Older Americans Month: Get into the Act!

Each May, the Administration for Community Living celebrates Older Americans Month.  This year’s theme is “Get into the Act!” in honor of this year’s 50^th anniversary of the Older Americans Act (enacted July 14, 1965), which provides a nationwide aging services network and funding for home-delivered and congregate meals, caregiver support, community-based assistance, health promotion, elder abuse prevention, etc. to help older Americans “to live and thrive in communities of their choice for as long as possible.”  To join this celebration, I decided to “Get into the Act” as a senior-in-training by engaging in activities that support community living for all ages and abilities! 

Get informed:  The White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) announced plans to live stream this year’s conference on July 13, and completed its release of policy briefs focused on four key themes: Healthy Aging, Long-term Services and Supports, Elder Justice, and Retirement Security.  Each brief invites comments from readers to post on its website. 

Get heard:  Members of Coalition of Agencies Serving the Elderly (CASE) staged City Hall Rally for Senior Services:  Fair Share for Fair Care to ask San Francisco Mayor and Board of Supervisors to approve $2 million in new funding into Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) budget, primarily to increase staffing at 25 senior centers ($1,250,000), increase salary ranges for 27 FTE community-based case managers ($500,000), and provide free Muni group van service for 823 adult day services participants ($350,000). 

Get seen:  Canon Kip Senior Center participants held up signs showing the many ways case management services helped them:

• Now a U.S. citizen
• Homeless but hopeful
• Just moved to Vera Haile Senior Housing
• Isolated, now have a social life – senior centers are great!
• Clipper cards help

Rethinking Aging

In the Presidential Proclamation of Older Americans Month, President Barack Obama stated, “By changing the way we think and talk about aging—by focusing on the opportunities of aging rather than the limitations—we can work to maximize the potential of this generation and ensure they continue to thrive as they age.”  

This framing of our national discussion of aging as a normative (versus negative) process to be embraced (versus to be battled), a collective (versus individual responsibility) effort that should be a public policy concern (versus private matter) is the expert (versus public) view echoed in FrameWorks Institute’s Gauging Aging: Mapping the Gaps Between Expert and Public Understandings of Aging in America, which was presented in this month’s Grantmakers in Aging webinar, ReFraming Aging: Understanding and Changing the Way Americans Think about Aging.  Gerontology expert Harry R. Moody has explored this persistent disconnect between fact and legend in Urban Legends about Aging.

Housing to age in place

Threat of eviction remains a barrier to aging in place for seniors who are long-term tenants in San Francisco, especially when landlords seek to maximize their profits as the median rent in San Francisco has increased to $4,225 per month.  

Beginning this month, Tenants Together Executive Director Dean Preston began his series of Tenant Rights Bootcamp in neighborhood cafes focused on empowering renters to stand up to speculators and prevent displacement.  Dean said the #1 reason why tenants lose their home is they don’t know their rights and end up moving.  He urged the audience of all ages to learn and assert their rights, and to get involved in plugging loopholes in existing laws, such as tightening restrictions on short-term rentals and strengthening tenant protections in “low-fault” evictions (aka “gotcha” evictions based on alleged nuisance or lease violations, such as hanging laundry out of one’s window).  

Yesterday, Older Women’s League (OWL) hosted How Can We Grow Old and Stay in San Francisco? with Theresa Flandrich of Senior and Disability Action (SDA) Housing Collaborative and Doug Engmann of ShareBetter San Francisco.

Two years ago, long-time North Beach resident Theresa received an Ellis Act eviction notice, which she fought along with 20 neighbors who also received evictions around the same time.  San Francisco’s District 3, which includes North Beach, has the highest number of renters in the City, and 28% of them are seniors.  Theresa discussed how the traditional landlord-tenant reciprocity changed with speculation, so tenants need to organize and fight for their rights.

Also two years ago, when Doug Engmann lived in Pacific Heights, he noticed strangers with rollerboards at the same time he met tenants evicted under Ellis Act from a home used as a hotel. After Doug’s computer savvy friend did a search that discovered 10,000 vacation rentals, Doug became concerned about this widespread commercial activity and its potential impact on affordable housing (displacing full-time permanent residents in favor of renting to more profitable tourists), neighborhood character and safety.  Doug’s ShareBetter SF is collecting signatures for a November ballot measure, asking voters to restrict the conversion of homes into impromptu hotels, including provisions for the right of immediate neighbors to go to court to enforce law and notification to neighbors when a host registers a unit for short-term rental use.  

