On Wednesday February 13th, we had a jam packed schedule of back-to-back presentations. First, the current event presenters shared their pieces on social isolation among older adults. Two different solutions based on existing models in the US were discussed. The first was an intergenerational program that pairs older folks with younger roommates in a shared living arrangement. The other model took on the premise of the show "Golden Girls", in which seniors can live together in a co-housing community. I think both concepts can be effective in combatting the common problem of social isolation among seniors, especially in high density urban areas. But from my personal perspective, I think co-housing may pose more challenges in terms of accessibility (financial) and feasibility (needed infrastructure).
Senior co-housing may be a good solution for some, but it doesn't address equity issues regarding senior housing, largely because it does not seem that accessible to many people. Intergenerational living arrangements can promote a positive perspective on aging, especially one that does not separate or isolate older folks as a whole from the rest of society.
After an insightful discussion on social isolation, my book group presented our book "Selling the Fountain of Youth" by Ariene Weintraub. Weintraub exposes the anti-aging industry as a fradulent, money-hungry ploy that takes advantage of society's desire to remain as youthful as possible to avoid the effects of aging. I found Weintraub's book surprising, especially learning about all of the ridiculous claims and arguments made by the anti-aging industry. She proves that the industry is not rooted in legitimate biological evidence, yet many people still believe and trust those claims because the faces of the industry are "doctors" which was pretty concerning.
We also had our first round of oral history presentations. I was blown away with everyone's stories of their extraordinary partners. It was really cool to see the diverse backgrounds and cultures we have within this program. I'm looking forward to hearing all of the oral histories and seeing more beautiful projects in the coming week. We finished the day meeting with our NAP groups. My group is assessing Hillcrest, and I'm excited to do our site visits because Hillcrest is one of my favorite places in San Diego. All in all, it was a busy week with more exciting events and presentations to come.
Senior co-housing may be a good solution for some, but it doesn't address equity issues regarding senior housing, largely because it does not seem that accessible to many people. Intergenerational living arrangements can promote a positive perspective on aging, especially one that does not separate or isolate older folks as a whole from the rest of society.
After an insightful discussion on social isolation, my book group presented our book "Selling the Fountain of Youth" by Ariene Weintraub. Weintraub exposes the anti-aging industry as a fradulent, money-hungry ploy that takes advantage of society's desire to remain as youthful as possible to avoid the effects of aging. I found Weintraub's book surprising, especially learning about all of the ridiculous claims and arguments made by the anti-aging industry. She proves that the industry is not rooted in legitimate biological evidence, yet many people still believe and trust those claims because the faces of the industry are "doctors" which was pretty concerning.
We also had our first round of oral history presentations. I was blown away with everyone's stories of their extraordinary partners. It was really cool to see the diverse backgrounds and cultures we have within this program. I'm looking forward to hearing all of the oral histories and seeing more beautiful projects in the coming week. We finished the day meeting with our NAP groups. My group is assessing Hillcrest, and I'm excited to do our site visits because Hillcrest is one of my favorite places in San Diego. All in all, it was a busy week with more exciting events and presentations to come.