At his first State of the State address, Governor Gavin Newson informed Californians that we are aging.
“The Golden State is getting grayer,” Newsom said. “We need to get ready for this major demographic challenge headed our way.”
He said for the first time in the state’s history, older residents outnumber young children.
Jack Newby is the executive director of The Joslyn Center, he said is time lawmakers pay more attention to the aging community.
Newby said, “Riverside County is one of the top fastest growing in that age demographic of 60 plus in the state of California and here in the Coachella Valley we are in the epicenter of that growth.”
He said people are afraid of aging and maybe that is why some avoid the topic, however, he sees areas where Newsom can help improve the quality of life for seniors.
Newby said, “The state really needs to become more active in housing especially for older adults, there are a lot of older adults in this area that are homeless and also there’s a waiting virtually in every senior housing community in the desert.”
He said in-home supportive services are also crucial for aging Californians, a topic included in the governor’s “Master Plan on Aging” also in that plan is a task force to research Alzheimer’s Disease.
But while a cure for Alzheimer’s is discovered, Newby said people can take matters into their own hands.
Newby said, “There are things that people can do now to make sure their brain is healthy as they grow older and that’s to stay active, stay engaged, exercise on the regular basis.”
Newsom’s Master Plan on Aging will also address the nurse shortage and transportation concerns for bed-locked seniors, the governor is also committing $750,00,000 towards building more affordable housing in the state.