Elder Justice 

Legal Assistance for Seniors’ 10th Annual Conference on Elder Abuse at UC Hastings College of the Law featured dynamic keynote speaker Paul Greenwood, San Diego Deputy District Attorney who heads the Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit.  When he was assigned to begin prosecuting elderly abuse cases nearly 20 years ago, he didn’t know about elder abuse and law enforcement wasn’t bringing him any cases due to ageist misconceptions and stereotypes about elderly victims.  Since then, there has been greater awareness yet he said elder abuse is where child abuse and domestic violence were 30 years ago.  He discussed ten myths about elder abuse prosecution, and here are the top five:

Myth #1:  Elderly make terrible witnesses. Need to avoid stereotyping of seniors as forgetful (“age doesn’t make you forgetful; having way too many stupid things to remember makes you forgetful”), senile, long-winded (keep control to get to 5% of facts that are relevant), grumpy, disabled and fragile.  Paul said victims remember, and typically write down, what’s out of the ordinary (like abuse) because their lives are routine. 

Myth #2:  Elderly victim refuses to provide information, so nothing can be done. As in domestic violence cases, self-determination is not the answer in elder abuse: do not allow the victim to dictate what happens to perpetrator. Paul has a victim advocate review police reports identifying seniors and persons with disabilities, and then follow-up with police to find out why a potential elder abuse case was not sent to DA.  Missing cases and underreporting are often predicated on victim’s fears, shame or concern that exposure will lead to loss of independence.  Profile of typical elder abuser is a son in his late 30s to late 40s; living at home with widowed mom; lazy and unemployed, or just out of prison; feeds substance abuse (drugs, alcohol) or gambling habit off mom; and sometimes a history of mental illness. 

Myth #3:  Elderly victim gives money voluntarily, so no crime. Apparent “voluntariness” has been diluted by fraud, undue influence or exploiting mental limitation of victim.

Myth #4:  Financial institution reimburses victim, who then declines to seek prosecution so there is no victim. Once a victim, always a victim. Restitution can never remove stigma.

Myth #5: If elderly victim deceased before theft discovered, can’t prosecute.  Treat as if murder, and sometimes victim not needed for prosecution.

Paul has daily FaceTime chats with his 91-year-old mother, who remains in their native England.  He said elder abuse is one of the fastest growing crimes due to aging population growth and living longer, with no known cure for dementia, and hiring home caregivers who are not subject to background checks so abuse is rampant.  (Beginning January 2016, Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act of 2013 will require home care agencies in California to conduct background checks on workers.)

Collaboration between APS, Legal Services and Civil Litigators – CANHR attorney Prescott Cole said that predators exploit older adults’ fears of nursing homes and outliving their assets.  CANHR attorney Tony Chicotel described the tension between autonomy and safety in elder law: attorneys operate under the autonomy model to provide zealous advocacy, under client direction.  In contrast, APS workers operate under the safety model in the best interests, under client influence. APS tools for involuntary actions include conservatorship, 5150, restraining order or emergency protection order, asset freeze, etc.  They provided copies of their publications, Senior Scams Alert - Financial Protection Guide for Seniors (2014) and Elder Financial Abuse Restitution Guide - How To Get Your Money Back (2015) – free downloads from CANHR website. 

Financial Elder Abuse: Judicial, Civil and Criminal Perspectives panel - Private plaintiff attorneys have an incentive to take on financial elder abuse cases because attorney’s fees and costs are awarded if a claim for financial elder abuse (as defined in Welfare and Institutions Code section 15610.30) is proven by a preponderance of the evidence.

Neuropsychological and Legal Considerations in Elder Financial Abuse -  Neuropsychologist Jonathan Cannick said the elderly are targets of financial abuse “because that’s where the money is”: the typical U.S. household of someone who is age 65+ has a net worth 47 times greater than a household of someone under 35.  He explained the increased vulnerabilities with age result, not from normal aging per se, but the cumulative effects of harmful activities and poor self-care (e.g., substance abuse, poor nutrition and sleep, lack of exercise and meaningful relationships, etc.).  The combination of dependency and cognitive impairment increases the risk of undue influence and financial exploitation/abuse, such that 50% of those with dementia experience some form of elder abuse.

