Focus on Anaheim - It's more than just a busy street

Steve Gerhardt led a brilliant discussion on the intersection of mobility and a thriving neighborhood. After a thoughtful overview, Steve oriented us to the evolving frame for Anaheim and all the moveable parts. Here is Steve's introductory presentation!

PowerPoint!

Session Two - The Walk!

Carole Sergy, President of North Pine Neighborhood Alliance was our informed and informing leader around North Pine neighborhood! We saw so much from a pedestrian perspective often missed when riding in a car. There were many elements that made the area walkable and interesting and a reason to come back.

When we return to class this coming Tuesday we'll have time to reflect on our experience. In the meantime, there are opportunities to further explore neighborhood planning. Here is one in North LB called UPLAN.  And check out Twitter @LongBeachBuilds.

And because we 'walked the walk' in the North Pine area, I'll be discussing the health of the neighborhood at their next neighborhood meeting!

 

Notes from Session One - #UrbanHealth: Consider how people both those in governments and those that vote for them make decisions

Notes from Session One
Fantastic opening discussion at our first class session about an Age Friendly City and what was and was not happening in the City of Long Beach. We 'opened the lid' to many important conversations. This week we'll walk a part of the downtown with North Pine neighborhood leader, Carole Sergy. We plan to ask many questions!

In the meantime, check out a recent City Council Meeting where a housing issue was discussed. Go to the housing item #22 in the agenda and select, wait a few moments for the discussion to cue up.
22. (20-0019) Recommendation to direct City Attorney to prepare a resolution, and any related documents, for the November 3, 2020 ballot for voters to consider a $298 million housing bond at $25 per $100,000 assessed valuation for the creation of affordable....

Consider these points while you listen to the public comments and the council members.  What becomes clear to you or what might you assume about the person speaking and their decision-making framework?

• The person builds their decision based on relevant data
• The person has stated and unstated biases
• The person is looking for short term expediency or long term effect
• The person seeks a 'soft' behavioral choice or a 'hard' limit of future risk
• The person shaped the discussion, and possibly the outcome
• How close to the decision outcome was the person
• The person appears to offer a flawed idea or a wise trade-off
• Did the person offer what should be done

 These 8 touch points provide a way to listen and consider the complexity of an issue that is receiving public participation. There are many other considerations. What are yours?

#UrbanHealth - An 8-week class in Downtown Long Beach, CA

This class takes a healthy aging perspective to Long Beach’s urban core. Using international standards join in with your peers and experts to consider steps that would improve healthy aging in Long Beach. Find class material/links at https://healthandfunction.blogspot.com/

Want to Register!  Click here!

Not sure if you want to attend....come to the first class Jan 7th at 12:00-1:30pm! We are located at 737 Pine Ave, entrance is behind building off of Solana Court, Look for CSULB sign! 

From density to transit and cultural resources to air quality the members of the class will consider strategies that improve the health of the person, and those that advance the health of the community.   

 Tentative Discussion Schedule 

(topics and speakers may change based on real-time availability)

Jan 7^th - What’s important and what can be changed. Introducing WHO’s Healthy Aging Framework along with HAPI, Harvard’s Universal Design Principles

 

Jan 14^th - Week Two – with Carole Sergy, North Pine Neighborhood Alliance neighborhood leader. Experience a curated walk in the downtownLB. Check out downtown! 

Jan 21^st Week Three – Urban Transit develop key questions for Steve Gerhardt WalkLB.  Focus will the the intersection of physical mobility and the local economy. Current case study of the Anaheim Corridor.

                

Jan 28^th Week Four – Urban Fitness Ayla Donlin, CSULB LifeFit Center. Dr. Donlin will consider with your input: Is Aging in Place the goal? In a community? Or in a neighborhood? Novel approaches to community-based wellness for older adults will be entertained.

Feb 4^th Week Five– Urban Housing Intersection of household income and mental health – Jordan Wynne, EveryoneIn and Cynthia Chavez, Safe Refuge. Household narratives: How a disruption in household income may lead to serious mental health issues.

Feb 11^th Week Six – Urban Climate – John Kindred, Environmental Alliance and Elizabeth Lambe, Los Cerritos Wetland. John and Elizabeth work to encourage residents to appreciate the intersection of our energy habits and consumer demand. Bottom line: What does trash tell us about our city? Link interactive map

Feb 18^th Week Seven – Healthy Neighborhood Initiative – Chris Robson with Dawn Mendelson, Rose Park Neighborhood Association – Is there an effective intersection of residents with municipal entities and non-profits to alter community health?

Map/link of the week:  "Zip vs. Genetic Code"

Feb 25^th Re-frame their own neighborhood in terms of Healthy Aging criteria via what’s important and what can be changed (as per first session). Recommend areas to improve healthy aging in the City of Long Beach.

Map/link of the week: City’sNeighborhood Map

Gretchen Swanson DPT MPH Dr. Swanson has a doctorate in physical therapy from USC and a master’s degree in public health from UCLA. She is active in the Age Well movement in Los Angeles, as well as, neighborhood building in the city of Long Beach. She is trained in universal design, trauma-informed approaches and peer education strategies with older adults. Known for her out-of-the-box thinking she provides a supportive environment to explore each student’s point-of-view.

