Purposeful Aging Los Angeles blogs

PALA Partners with Highway61!

Mariella Freire-Reyes — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 20:04:37 +0000

PALA has partnered with Highway61 to offer real-time conversation groups including Aging Alone Support Groups, Trivia, French Culture, Entrepreneurs, Circle, Opera, Classic Movies and more!! To attend a FREE virtual discussion group, CLICK HERE, for instructions. You will need a code to join which you can receive by emailing info@highway61.co. Let them know that you are from the Los Angeles region. It's that simple!

Los Angeles Commits to 'Age-Friendly" Future to Better Service Growing Older Adult Population

alejandra.m.sanchez — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 22:58:09 +0000

LOS ANGELES—The City of Los Angeles is committing to a future where the needs of older adults are more carefully considered in the building of infrastructure, the planning of programs, and the making of policy, thanks to an Executive Directive signed today by Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Purposeful Aging LA, the seventeenth Executive Directive of Mayor Garcetti’s administration, requires City departments to thoroughly assess the needs of older adults, and directs them to engage seniors in developing strategies that will ensure a safer and more prosperous, livable, and well-run city for Angelenos of all ages.

"Everyone in our dynamic and diverse city contributes to making Los Angeles an incredible place to live, work, and raise a family," said Mayor Garcetti. "That’s why today, we commit ourselves to better understanding and meeting the needs of older Angelenos — a growing population that deserves our attention and respect. I have directed our Departments to explicitly consider older Angelenos as they develop their policies and programs. That means we are now increasingly factoring in impaired physical mobility and diminished sensory awareness, as well as accounting for economic limitations. The City of Los Angeles stands united, as we work to create an environment where people of all ages can thrive."

L.A.’s older adult population is expected to grow dramatically in the coming years. In Los Angeles County, the number of adults 65 and older is expected to nearly double to more than 2.1 million by 2030. There are about a half-million residents age 60 and older in the City of Los Angeles — a number that is expected to increase by 50% over the next two decades.

The Executive Directive also creates a Purposeful Aging Task Force — comprised of liaisons from 14 City departments, and co-chaired by the Mayor’s Office — to coordinate departmental resources in an effort to make L.A. the world’s most age-friendly city. It is tasked with developing a strategic plan to adjust public infrastructure and services to more closely match the needs of older adults.

Mayor Garcetti’s Executive Directive is part of the larger Purposeful Aging LA Initiative — a joint City/County effort that unites public and private leadership, resources, ideas, and strategies to better serve older adults in the region. As part of the initiative, Los Angeles will join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities.

“I am very pleased that the County of Los Angeles is joining with the City of Los Angeles and leading institutions to launch Purposeful Aging Los Angeles,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis, Chair of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors. “This landmark initiative will unite public and private leadership from across the County to ensure a better future for older adults and Angelenos of all ages. With an older adult population that is rapidly growing, we must prepare our communities for the future of aging in Los Angeles County. As we make our county more age-friendly, we are expanding our shared commitment to the older adults who contribute so much to our communities.”

The Network of Age-Friendly Communities will provide guidelines for the Los Angeles region to evaluate and improve on current policies, programs, and infrastructure across eight measures: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, and community support and health services.

“A large majority of older adults wish to remain in their homes and communities as they age," said Councilmember David Ryu. "It is imperative that the City of Los Angeles continues to enact transportation, housing, civic participation, employment and emergency preparedness policies that will support residents during the aging process. Today’s announcement will ultimately provide greater access to care, services, and support which will enable older adults to continue to live in the places they call home."

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AARP, Los Angeles City and County Partner to Make Region 'Age Friendly'

alejandra.m.sanchez — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 22:51:53 +0000

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Supervisor Hilda Solis, Chair of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, held a joint press conference on May 18 to announce details of “Purposeful Aging: An Age Friendly Initiative,” an endeavor that seeks to establish the Los Angeles region as one of the most age-friendly in the world, and ensure a better future for residents of all ages.

A cornerstone of this initiative is the joint admission of both the City and the County to AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities.

“Having the County and City make this great stride in unison is a testament to the urgency and importance of ensuring safe, livable communities for all in the greater Los Angeles region and beyond,” said AARP California State Director Nancy McPherson. “We applaud Mayor Garcetti’s and Supervisor Solis’ recognition of this significant issue and their willingness to bring many knowledgeable partners and experts to the table.”

As members of the Network of Age-Friendly Communities, the County and City will begin a two-year, inclusive planning process that will involve robust engagement of key stakeholders, including the partner organizations that came together to launch the initiative:

The County of Los Angeles Community and Senior Services (CSS), the City of Los Angeles Department of Aging, AARP, the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the UCLA Los Angeles Academic Partnership for Research in Aging.

Mayor Garcetti said Los Angeles is committed to setting a new standard for age friendliness.

“Everyone in our dynamic and diverse city contributes to making Los Angeles an incredible place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “That’s why today, we commit ourselves to better understanding and meeting the needs of older Angelenos, a growing population that deserves our attention and respect. I have directed our city departments to explicitly consider older Angelenos, through my new Purposeful Aging executive directive, as they develop their policies and programs. That means we are now increasingly factoring in impaired physical mobility and diminished sensory awareness, as well as accounting for economic limitations, which will ensure that we are creating an environment where older Angelenos thrive.”

