My group and I decided on assessing the Hillcrest area for our NAP. I’ve visited Hillcrest several times before with friends, but had never considered the area in the context of friendly aging. This project had forced us to analyze the area through a different lens. A noteworthy attribute of the Hillcrest area is that it is a self-attributed space for the LGBTQ+ community, so it allows the older population that identifies in this category to age in an inclusive and acceptive place. There is even an LGBT Center in the area with a subdivision that caters specifically to seniors, in addition to other community centers; so, there are several social resources in Hillcrest. We also came across a daycare center for individuals that are on the spectrum of Alzheimer’s, and this daycare even offered resources for caregivers of individuals Alzheimer’s as that is also an incredibly taxing position to be in. An issue with the area is the high cost of housing and lack of affordable housing units. We found transportation in Hillcrest to be adequate in terms of accessibility and age-friendliness. MTS Access is an available option for priority transportation for individuals with disabilities. Although Hillcrest is considered to be a hub for social activities and nightlife, most of these activities are catered more towards younger demographics. The recommendations we proposed to make Hillcrest a more age friendly neighborhood would be to include more social activities marketed towards people of all ages, to increase civic opportunities and affordable housing units, and to improve walkability in public spaces.
This quarter has gone by incredibly fast and it’s insane how much we’ve done in just these few short weeks. We’ve visited a broad range of sites that covered run-down affordable housing options for seniors, to high-end luxury retirement living that we all aspire to one day retire in. Last week, I presented a current event related to aging, and my group decided to present on the topic of the senior co-housing trend. More and more seniors are wanting to stay in their homes for longer for two primary reasons: socialization and cost-sharing. As the life expectancy increases for older adults, it becomes more and more difficult to find affordable housing options that fit their needs, and co-housing might be able to help address the issue. By co-housing, it can reduce loneliness and the costs for living aid as such costs would be split amongst the residents. Our focus in the class has now shifted towards our HAPs and NAPs. I am working towards the West Senior Center Prom, which will take place on March 9th. We decided on a carnival theme, and now we are working on making it all happen. A lot of planning is involved, including securing food from Costco, assembling goody bags for all in attendance, creating a playlist and games to play at the event, and more. For our NAP, our group has decided to focus on the Hillcrest area. We have visited our site once, and actually lucked into an interview with a woman that works for an Alzheimer’s daycare center in that area. Speaking with her was very enlightening and gave us more insight into what a day in the life really is for an individual with Alzheimer’s. We are planning on visiting the site again soon to gather more data. Next week, I am presenting my EP project that I chose to do on my dad. It was an incredible experience because he is a man that does not speak about himself at all, and I feel I really got to know him a lot better through the course of this assignment.
This site visit was completely different than any other site we had previously visited. Casa de Mañana is a high-end retirement community, and it definitely shows. Traditional apartments costs start at $4,300 a month, and the minimum monthly cost of a deluxe villa is as high as $11,725. This is more than a lot of people can afford in their entire lifetime, let alone in their years of retirement. However, Casa de Mañana does pride itself in all the amenities included in these costs including hot food made to order, lunch and dinner with table service and salad bar, transportation options to local conveniences and to activities throughout San Diego, resident-led clubs and weekly events and outings, exercise classes, classes and lectures, a library, a theater, and more. It’s a beautiful place to aspire to settle in one’s retirement years, and it was great getting to meet some of the residents. The resident we spoke to were in their 90s, but it definitely did not show. Quality of living definitely has a significant impact in how we age, and the stark contrast was exhibited in our visit to the Gary and Mary West Center. A majority of the people there were at or below the federal poverty level and struggle to even afford the costs of basic medical care and regular meals. A lot of the people we had met there had actually depended on the Gary and Mary West Center for food. Having the opportunity to visit both Casa de Mañana and the Gary and Mary West Center was an incredibly eye opening experience and demonstrated the disparities currently existing in the quality of life of people in that age demographic in this country.
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Tanveer MoundiWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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