Los Angeles faces new challenges as its population gets older: Guest commentary

Los Angeles, like the rest of the country, is getting older. Between 2010 and 2030, the older adult population in the Los Angeles region is expected to almost double, from about 1.1 million to more than 2.1 million.

What does this mean besides an uptick in more folks taking advantage of senior discounts and a growing population of grandparents eager to spoil the kids of L.A.?

We have already seen Mayor Eric Garcetti’s administration begin to address this issue with his Purposeful Aging initiative, which seeks to prepare the region for a rapidly aging population. But there’s still a lot of work and research to be done.

According to AARP, almost 90 percent of adults 65 and older want to stay in their current home and community as they age. As a city, we need to provide the services and support that older Americans need. That’s why it’s been great to see our elected leaders already starting to address the issue of a “graying” L.A.

The mayor’s Purposeful Aging Los Angeles is a three-year plan incorporating civic participation and employment, community support and health services and transportation.

This private-public partnership aims to make L.A. one of the most age-friendly cities in the country. Garcetti has said, “Everyone in our city contributes to making Los Angeles an incredible place to live, work and raise a family. That’s why we commit ourselves to meeting the needs of older Angelenos, a growing population that deserves our attention and respect.”

As a native Southern Californian, I couldn’t agree more. And as senior care expert, I know how important access to services are for our older community members.

As the population of older residents in L.A. has increased, the company I work for, Home Care Assistance, has begun opening more stores throughout the region to ensure that those who want to age “in-home” are able to do so. We just opened new offices in Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Beverly Hills and Riverside, where local residents can drop in and speak with a caregiver face-to-face. Along with our new stores, we also have existing locations in Newport Beach and Dana Point.

My grandparents, who live in Southern California, are suffering with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. So I know first-hand the importance of creating awareness in our communities about the resources available to families to support their loved ones aging in place. As a little girl I watched my grandmother take care of my great grandmother, who battled Alzheimer’s for 12 years, and I’m now watching my mother going through the same challenges can be overwhelming at times.

Families need to know that they are not alone and there are experts in this community who advocate for seniors and their families, and enable them to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

Los Angeles has the potential to become one of the most age-friendly cities in the world. But it’s going to take a lot of work from a lot of different stakeholders.

It’s great to see the mayor’s office taking the necessary first steps. But local businesses also need to do their part to see this vision of an “L.A. for everyone” all the way through. Private companies in the area should keep our aging population in mind. Supermarkets like Gelson’s and Pavilions could provide free transportation for seniors to and from their stores. This would give seniors who can’t or don’t want to drive a way to still be part of their community, and bring in more customers. Movie theatres could host classic film nights that bring back a taste of the old Hollywood glamour that some of our older Angelenos were a part of.

Los Angeles is an amazing city, and one of the reasons it such a great place to live is due in no small part to those who are getting on in years. We owe it to them to make sure this city is able to provide the services and support that they need in order to live fulfilling, healthy and happy lives in their own homes and communities.

Ashley Mirone is vice president of business development at Home Care Assistance.