Members of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities are part of a global network of communities that are committed to giving residents of all ages the opportunity to live rewarding, productive and safe lives. Communities as diverse as Boston, Massachusetts; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Bowling Green, Kentucky have all committed to making improvements in eight domains that influence the health and quality of life for residents of all ages: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respected and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information and community support and health services.

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Age Friendly Action Plan Release

alejandra.m.sanchez — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 22:39:38 +0000

County and City of Los Angeles Release Age-Friendly Action Plan for the Los Angeles Region

LOS ANGELES, CA – As part of the Purposeful Aging Los Angeles (PALA) Initiative, the County and City of Los Angeles released the Age-Friendly Action Plan for the Los Angeles Region 2018-2021, which will guide efforts over the next three years to enhance our region’s age-friendliness in key areas such as transportation, housing, emergency preparedness, social participation and outdoor spaces.

“With an older adult population that is rapidly growing, we must prepare our communities for the future of aging in Los Angeles County. That’s why we launched Purposeful Aging Los Angeles two years ago,” said Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, who authored the original motion at the Board of Supervisors calling for these recommendations. “By uniting L.A. County, the City of Los Angeles, and the entire region through PALA, we are creating an age-friendly future for all of our residents. The Age-Friendly Action Plan incorporates the feedback of older adults and communities throughout our region, and provides a roadmap to ensure that all older adults, regardless of where they live, can thrive in their homes and neighborhoods.”

“Every Angeleno deserves a city that works for them, and meeting the needs of older adults helps make Los Angeles stronger — now and for the future,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Whether it’s improving public transportation for people with limited mobility or bringing library services to people who can’t leave home, our City will keep working to become the most age-friendly city in the world.”

The Action Plan was developed through PALA, an Age-Friendly Initiative launched by the County and City of Los Angeles in 2016 to prepare the Los Angeles Region for a growing older adult population that is also becoming more racially and ethnically diverse than ever before. PALA led an extensive effort to engage diverse older adults and stakeholders in developing the Action Plan, which included launching a countywide survey in 2017 to identify community priorities, conducting listening sessions throughout the County and City of Los Angeles, recruiting local research scientists to analyze data and convening community leaders and experts. This Action Plan will build age-friendly communities that will improve the lives of not only older adults, but everyone in Los Angeles County.

"As we age, most of us hope to remain in our homes and communities for as long as possible," said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. "This means we must ensure that our communities are age-friendly, and include walkable streets, easy access to grocery stores and services, as well as opportunities for older adults to stay engaged through volunteering or other community activities."

In addition to spearheading an extensive effort to engage residents, communities and other stakeholders in developing the Age-Friendly Action Plan, PALA has launched or supported critical events, programs and initiatives to improve the lives of older adults in our region, including the Annual Older Adult Summit, the Dementia Friends awareness campaign, the Aging Mastery Program, and the Bringing our Loved Ones Home Initiative.

The PALA Report is available at: http://www.purposefulagingla.com/

About PALA

PALA is an Age-Friendly Initiative that seeks to prepare the Los Angeles region for a rapidly aging population through an innovative, sustained effort that unites public and private leadership, resources, and strategies. PALA will improve the lives of older adults and ensure a better future for residents of all ages in the Los Angeles region. PALA was launched in 2016 by the County and City of Los Angeles, in collaboration with AARP, the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the UCLA Los Angeles Community Academic Partnership for Research in Aging.

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Los Angeles County Adopts Recommendations of Age-Friendly Action Plan

alejandra.m.sanchez — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 22:22:09 +0000

In 2000, older adults comprised 9.7 percent of the County’s population, and by 2030, that figure is expected to double to 18.2 percent. In response to the growing population of older adults, the Board of Supervisors today approved a motion, authored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis and co-authored by Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, to adopt the strategic Age-Friendly Action Plan. The plan will enhance the lives of aging County residents in key areas such as transportation, housing, emergency preparedness, social participation, and outdoor spaces.

“With a growing older adult population, we must prepare our communities for the future of aging in Los Angeles County,” said Supervisor Solis. “By uniting LA County, the City of Los Angeles, and the entire region in this effort, we will create an age-friendly future for all of our residents. The Age-Friendly Action Plan provides a roadmap to ensure that all older adults, regardless of where they live, can thrive in their homes and neighborhoods.”

“As we age, most of us hope to remain in our homes and communities for as long as possible,” said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. “This means we must ensure that our communities are age-friendly, and include walkable streets, easy access to grocery stores and services, as well as opportunities for older adults to stay engaged through volunteering or other community activities.”

In August 2016, Supervisor Solis authored, and Supervisor Kuehl co-authored, an action at the Board of Supervisors that directed the County Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS) to develop recommendations for the Purposeful Aging Los Angeles (PALA) Initiative. Soon after, LA County and the City of Los Angeles joined other partners to launch PALA—a countywide effort that brought together public and private leaders who offered their resources, ideas, and strategies on ways to improve the lives of older adults and Angelenos of all ages. As part of the PALA Initiative, the County and City of Los Angeles adopted the “Age-Friendly Action Plan for the Los Angeles Region 2018-2021,” which will guide efforts over the next three years to enhance our region’s age-friendliness.

Today’s motion directs WDACS, in coordination with all pertinent County Departments and entities, to develop a plan to implement each recommendation with specific timelines, track outcomes to measure the success of each recommendation, and coordinate age-friendly implementation efforts with other cities in the County.

En Español

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CONTACT:
Michael Kapp, Communications Director, (213) 974-4111 or mkapp@bos.lacounty.gov

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