From Leading Age: “Multigenerational housing is back and it’s gaining popularity, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Living spaces that house older adults, their children or grandchildren landed on the NAHB’s 2012 list of the hottest design trends for new homes. This isn’t the first time that multigenerational housing has been a popular choice among Americans. By the end of the Great Depression, about 25% of the U.S. population lived in multigenerational households, according to Senior Housing News.” Click here to read more.
Multi-generational Housing Is Popular Again
Experience Talks 7/14: Leonard Manzella
Tune in to Experience Talks, our “Radio Magazine for the Experienced Listener.” Saturdays 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 99.5 China Lake, 93.7 N. San Diego, streaming live online and now syndicated on up to 100 Pacifica Network stations! You can also enjoy hearing all of our previous shows on the Listen Page of our Experience Talks website.
This week: Host Bobbee Zeno talks with playwright Leonard Manzella
From 1968 to 1983, Leonard Manzella lived in Italy and worked as an actor in the Italian film industry. Manzella returned to the U.S. in 1983 and trained as a psychodramatist under the tutelage of renowned psychologist-criminologist, Dr. Lewis Yablonsky. Inspired by that work, he went on to earn a master’s degree in social work from USC in 1989 and has been a practicing psychotherapist ever since. In 1999, he designed and directed the AVERT project, an emotional intelligence program aimed at teaching correctional officers empathy to avert institutional violence. In 2003, he contracted with the California Department of Corrections and began working with mentally ill inmates at state prisons, where he gained a deeper understanding of the dynamics of violence within our correctional systems. Manzella’s latest endeavor, this time as an emerging playwright, is CAGES, based on his work treating mentally ill inmates held in Administrative Segregation at a California state prison. Learn more about Leonard Manzella here and here. CAGES is playing at The Matrix Theatre in Hollywood through July 15th. Click here for more information.
Serious Ping Pong
Click here to read about “the world’s oldest, agilest table tennis players” as they prepare to go to China for the Over-80s Table Championships. A trailer from the recently released U.K. documentary about these energetic elders is included in the post, too!
Long Beach Senior Arts Colony Project Progresses
From the Long Beach Business Journal: “The 200-unit Long Beach Senior Arts Colony is being erected on 1.74 acres on the southwest corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Anaheim Street…Developed by Los Angeles-based Meta Housing Corporation, The project is considered a Transit Oriented Development (TOD), only 100 feet away from the Metro Blue Line light rail and transit bus stops…The community, designed for residents age 55 and above and earning 30 to 60 percent of the area’s median income, will promote creativity and “healthy aging,” emphasizing arts, wellness, lifelong learning, independent lifestyles and intergenerational programs for seniors…There are currently only two other such senior arts colonies: one in Burbank and another [under construction] in North Hollywood… Western Seniors Housing is expected to manage the property, while the on-site social programs are to be managed by the nonprofit EngAGE…Tish Glaser, project manager for Meta Housing Corporation, said the senior arts colony should be completed by December, and prospective residents are already signing up on a waiting list, with options to start pre-leasing by summer. ” Click here to read more.
International Perspective: England – Gardening to Stay Healthy
Social Care Minister Paul Burstow said recently that England’s social services departments cannot afford to remain as “high dependency crisis services” and stressed the importance of “building resilience from relationships to foster those informal networks found in communities that give meaning and purpose to people’s lives.” One activity he encourages: gardening. More of his comments here.
The U.S. faces similar issues and EngAGE agrees that gardening is a great way for seniors to get exercise, socialize, and create something beautiful — maybe even edible. Click here to read some suggestions about how to set up a garden to accomodate changing physical abilities as we age. You can also click on “Gardening” on the drop-down menu under the “Categories” listing on the right side of our blog to see other posts related to gardening, including some great pictures of the gardens and gardeners at our EngAGE communities.
Staying Cool When the Weather’s Too Hot
High temperatures are more than just uncomfortable for some people. Young children, older people, and those who are ill can suffer severe health problems and even death if their exposure to excessive heat is more than their bodies can handle. Click here for some tips on how to cope with a heat wave if you don’t have air conditioning. Click here for a list of public facilities in the city of Los Angeles that can be used as cooling centers. You can also call your local senior center or public library to find out what hours they’re open.
Worth Repeating: Butter Cow Sculptor
“Worth Repeating” is a new weekly feature on the EngAGE Blog that will bring you previous posts that we think are still timely, interesting, or just plain fun! From 7/4/11:
EngAGE appreciates and enjoys creativity in all of its many wonderful and surprising manifestations, including butter sculpture! The late Norma “Duffy” Lyon, the “butter cow lady,” created sculptures that were a main attraction at the annual Iowa State Fair from 1960 until her retirement in 2006 at the age of 76. Read more about her here.
