Eucalyptus Magazine / Issue-13 2010 / The New Senior

The New Senior

Life over 65 in the South Bay

Any statistician can tell you that 2010 is the year that the first wave of baby boomers turns 65. During the next decade, the number of Americans aged 65 to 74 will skyrocket. According to the 2008 American Community Survey Demographic and Housing Estimate, 867,000 people aged 65 and up currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area—about 12 percent of our total population of 7.26 million. By 2020, that number is projected to double.

Given these rapidly expanding numbers, we decided to take a look at senior living in the Bay Area today.

Aging in Place
The San Francisco Bay Area has no shortage of senior living communities and retirement homes for older adults who need or want to move out of the houses and apartments they occupied in their younger years.

“Some seniors enjoy the ease of living that comes with not having to maintain a house and a yard; others like the peace of mind of having meals and medical care close at hand. Still others simply want the companionship of other seniors—the built-in social network,” says Deanna Morgan, public relations director for the nonprofit Committee on Aging in San Francisco.

But according to a recent American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) survey, 90 percent of retirees say that as they age, they plan to remain in their current homes and neighborhoods. Their wishes correspond with a trend known as “aging in place,” which, according to the National Association of Home Builders, means “remaining in one’s home safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.”

Don Weden, who was the principal planner for the Santa Clara County Planning Departments’ Comprehensive Planning Section for 34 years, believes “aging in place” can be a reality, but only with some major changes to our infrastructure. Even though he is now retired, his goal is to build senior-friendly neighborhoods in Santa Clara County.

“By 2030, it is projected that about one-quarter of the adult population in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties will be over age 65,” Weden says.

To help prepare for that shift in demographics, Weden presents a comprehensive plan called “Cities for All Ages: Land Use Planning and Our Aging Population” to local government and community organizations throughout the Bay Area. The plan offers solutions to help improve the quality of life for the rapidly growing, aging population.

Weden says we need to create neighborhoods that don’t rely heavily on the use of automobiles, so that non-driving seniors—20 percent of people over 65 years old—can comfortably engage with their community, and don’t feel stranded inside their homes.

“To create senior-friendly communities, we need to become intelligently more urban, and plan for livable, green, urban neighborhoods within our existing communities. [We need to] provide desirable and convenient alternatives for those who would prefer places to live that aren’t dependent on owning an automobile and that are more sustainable for our environment.”

Many cities in the Bay Area are currently reviewing and revising their General Plans, Weden says, and he encourages residents who want to build more senior-friendly communities to get involved in their cities’ land-use planning processes.

Remodeling for Universal Design
Iris Harrell of Harrell Remodeling in Mountain View says successful “aging in place” relies heavily on the idea of universal design, a planning-for-the-future remodeling concept to make homes liveable for all generations—from children to seniors—and for physically disabled as well as able-bodied people.

“When you talk about universal design, you start by asking questions. ‘How do you get from the car into the house? Are there any steps?’ And so on,” Harrell says.

“When people think of remodeling this way, they imagine a ‘hospital look.’ But you can do it beautifully. My [universally designed] home won a national design award. There are grab bars in the showers, but it doesn’t look like a hospital design. Two of the three bathrooms have sink vanities constructed so that a person in a wheelchair could roll under the sink and wash their face. All the doors are wide enough for a wheelchair or someone with a walker. To get into the house, there is a ramp, but we designed it to look like part of the deck. There are no steps at all,” she says.

“The best part is that if you are remodeling anyway, it doesn’t cost a lot extra to do it this way,” Harrell says.

Seniors Staying Healthy
Of course, a senior-friendly community and universally designed homes are a moot point if there aren’t healthy, active seniors to live there, says Toby Adelman, Associate Professor of Community Health at San Jose State University.

Adelman, who was a nurse for 30 years, says there are simple, easy ways for older adults to live healthy, active lives. Basic actions like deep breathing, keeping hydrated, getting a good night’s sleep, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol are critical to healthy aging.

One of Adelman’s favorite methods to keep seniors and people of all ages happy and healthy is a program called LaughAway, a type of “laughter yoga.” Adelman says she attended a LaughAway session where seniors of all different cultures, who couldn’t communicate through a common language, shared a 15-minute laugh session. She says the attendees were instantly happier and more socially bonded. The improvement in their moods lasted throughout the day.

“It’s such a simple thing, laughter, but as we get older we do it less and less often,” Adelman says. “A child laughs hundreds of times a day, but an older adult, maybe only a few times a day, if that.”

Connection to the Community
Whether seniors stay in their homes or move to a retirement home, connecting with their community is especially important, says Nancy Hikoyeda, an ethnogeriatric specialist at the Stanford University Geriatric Education Center. Being actively involved in community life, she says, helps ward off depression, disease, loneliness, and other ailments.

Hikoyeda says senior centers are important refuges for elders in the community, especially those who would not be able to pay for the free and low-cost services the centers provide.

For example, the Yu-Ai Kai senior center in San Jose’s Japantown serves up 100 hot lunches everyday and offers classes in hula dancing, ukulele playing, and arts and crafts. They also host a book club, movies, and games. The Mountain View Senior Center provides travel opportunities, low-impact exercise classes, blood pressure checks, tax counseling, and nutritious lunches. SeniorNet learning centers located throughout the Bay Area offer older adults low-cost classes on how to use computers and technology, giving them access to vital information and helping them connect with long-lost friends and relatives.

Keeping seniors healthy, happy, and involved in the community is a vital part of keeping a community whole, and the more senior-friendly a community is, the better off we all are, says Hikoyeda.

“The stories they share about what life was like when they were young, their wisdom…that is what I love about seniors,” she says.

Read the digital edition of Issue 13