During the daylong conference, speakers dissected California Penal Code section 368 defining forms of elder abuse, but never mentioned its application to evictions of seniors.  (Last year, Poor Magazine, with assistance from attorney Anthony Prince, opened a case of elder abuse with the San Francisco District Attorney’s office against real estate speculators who cause harm to seniors by eviction.  SDA Housing Organizer Tony Robles noted the recent deaths of two evicted elders whose health declined immediately after losing their homes.  Earlier this month, more elders filed criminal charges against landlords and speculators who were evicting them for profit.)

Staying healthy to age in community 

May is also Mental Health Month, with this year’s theme B4Stage4 focused on addressing mental health early (get informed, get screened, get help), rather than at stage 4 when symptoms are severe enough to jeopardize one’s life. One in four older adults experiences some form of mental illness, yet two-thirds do not receive treatment—partly due to ageism, or harmful stereotypes that feelings of anxiety and depression are just part of normal aging, when they’re not.

Mental health studies on aging focus on depressed and suicidal older, white men.  Yet, aging is really a women's issue, so perhaps we need to pay more attention to older women’s mental health?  Betty Friedan's The Fountain of Age (1993) explored older women's improved mental health and longer lives, so why can't men age more like women who may have better coping skills and ability to adapt to stressful life events?   

During National Women's Health Week, in gerontologist Hope Levy’s Brain Fitness class, clinical psychologist Beth Krackov led mindfulness-based stress reduction exercises developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, who secularized the mindfulness practice (from its Buddhist origins) to apply in health settings.  Meditation “awakens” us to the present moment and lays new pathways connecting our brain’s frontal lobes that are associated with executive function. 

This splitting of mental from physical health, and secular from spiritual practice, reminded me of Ethan Watters’ critique of American ideas of mental illness in Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche (2010):

“…in other places in the world, cultural conceptions of the mind remain more intertwined with a variety of religious and cultural beliefs as well as the ecological and social world. They have not yet separated the mind from the body, nor have they disconnected individual mental health from that of the group. With little appreciation of these differences, we continue our efforts to convince the rest of the world to think like us. Given the level of contentment and psychological health our cultural beliefs about the mind have brought us, perhaps it's time that we rethink our generosity."

May also happens to be Asian-Pacific Heritage Month.  At Canon Kip Senior Center, fifth generation Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Hoenie Luk delivered a holistic approach to healthy aging, equating good health with a balance of yin and yang in four areas of daily living: rest, food, exercise and work.

Technology to age in home and community

Institute on Aging (IOA) organized Big Ideas, Good Work!, a daylong aging and technology conference that featured presentations by Bay Area innovators and senior providers on assistive technologies to keep seniors safe at home (smart homes equipped with motion sensors, monitoring devices to detect falls, smart garment that detects human fall to deploy micro-airbag, social robots) and information/communication technology tools to support healthy aging (online caregiving support, tele health/medication reminders, electronic health records, caregiver-managed debit card to prevent financial abuse).  I was seated next to Paulo Salta, DAAS Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) Analyst, who posted his coverage of the conference at http://sfconnected.org/2015/05/29/ioa-aging-and-technology-conference/. 

DAAS Executive Director Anne Hinton talked about President Obama’s decision to use stimulus funds to expand access to technology for seniors and adults with disabilities in 2010 through BTOP, (now called SFConnected), and Tech Council formed in 2014 to advance digital inclusion.  DAAS won awards for 1st place Aging Innovations for Healthier Living Online Community from National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) last year, and for tech innovation from Conference of Mayors meeting next month in San Francisco.   

Jack Lloyd invented a smart home system of motion detectors to track movements, software alerts to find breaks in a senior’s normal activities that could indicate a fall, sensors to detect if pillbox has opened (but not whether one has swallowed pill) that are transmitted via cell signal to smartphone of the caregiver or family member.  He reminded us that 10 million seniors age 75+ live alone, at least 800,000 with Alzheimer’s live alone, and families provide 80% of elder care.  The cost of his product is $100 per month. 

