted with a mixture of feelings.
The common areas and facilities inside Casa de Manana were clean and well-maintained. I could definitely feel the hotel vibe that the woman giving us the tour was talking about. All the seniors I saw looked happy to be there and appreciative of all the amenities that were offered. They also had the opportunity to continue reading and learning from all the books and activities that were offered. From the seniors we engaged with, I could tell that everyone in this senior living community was well-educated and enjoyed having the ability to continue growing their brain and worldly knowledge despite their age.
Even though it was delightful to see all these seniors here living their life to the fullest, I was sad to see how vastly the living conditions differed for high-income seniors compared to those living below the poverty line. It felt almost unfair that there are people who live in luxury with unlimited access to meals, pastries, coffee, tea and water 7 days a week when there are people who are only offered 2 meals per day for 5 days a week. The vast difference between living expenses and rent also surprised me (~$800/month for affordable housing units compared to $3,500-12,000/month for a studio/villa at Casa de Manana). All in all, I left Casa de Manana feeling very conflicted with a mixture of feelings.