We Meet You Where You Are

For over three years, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital’s Community Resource Center for Aging (CRCA) has been available for individual consultations regarding home and community-based services and more. Our Resource Specialists – May Ma Ross, MSW, Finster Paul, III, MPH, and me – have been making our way into the community as well to meet Foothill area residents at wellness-focused events, such as the Crescenta Valley Hometown Country Fair, Pasadena’s Older American’s Month Fair and La Cañada’s Chamber festivities. We regularly participate as a member of the City of Glendale Senior Services Committee and the City of La Cañada Age Friendly Community Project Team.

Back by popular demand, CRCA is offering its six-week support group, Grief and Loss: Beyond Blue. Meeting up weekly at the USC Verdugo Hills Hospital beginning today, Thursday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. We make time to connect and share in the journey of losing someone significant in our lives. A sense of community is built together, right when many of us feel most alone. Please call into CRCA to reserve a space and get more details on what is covered.

The Glendale Public Library is hosting CRCA’s new Solo Agers Club at its Central branch starting on Monday, Oct. 2 from 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. The location in Glendale is 222 E. Harvard St. The Montrose branch has hosted Guided Autobiography (GAB) using the James Birren model, which we adapted for five sessions. The Los Angeles Public Library’s Sunland-Tujunga branch is also hosting this GAB program. More partners are pending so call us for specific details about these library-based opportunities.

The Crescenta-Cañada Family YMCA partners with CRCA to provide the well-received Caregivers Night Off on the first Thursday of each month in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Los Angeles and Home Instead Pasadena. This free two-hour program (from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) is designed for persons with mild dementia and their care partners by offering light refreshments and various activities that lead to camaraderie and a wee drum of fun. To attend on Oct. 5, please call CRCA to make a reservation.

Whether we meet up in the community or over the phone, let’s connect to discuss your personal journey. Visit our webpage at uscvhh.org/aging-resources or call us at (818) 949-4033. The CRCA email is Aging-Resources@med.usc.edu.