My favorite presenter was 91-year-old tech designer Barbara Beskind who is legally blind and doesn't own cell phone (except one for emergency use), laptop, iPod, etc., but she used her OT training to invent ski pole walker for more natural stride, standing upright and swinging arms—in contrast to hunching over a typical walker that limits one to a shuffling-gait. 

 

Barbara also created a communication device where she could point to her needs.  As a result of a fall in 2009, she spent three weeks in a hospital, then two months in a skilled nursing facility with a roommate.  She said the experience gave her plenty of time to think and observe people’s needs, and suggested that people who work in the field take a vacation at a memory care unit, skilled nursing facility or comparable program. 

She also told the audience to stop trying to make life longer because she has already arrived at a long life, and “it’s not pretty.”  She cautioned against a denial system, thinking aging and death is for someone else and envisioning the same good health at old age.  She said all ages seek identity, which she defined as personal worth to society. Older adults are experts in their own lives, and they want products designed to help independence and dignity; for example, she suggested an app to translate language to facilitate communication with non-native English language caregivers.

Audience members raised concerns about privacy, cost and safety (similar to modern health hazards like cell phone radiation and other sources of electromagnetic radiation).    

Social worker Mary Hulme and scientist Richard Caro summarized their research of Activity-Tracking Home Sensor Systems in Caring from Afar: A Guide to Home Sensor Systems for Aging Parents, an e-book that seemed intended more for caregivers rather than the aging parent subject to monitoring. Mary reassured us that technology does not replace human caregivers but can supplement care already in the home, or provide oversight for those who need but refuse or cannot afford in-home care (cost can range from $28 to $30 per hour, or $10,000 per month for 12 hours per day).

Tech entrepreneurs said their work was inspired by their grandmothers (Kari Snowberg, Connie Chow), mother (Alex Go) and father (Aenor Sawyer). . . but no mention about grandfather? 

I was reminded of my own personal reasons for studying gerontology or working in the aging field--to support "aging in place" for wandering grandparents (pictured above) and aging parents, and thought they would like Barbara's low-tech ski pole walker if needed, but probably not any electronic tracking (too much like helicopter parenting).   

                                                                                           

“Connection to others is what binds us to life” 

IOA Community Relations Manager Caitlin Morgan and Tech Enhanced Life’s Richard Caro engage audience to participate in sharing photos and favorite apps. 

Seeing IOA’s slogan, “Because our connection to others is what binds us to life” in this technology conference made me think of Sherry Turke’s TED Talk, Connected, but alone? about the impact of technology on our emotional lives after researching sociable robots designed to be companions to elderly in a nursing home:

“Have we so lost confidence that we will be there for each other? . . .  And we're vulnerable. People experience pretend empathy as though it were the real thing. So during that moment when that woman was experiencing that pretend empathy, I was thinking, "That robot can't empathize. It doesn't face death. It doesn't know life."  And as that woman took comfort in her robot companion,. . . I found it one of the most wrenching, complicated moments in my 15 years of work. But when I stepped back, I felt myself at the cold, hard center of a perfect storm. We expect more from technology and less from each other. And I ask myself, "Why have things come to this?"

. . . And I believe it's because technology appeals to us most where we are most vulnerable. . . We're lonely, but we're afraid of intimacy. And so from social networks to sociable robots, we're designing technologies that will give us the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship. We turn to technology to help us feel connected in ways we can comfortably control. But we're not so comfortable. We are not so much in control.”

Being vulnerable can make us more human by acknowledging our interdependence or reciprocity in relationships (like Barbra Streisand who sang, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world . . .and yet letting a grown-up pride hide all the need inside”), so maybe we ought to expect more from people (filial piety) than technology?

Psychology experts blame technology overuse for making us socially awkward and “alone together” because technology allows us to control where we put our attention (hanging out with like-minded only), sanitize human relationships (by editing to present ourselves the way we want to be—“I share, therefore I am”), and avoid real conversation (that forces us to adapt, really listen to read emotional cues to understand one another and develop empathy in the moment).

