Being the first site visit of the winter quarter class, I was excited for what I would see and encounter at the Gary and Mary West Center in Downtown, San Diego. Upon arriving at the center we were greeted by the CEO of the local Non-Profit Serving Seniors. He provided us with information about the center as well as detailed some facts about the San Diego aging population. I learned that the center provides recreation, access to social services and healthcare, transitional living, and meals to seniors aged 60 years and older. I was surprised to learn that most of the clients are living below the poverty line, which equates to about 900 dollars a month, in which rents being around 750 dollars, leaves only 150 dollars for food, transportation, clothes and other necessities of daily living. We also learned some of the major issues facing the aging in San Diego. One such issue is the lack of affordable housing in San Diego, which is leading to influx of homelessness, where nearly 21% are over the age of 60. To alleviate this problem, policy and economic efforts are needed to ensure adequate affordable housing is created by 2030 when San Diego will have over 900,000 seniors. This along with other issues facing seniors further stressed the importance of having a center like Gary and Mary West Center to serve those seniors in need.
Once inside I was delighted to see such a bright and welcoming place for seniors to come too. We were able to see some of the things the center had to offer, such as a cyber café, game room, exercise classes, and social services offices. One such thing that stood out was having a dental office on site to provide dental care to seniors, a first of its kind in the nation. It was good to see how the center strives to treat the whole body and reach overall good health for its clients, with its main goal to allow seniors to maintain independence. After a discussion about different services and how insurance and the center is funded, we were then taken to the cafeteria where we were able to serve the seniors lunch. This was my favorite part of the day, as I was able to interact and talk to the seniors while they were eating. They were more than willing to share stories of their life, and they enjoyed having someone younger to connect with. Visiting the Gary and Mary West Center was a memorable experience and I look forward to more site visits in the community.
Once inside I was delighted to see such a bright and welcoming place for seniors to come too. We were able to see some of the things the center had to offer, such as a cyber café, game room, exercise classes, and social services offices. One such thing that stood out was having a dental office on site to provide dental care to seniors, a first of its kind in the nation. It was good to see how the center strives to treat the whole body and reach overall good health for its clients, with its main goal to allow seniors to maintain independence. After a discussion about different services and how insurance and the center is funded, we were then taken to the cafeteria where we were able to serve the seniors lunch. This was my favorite part of the day, as I was able to interact and talk to the seniors while they were eating. They were more than willing to share stories of their life, and they enjoyed having someone younger to connect with. Visiting the Gary and Mary West Center was a memorable experience and I look forward to more site visits in the community.