Let's Coach Others!

We can no longer wait for the system and services to meet us at our doorstep! In Long Beach, California we are offering training on being a Tai Chi Coach. It could be for anyone who would like to facilitate optimum movement with friends or in

their community. For those who've decided to take the leap....here are references/resources for the 2019 Class. Connect to info@heartofida.org for future opportunities.

Video References

A series funded through LB Community Action Partnership with Heart of Ida on basic movements with David Hennage, Certified Tai Chi Instructor in Tai Chi for Better Balance - a research based form.

• Peacock's Tail
• Calming and Closing
• Holding the Ball
• Tai Chi Walk (Step)
• Cloud Hands

A series created by Gretchen Swanson to focus on elements of a movement. On location in the City of Long Beach.

• Up and Down (Preparation)
• Hands Float on Water  (Focus)
• Fast and Slow (Warm Up) 
• Spiraling (Integral) 
• Tai Chi Step (Integral)
• Stroking Old Man's Beard (Complex)
• Box Ears with Soft Kick (Complex)

An online video that shows the movements of the 24-form 1) in slow motion and 2) from behind the instructor.


Research on Tai Chi and its Benefits

National Institutes of Health - Complementary and Integrative Medicine

A Comprehensive Review of Health Benefits (2010)

The Health Benefits of Tai Chi (lay terms)

Using Tai Chi to Build Strength (summary article in NY Times 2018)

And in the end its all in the doing.

Starting (All Over) Again: Women approaching retirement

My mother stayed at home while we were growing up. We lived in the country and while my dad was in town 15 miles away, my mom made meals, cleaned the house and ran a family of six kids. She was active in clubs, pursued her interests, and helped my dad at his office once we were all in school. Then, at 60, she went back to work – although of course she had been working all along.

We, as women, are certain of one thing: Our work is never done – whether that means taking care of our families and households, safeguarding our income, starting or resuming careers, and serving our communities. Yet there is much we can’t be certain of. We hope that we might wake up to less responsibility, or that others will come forward. But as we look around, especially to women just older than ourselves, we see the signs of working in retirement.

What is a poor woman to do? Well, the research is either old, from the 1990s, or disheartening. The National Council on Aging released its “Senior Debt Facts” in 2015. We are retiring with a load of red ink. At the same time, housing and medical care costs are skyrocketing. This is not intended to be a message of despair, but of the need for resilience.

Realizing we are all at risk for significant financial change is a key step.

Just like the overnight success that took 20 years, a woman wakes up to an economic fallout of aging. We suspected that men entered retirement differently, but there are so many other differences. How we look at ourselves and what steps make sense, including the return to work shapes the transition to retirement.

First, our collective shift toward reduced income should not come as a surprise. We aren’t retiring like our parents. For those approaching retirement, born in 1955 or earlier, we know our expenses are the same or will increase and that our income is capped at best. That rub, where expenses change but income doesn’t, may mean that someone in the household continues to work longer than expected. Or, like my mom, returns after a 25-year break.  

That’s right, you don’t work, and life just got more expensive. Not immediately but slowly and surely. Society might imagine that someone will take care of you. In fact, you’ll most likely outlive your male spouse and use your physical energy and financial resources for him. If you’re not in a traditional relationship, or not in a relationship at all, you may also need to plan to be the CEO and workforce of your household.

But let’s back up. As women, what we don’t know is how our retirement might play out.

Women in retirement

Look back to when you started working. It may have been as a fill-in or involved situations that required you to be between-jobs because of child care, moving or some other household need. If your work history was filled with starts and stops, planning for retirement might have been on and off, as well. 

Let’s get some figures down on paper. The median household in Long Beach is about $55,000.

If you are a woman who has been working most of her adult life, here are some considerations as you grow older in Long Beach. The average salary for men is $68,721. For women, it is $54,710. Not only do we make less, but fewer dollars are reserved for Social Security or other post-work pension funds. Double whammy. But it is worse than that. Many women who were born in the mid-1950s had intermittent work histories (by choice or otherwise) that limited salary growth, affected continuation of vested savings funds and resulted in patchy skills for their résumé.

Just think of a single senior getting $14,400 a year in Social Security and taking care of a couple of grandchildren or a relative who needs care. Clearly, the federal government hasn’t looked at the “for rent” signs lately. A one-bedroom for $1,200 is a steal. Taking out that pencil and licking the lead, a household living on Social Security and other modest sources of income is a recipe for homelessness.

When it’s more than dollars and sense

Unshackled by work? The myth of a carefree retirement is so last century! You may be feeling a little lost and unsure. How we are feeling is in large part based on our attitude.  A positive attitude is more than just having enough money. Attitude adjustment improves when you find reward in other parts to your life. And the research supports this. Studies suggest that having adequate funds is important, but other factors such as “having to retire” or the state of being in poor health make for a difficult retirement. Having a change in your marital relationship is also a precursor to poorer well-being.

