This past Wednesday was our third lecture of the quarter and there was a lot to discuss. We started with a little debrief about the Gary and Mary West Center, I really enjoyed hearing what my peers had to say because a lot of what they mentioned was something I had in mind to mention. During this lecture we also discussed the oral project and any questions we may have but I think a lot was answered the day of the retreat and during this class. We also had the pleasure to have some of the life scholars from past years and have them talk about their healthy aging projects. It was really nice hearing all the ideas they had and were able to bring together in an amazing project, after they had the opportunity to discus this we all came together and also discussed new ideas. Everyone had very great ideas and cannot wait to see them come together! The topic about planning the senior prom also came up and we each split up into different groups to see who would be in charge of things, for example who would be in charge of activities, food, etc. The neighborhood project was another topic we discussed and we decided to do three neighborhoods: Golden Hills/ North Park, Barrio Logan and La Jolla. I have the opportunity to be in the Barrio Logan group and I cannot wait to start on this project and access it using the World Health Organization Framework. The purpose of this framework is to see how age friendly the neighborhood is, I think this is an amazing project that will help us have a more clear understanding of what is considered an age friendly community and if that is something we see in neighborhoods in San Diego. I am excited to see what my group and I access in Barrio Logan but also what my other peers get from their neighborhoods and come together to see what they got. I look forward to this project and many more experiences in this program (:
This past Thursday, January 17th 2018, was our first site visit of the quarter to The Gary and Mary West Center. Visiting this center was such an incredible experience because not only were we able to interact with the elderly there but we were also able to serve them their food and get a tour of the facility. When we first arrived at the center, I somewhat thought it was a living community for the elderly but I then learned it was a wellness center that offered a lot of amazing thigs. For instance the Gary and Mary West Center offered a cyber room that allowed the elder to use computers, internet, etc. It was so adorable to see the elders in this room sitting on a desk using a computer, I imagined them using face-book to communicate with friends or family (: I also saw many elders in a fitness room/class which is amazing because it is always important to do some sort of physical activity to keep our health going, I really loved that this center offered this but one thing that most stands out to me was the dentist. Being a public health major and learning so many things in my courses I know that one thing that our system lacks is oral care. When I learned that this center provided oral care I was so happy because keeping one’s teeth clean and healthy also keeps us from diseases and pain in our mouth. The center offers many other things but these were the ones that stood out to me the most.
At the center we also had the opportunity to spend some time with some of the elders that were waiting for lunch. I was able to interact with a table of about 6 women, but I talked to two the most. I cannot seem to remember their names (bummer) but they were such beautiful and amazing women. The first women I talked to was telling me how she got to San Diego and how she comes to eat most days with her group of friends, what I found so adorable though was that the first thing she asked me was how old I thought she was. She was so happy to hear that I gave her an age that was much younger from her actual age and went on to say that tons of people tell her the same thing, that she looks much younger. The other women I talked to also first asked me how old I thought she was and from there went on to tell me that a couple months ago or a year the entrance security did not want to let her into lunch because she was not in the age range to receive food. She went on to say that the person thought she was much younger and didn’t qualify for lunch but also said that one of the main people told the security person that no one should ever get neglected from entering. She also asked me if I worked at UCSD Hospital, I think a lot of the elders there thought that because I kept getting the same question but I had to explain that we were students at UCSD, from there the elderly women explained that she asked me this question because her son used to go to UCSD hospital because he had cancer and how he passed away a couple of months ago but is now able to explain this without crying. She ended by explaining were she grew up and telling me to take care. It was a great experience talking to the elder but what most impacted me was observing them as they ate. I clearly remember a man who did not finish all his food and instead of throwing it away he got a plastic cup and began to put the left overs in there so he could take. This really made me tear up because it really got me thinking how there are so many people in this world who maybe this is their only meal or don’t completely eat what they get because they want to save some for later. There are times when I have to throw out some food that I didn’t get the chance to eat completely but it always makes me feel bad, but seeing this man do that just hurt me. It made me realize that I am very lucky to be were I am at right now and to appreciate everything I have around me. I am glad I was able to attend this center and learn but also be more motivated to help program that assist the elder or anyone who is in need of food, shelter and health. I know that this program with teach me so much and I cannot wait, that way I can use what I learned and apply it to the real world to help programs like this. I would also like to take this time and thank Monique for offering her car to drive some of my peers and I to the center and back to school! Thank you (: Our first retreat for this course was on Saturday, January 13th 2018 and it was a wonderful wonderful time. The Martin Johnson House in La Jolla was just beautiful, it was right next to the beach with a beautiful view. While attending the retreat we received breakfast and lunch, its crazy how time flew by so quick. I don’t think I have a top number 1 activity because all of the activities we did I really enjoyed. The first one that we did we had a paper taped on our back with a word that we had to guess ourselves with yes or no questions only, although I think we didn’t all just ask those type of questions (: After guessing what our word was we had to find a partner who’s world was connected to our word and then come up with 3 things we had in common. My word was role and my partners, Jacqueline, was role = rock and role. I had never interacted with Jacqueline before and I learned so much from her and I hope all her dreams and aspirations come true! The next activity was also really fun, it was a board game and I learned that people who come from a very disadvantaged background will face may many barriers that can lead to really bad outcomes such as death. Health care access is a big concern that maybe not a lot of people who have access don’t see how advantaged they are. For example, my mother was diagnosed with fibroids last year while she has access to care and was able to treat them but midway last year we lost healthcare insurance because my parents were “making more money than they should” according to medical. Therefore healthcare insurance was cut off and just last month before coming back to school my mother got horrible stomach pain because of the fibroids but she couldn’t go to the hospital because she didn’t have insurance, it was really sad seeing her in so much pain, but the pain got so bad we had to take her to the ER. Currently she is better, but the most she can do about this situation is be on a strict diet were she doesn’t consume high in spice, estrogen, etc. Her situation reminded me so much of the board game because in my group we got a very disadvantaged situation in which barriers kept arising and eventually caused the death of us (pretend). Things accumulate after a while or you think you are doing better but something hits and it can send you downhill tremendously simply because you are in a disadvantaged situation.
