Denise Traboulsi, MSW
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
Community Resource Center for Aging
The Future of Aging
In 2030, it is estimated that one-quarter of the State of California’s population will be over 60 years of age. This is due to the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, those born between 1946 and 1964. This generation is redefining what aging is and what it will look like in the future.
As a response to this impending age wave, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order in 2019 for California to develop a statewide Master Plan for Aging. As a result of this order a great deal of work has been done thus far through the state’s Dept. of Aging and its stakeholders to develop this plan with an emphasis on ensuring equity and access to care for all. The plan is to strengthen existing programs as well as launch new services that focus on community-based care. The plan is available to read in detail at https://mpa.aging.ca.gov.
With people living well into their 80s and 90s, the span of the senior years can encompass almost one-third of one’s lifetime. The aging process is unique to every person and that can pose a challenge for creating a comprehensive continuum of care to meet individual needs.
No longer are seniors resigned to the idea of going somewhere to age but are interested in remaining in communities that support aging, also known as “aging in place.” There are some unique ideas being tried out to address the social, financial and physical barriers to aging in place such as: shared housing (individuals moving in together in roommate-type situations), co-op housing (seniors living in a building with shared long-term care resources), home modification programs and naturally occurring retirement communities where seniors tend to live in a common area or neighborhood and create a network of support.
These options are also growing in availability here in the foothill communities. The Pasadena Village, https://pasadenavillage.org, is part of the “senior village” movement that started in the Beacon Hill neighborhood in Boston in 2012 with neighbors helping neighbors. The Pasadena Village is “not a place to live but a way to live.”
For more information on these and other options for aging in place, feel free to contact the Community Resource Center for Aging at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital at (818) 949-4033 or email us at aging-resources@med.usc.edu.