                                                                

Finally, I thought about connecting experts and the public to dialogue about rethinking aging.  There is tremendous diversity in old age that reflects the richness of human experiences, yet public perception may be based on more limited exposure (like from age-segregated settings or bad TV) in contrast to experts who may have a broader understanding so “aging is understood as both a personal and shared resource and opportunity, and so that older Americans are viewed as central rather than marginal participants in our collective life as a nation” (Gauging Aging, p. 32).  Listen to the advice dispensed to this year’s graduates not to self-segregate with like-minded people but to seek out and build relationships with people who think differently—perhaps expert older adults J:

“Here at Oberlin, most of the time you’re probably surrounded by folks who share your beliefs. But out in the real world, there are plenty of people who think very differently than you do, and they hold their opinions just as passionately. So if you want to change their minds, if you want to work with them to move this country forward, you can’t just shut them out. You have to persuade them, and you have to compromise with them. . . Today, I want to urge you to actively seek out the most contentious, polarized, gridlocked places you can find because so often throughout our history, those have been the places where progress really happens." – First Lady Michelle Obama to Oberlin graduates 

“So one piece of advice is try to look beyond the caricature of the person with whom you have to work. Resist the temptation to ascribe motive, because you really don't know -— and it gets in the way of being able to reach a consensus on things that matter to you and to many other people.

Resist the temptation of your generation to let "network" become a verb that saps the personal away, that blinds you to the person right in front of you, blinds you to their hopes, their fears, and their burdens.

Build real relationships — even with people with whom you vehemently disagree. You'll not only be happier. You will be more successful.

The second thing I've noticed is that although you know no one is better than you, every other person is equal to you and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.” – Vice President Joe Biden to Yale graduates

Homeless

Housing is a basic need, yet homelessness can happen to anyone due to factors outside of one’s personal control: increasing income inequality/poverty, cuts to government safety net programs, lack of affordable housing, discrimination, natural disasters, tragedy, serious illness or disability, loss of employment, domestic violence, evictions, etc. 

What does aging in place and community mean for homeless older adults? 

“The toughest thing about being homeless is the ageing.”--Christopher Young of homeless encampment near Airbnb’s San Francisco headquarters

"Nobody wants to be old and alone and homeless,…and their pride keeps them from asking for help.”-- Sandi Bachom, What It's Like To Be Suddenly Poor And Homeless At 70

When San Francisco’s public housing wait list, closed since 2010, opened for homeless people over a six-day period earlier this year, over 10,000 households signed up, with the average age of the head of household who applied was 66. Though older adults age 60+ make up 19% of the City’s population, they represent 34% of the City’s population that is poor—even access to SSI and Social Security benefits often fail to cover the cost of housing.

According to UCSF Professor of Medicine Margot Kushel, about half the homeless population is age 50+, and a quarter to a third of homeless seniors have significant cognitive impairment that makes it difficult to complete steps to be housed. 

Housing the Homeless

At last month’s Town Hall to End Homelessness, Arondo Washington Cox presented Camp Unity, one of a handful of self-managed, transitional tent villages in Seattle that provide a “safe and private place to live” with a strict code of conduct (sex offender and background checks, no alcohol/drugs, random drug tests) while moving every three months.  Set-up costs are $2,500 for 50 tents, plus $5,000 monthly operating cost for 50 people.  Camp amenities include shower, bathroom, electricity, washer/dryer, WiFi, communal kitchen, 24-hour security, and trash removal.  To help end homelessness, Campers have access to supportive services and 10 have graduated to permanent housing in the past year. 

How would this work in San Francisco, and for seniors and persons with disabilities? 

Estimated at around 6,400, the number of homeless on the streets of San Francisco is about the same as it was in 2005 when then Mayor Gavin Newsom launched his 10-year Plan to Abolish Chronic Homelessness, and after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake when homeless formed “Camp Agnos” outside City Hall.  In the past decade, more than 11,000 formerly homeless have been housed, while new homeless are added to the count. (Senator DiFi is seeking to revise HUD's definition of homeless to include persons doubled-up with friends or family, couch-surfing or living in single-room occupancy hotels.)  

San Francisco spends $165.7 million per year on homelessness, but millions more are needed to house the remaining thousands of homeless. (As reported in The Daily Show, Utah claims it is more cost-effective to invest $10-12,000 to house formerly homeless versus $20,000 for homeless to remain on the streets, including emergency services and jail time costs.) 