The reflection walk was another activity that also got me to think and me appreciative of what I have. It is really true that when we don’t have pain or sort of impairment/disability etc. we don’t think of our surroundings or what we are blessed with. I really loved this activity because although it was just a walk, it got me to reflect on a lot of things that I would not do on daily bases. Thanks to this walk I am grateful to God for everything I have, even if sometimes I wish things were different but we all learn from our experiences. Being more open to our surroundings also allows us to see what if available and what is not and how people may feel when places where they live, work, visit etc. are not accessible to their needs. I think that speaking up and joining community projects or groups can help organize community based initiatives that support accessibility in the community. At the retreat we also had the pleasure to have the author of 7 Memories: Partnering To Write A Memoir, Patricia Benesh and her assistant discuss how to build memoir with our EP. I really liked how Dr. Lewis and Dr. Bussell were able to bring her to the retreat because she explained and provided feedback on how to work on our memoir with our EP. She discussed the 4 steps to take which included an invitation, preparation, writing and distribution. Through this workshop I was able to get a more clear idea about the project and I really liked how she talked about alternatives if our EP was very simple with their responses. I personally would have not thought of asking family members to say something they appreciated about an EP and based on those responses try and get the EP to say more. Overall I really liked this workshop, during the retreat I was getting very excited to work on this project with my grandmother but I would also like to do this as a personal gift in the long run for my family and future husband. The retreat was a success and a wonderful experience, everything that we learned and played had a purposeful learning experience from it. I also really loved being able to learn my peer’s names and get to talk to them more and learn more then just their name, major, and year. These 2 quarters in this program with be a great experience and cannot wait for what is to come (: Thank you Dr. Lewis and Dr. Bussell for an amazing retreat (: January 10th 2018 was the first day of class, USP 141A: Life Course Scholars Research & Core Fundamentals. On the first day of class Dr. Lewis and Dr. Bussell passed out the syllabus, guidelines for the book presentation as well as the guidelines for personal reflections. It was an ordinary first day of class in which we went over a good amount of objectives and overview of the course. We discussed our future projects/assessments that consisted of the oral history project, the neighborhood assessment and the healthy aging project. I am really really excited to get to work on all these assignments, especially being able to collaborate and maybe work with some of my new peers (: During class we also got the opportunity of seeing other student’s extraordinary person and also listen to why they chose to do that EP. It was really beautiful hearing why my peers chose their EP and what they hope to get from this oral history project. I noticed that a lot of the students chose their EP to be their grandparents, parents or someone very very close to them. I really enjoyed this because not only did I hear about their EP but I also got to learn my peers name more. When the power-point showed the picture of the EP’s it also showed my peer’s name which made it easier for me to memorize their name, although I still need a little more practice but it is getting there. During the first day of class I also got to choose what book I was going to do the book presentation on and its on, Selling The Fountain Of Youth. I am also really delighted to read this book and learn how society presents aging. I don’t know why but every time I look at this books title I always think it says foundation instead of fountain so when I was trying to look for it on amazon I couldn’t find it, until I realized that I had foundation instead of fountain. The first day of lecture went great and I am very excited for what awaits in the future with the professor and my peers but I am also very excited to have a broader perspective of aging and connect my understandings more deeply. One thing that the professors mentioned in class was maybe learning a dance for the members in Casa de Manana I believe, I am so excited about that also, I am always thrilled to learn new things but most importantly create new friendships and expand my knowledge on things.
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Iris GonzalezArchives
June 2018
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