For our first off-campus visit, we were taken on a quick tour of the senior facilities in Downtown, San Diego. The drive was about 20-30 minutes from campus. As a student who lives on-campus, without a car, it was a startling experience that will remain with me throughout and beyond this experience as a Life Course Scholar. Given that our university campus is quite isolated from the real aging world, I was not previously aware of the local housing and support centers that are available for all aging citizens. It was wonderful to learn that we have these services but it was also clear that there is not enough support for the growing elderly population. Walking along the busy downtown streets brought attention to the elderly and homeless population. It was unfortunate but powerful to see Dr. Lewis help an elderly homeless woman who was collapsed on the downtown streets. The average person ignored the woman, emphasizing the lack of empathy and concern for this population. Before encountering such a situation, I would not know how to react. But after learning the context that day, I would help in a simple way- perhaps also buying her water myself. The variation in the locations stood out the most. There was a marvelous senior facility in a comfortable living area, but shockingly about less than a mile away there was an older smaller run down facility. The layout of Downtown San Diego unfortunately does not accommodate the borders between lifestyle and poverty. I have become aware that it is important to recognize and treat this growing population in a special manner. This course exposes us scholars to the projects that can work towards giving all aging people a comfortable life regardless of socioeconomic status.
-Reyna Tejada
-Reyna Tejada