Journalist Gary Kamiya, who wrote “The Outsiders” about perpetual homelessness in the March 2015 issue of San Francisco magazine, moderated a community panel.  District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim, who spent one night in a homeless shelter, said she experienced intense boredom during the 12-hour lock-up, except for one-hour smoke break, with no services.  As a result, she has funded a pilot yoga program at Next Door shelter for its clients and minimum wage staff.  She also proposed a luxury condo sales tax to fund below-market rate housing.

Hospitality House’s Community Building Program Manager and formerly homeless Joe Wilson advocated for anti-poverty programs, in contrast to the hypocrisy of no more homeless by having shelter in the prison system, which is being used to address poverty and mental illness; and how the presence of homeless reminds people of suffering so they’re criminalized based on Elizabethan Poor Laws distinguishing the deserving versus undeserving poor.

Homeless Prevention

At this month’s Senior & Disability Action (SDA) meeting, affordable housing activist Calvin Welch talked about reforming short-term residential rental law, which could help prevent homelessness as landlords evict tenants to list rooms for short-term rentals that are a bigger factor than Ellis Act evictions. Share Better SF has proposed a ballot initiative that would cap vacation rentals to 75 nights per year, impose fines on hosting platform companies like Airbnb for listing rentals out of compliance, and require quarterly reporting to the City.  (Since February, unlimited short-term rentals are allowed when a host is present, 90 days per year of entire-house rentals by absentee hosts, and no fines/reporting requirements.) 5,000 units are taken off the market for short-term rentals. 

SF Anti-Displacement Coalition hosted all-day Tenant Rights Fair: Knowledge is Power – How to Stay in Your Home with information tables and workshops (offered in English, Chinese and Spanish) to empower tenants to defend against rising evictions that result in homelessness for persons who cannot afford market rate housing after being evicted.  Most vulnerable are long-term tenants in rent-controlled units, seniors on fixed income, and persons with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations like ground floor units in buildings without elevators (limited supply).

Section 8 – Know Your Rights presented by Bay Area Legal Aid housing staff attorney Monique Farris and Housing Rights Committee Executive Director Sara Shortt: half of Section 8 voucher holders are seniors and persons with disabilities; no new Section 8 vouchers except 100 for veterans; wait list has been closed; takes average 6 months to find landlord who will accept Section 8; pay only amount determined by Housing Authority because side payments are illegal that could lead to subsidy termination based on fraud.  Sometimes landlords no longer want to participate in Section 8, so no repairs made; in that case, tenant can contact Department of Building Inspection/Department of Public Health/Housing Authority to cite landlord; use repair and deduct with caution and only if attorney involved to avoid eviction on record.  Subsidy can be terminated if program rules violated, but right to request hearing within 10 business days of notice.

Navigating Buyouts presented by Eviction Defense Collaborative staff attorney Deepa Varma and Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus housing rights staff attorney Katherine Chu: value of buyout increases over time, so first to leave gets least money; how high can you go depends on litigation costs, rent differential, encumbrances, certainty, emotional cost, and some landlords are actually nice. 

Your building is for sale, how to stay in your home presented by Housing Rights Committee organizer Fred Sherburn-Zimmer and tenant: if you’re under rent control, nothing changes when your building is sold . . . but be prepared to organize with neighbors (power of community > power of one); estoppel form (assert any rights not specified in lease); declare protected category (senior or disabled person in Owner Move-In or Ellis Act eviction); reject new House Rules; get support (legal, friends, tenant groups, allies); pressure to drop eviction!

Homeless with Disabilities

At this month’s Mayor’s Disability Council meeting, Director of Housing Opportunities, Partnership & Engagement (HOPE) Bevan Dufty said that many homeless clients have disabilities, so his office tries to work with them to overcome problems in the shelter or services that don’t meet their needs.  Challenges include: homeless clients have to give up things because the only storage in a shelter is a drawer under the bed; married couples cannot stay together in a shelter; more clients are seniors and persons with disabilities yet shelter staff not trained to assist with activities of daily living, especially in the case of people discharged from hospital going directly to shelter.  He also mentioned last month’s launch of The Navigation Center, a one-stop shop for homeless to obtain services like case management, laundry and meals; and opening of LGBT-focused shelter (29% of City’s homeless identify as LGBT) in June.