Major upheavals can occur any time in life, but there may big changes just about the time you transition to retirement. Predictably there may be the need to move or adapt to a change in the household such as a grandchild going to college or an adult child moving out of the area for work. So, there is little to support the carefree retirement myth. Rather we need to bolster our readiness, have options and, of course, some financial flexibility. Money isn’t everything, but it helps. You may need more money whether there is a change in health, or a loss in your life.

A word on demographics
 

If there is a glaring lack of current research about women working in retirement, the knowledge gap only multiplies when women of color are considered. But the wealth gap is documented. According to a National Women’s Law Center report released this April: Latina, black and Native American women “must work well into their 80s or 90s in order to catch up to what a white, non-Hispanic man made by age 60, delaying their retirement even beyond their life expectancy.”

In 1988 research on aging, results showed African American women ages 62-65 were considerably more likely than whites to have worked steadily most of their adult lives, although black and white women expressed quite similar attitudes toward work. Reflecting their work histories, black women were more likely than whites to be eligible for pensions but were less likely to have retired.

Gender matters

Can we look to men for encouragement? Maybe, but a large analysis done in 2013 by a life insurance company suggests that men and women have different attitudes about saving money and different opinions about themselves as money managers. According to this study of over 1,500 men and women over the age of 25, one in four Americans say they would like to be more cautious with their money and have a lot of catching up to do to be where they want financially. Among women, 59 percent feel their financial planning needs improvement.

For some, there is not so much a transition to a new future but a new reality. Two scholars, Loe and Johnston have looked at female baby boomer professionals from a lens that includes relationships and refers to retirement for this segment of women as a process of “rebalancing.” Others describe the multiple roles women have during their adult life and how these get reshaped in later years. The idea of rebalancing intuitively makes sense.

For me, Ruth Karpen, hits the nail on the head. In her 2017 article, “Reflections on Women’s Retirement,” she lays out how boomers may change the idea, or rather bust the myth of retirement. She is clear that the designation of boomer may apply only to white, well-educated women – and that there is a world of diversity that has many implications. The larger lesson may be that retirement is personal, it is about relationships that make up a very large part of our life.

 Caption for Photo – Gretchen Swanson and her mother Gladys Hooks, taken in 1980’s for a professional magazine article about two generations of physical therapists.

My experience is sharply different from my mother in financial status and attitude. As a boomer, I worked my entire adult life. No breaks for kids. Went out on my own without a salaried job. Moved to another part of the country, married, divorced, married. I’ve had to anticipate financial stability while running a small company – no real chance to save. Yet, looking at others like me, those born about the same time, with similar education and racial background, remains a good mirror. But I also look to women of color, recent immigrants, and those with different educational and cultural backgrounds, for some timely solutions. And maybe that is what we should do as the book is rewritten for our generation. Look at others, like yourself. And, look at others. A new and improved sisterhood.

The possibilities

But what to do? We all need to change as we age. Start figuring out your reality. Work with your resources and peer group. Maybe it’s your book club or a group at church. Your local library and community center offer ways to intersect with women from different backgrounds with common concerns.

Asking questions, you’ll realize that the nursing career you left a few decades ago might be a lead-in to working part time at a senior wellness clinic. Or perhaps your management skill set using industry-grade technology might allow you to work a short shift at an industrial site. Or you might utilize your late-model car and become an Uber or Lyft driver. I am impressed every day by the background and experience women of Long Beach have, offering services that are needed.

So, if work is in the mix, what can you do? Financially, some retired professionals and managers might have the option of working part time. However, it can’t be stressed enough that those scenarios need to be worked out with your tax accountant ahead of time. Worth every penny of their time. If you have been doing work that is physical, and don’t think it is wise to continue, then branching out is, well, tricky. Younger, well-trained and enthusiastic workers are available. So, building your options before you need to go to part-time work will help.

My mother is a constant reminder. She had a professional career but quit to raise a family. She had a great time until she needed to replace income that was lost when my father was no longer able to work. So, at age 60 she reentered the workforce. She remained employed until 72 – mandatory retirement from her state civil service position. My dad died when she was 62 and her income became a lifeline, the financial security was essential. Along the way she met large numbers of people who remained her friends until the end of her life.

But it was hard. She was alone at times, she was a “single,” her independent spirit needed time to reassert itself to begin new parts of her life, bridge club, bible study, attending her granddaughter’s soccer matches. Eventually, that spark was ignited. When she was in her 80s and long past her “retirement,” her kids got a call. “Would you go with me to Russia? St. Petersburg? This coming February?” Sad to say, none of us kids took the bait. But she went and had a terrific time. I still have the ushanka (Russian mink hat).

She never complained. But, she was happy to enjoy a beer and chips after a week of work and talk about interesting things. She found a way to make work work.

And that is a woman’s way.

Assisting Gretchen Swanson DPT, MPH with this article isKaren Chaderjian MSW. Gretchen and Karen both practice Tai Chi at Houghton Park Community Center. Watch for Join the Dots: Tai Chi On-Demand coming soon on YouTube.