Homeless Living

Fundraiser for St. Francis Living Room, a non-profit serving homeless and low-income older adults in the Tenderloin for over 20 years, with a weekday hot breakfast program, practical assistance and activities to promote the well-being of participants.  Hosted by Program Director Greg Moore and Board President Pedro Torres (pictured above), this full house event held at Sweet Inspiration Bakery Café had something for everyone – pasta dinner (vegetarian pesto for yours truly), meeting other supporters and Martha Boesing's wonderful Song of the Magpie performance (very cool to hear her mention St. Francis Living Room in typical day of homeless older adult)! 

Richmond Senior Center Director Linda Murley, Curry Senior Center (Tenderloin) Director David Knego, DAAS Program Analyst Maria Guillen and YMCA Central (Tenderloin) Senior Program Coordinator Gloria Garcia enjoy socializing, food and drink.

Martha’s play was based on her Faithful Fools “street retreat,” which involved living like a homeless older person in the Tenderloin for a week. She contemplated that it would be scary to live on the street, and then wondered what she would do . . . with “no house to clean”?  Her typical day was getting in and out of shelter at 7, then foraging for food, including begging people who would look right through her as if she didn’t exist.  She revealed that "seniors first" policies on lunch lines and at shelters were ways to "get us out of there ... people can't stand to look at us, it's too distressing ... it makes them think about their parents whom they've abandoned to some old people's home ... or maybe they think: 'That's where I'll end up.'" 

She talked about sleep deprivation, criticized Care Not Cash, stale food, etc.   She likened the homeless to nomads who wander, remembering a book she read that nomads were kinder and wiser than people who lived in separate square boxes.  She noted that magpies are omnivores who eat anything, moving and foraging throughout the day.

Sweet Inspiration owners Chef Michael Colter and Wendy Mogg (certified sign language interpreter) serve poppyseed cake for dessert.

Back to Nature

Ohlone tribe lived at Lands End prior to 1776 Spanish settlement in San Francisco. No one should be homeless, and I wanna sing out, "This land was made for you and me!"

Martha’s reference to nomads and foraging made me think about traditional hunter-gatherer cultures like the nomadic Ohlones, whose lifestyles were really sustainable ("kinder and wiser" except for burning belongings after a person’s death?) and starvation was unheard of so they didn’t have to practice agriculture.  It’s tragic to think that their native lands that provided such a varied diet (acorns, buckeyes, berries, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, weeds, etc.) were taken from them, replaced with government subsidies like processed wheat flour and rancid oil—recipe for Indian fry bread and diabesity. 

Coastal strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) thrives on sandy soil: these wild berries can be eaten fresh or dried, its leaves and roots used to make tea.

Food is also medicine, like yarrow used by Ohlones to treat stomachaches and skin sores.

Nature provides an abundance of food so no one should really go hungry, especially when there are so many snails and edible plants growing wild that can be foraged. Think about perfectly edible “invasive weeds” thrown into compost bins, when they could be fed to starving people.  Even “pests” like snails in our gardens are sources of edible protein.  Eating wild brings us closer to nature.

Natives like sticky monkey flower, Indian paintbrush, seaside daisies and California poppy are drought-tolerant and natural feast for the eyes!

At Dis/Play exhibition at SOMArts Gallery, Arc of San Francisco’s ArtReach Studios students collaborated to create Magic Tree intended as a peaceful and spiritual place that can be entered alone, liberated from the crowd and free to play.

Safe to Touch wall displayed tactile art by the artists of Artful Steps within Stepping Stones Growth Center, embracing inclusion, accessibility and unification of diverse communities.

Check out California School for the Deaf visual artist David Call's Eye Hand Studio website for Deafhood Unleashed (2011), The Missing Jigsaw Pieces (2012), Resistance (2012), The Deaf Eye (2012), and The Power of ASL (2013) -- all featured in Dis/Play, as commentaries about Deaf people being oppressed by audists who focus on the hearing and speech approach to education, when Deaf people are visual learners who use natural hand signs.

At Dis/Play Closing Reception, deaf-owned and operated Mozzeria had mobile pizzeria with built-in oven serving awesome flatbread with braised greens, white garlic sauce, currants, shallot-brown sugar and brie.