Gray Lives Matter

By Pamela Arnsberger

We hear a great deal these days about diversity, equity and inclusion, but we may forget that this phrase includes older people — the one minority group we will someday all be a part of. By now, most people know that the senior population in Santa Cruz County is growing rapidly, especially as compared to the rest of the population.

What you may not know is that since 2010 the 65-84 population here has grown at a faster rate (80.9 percent) than anywhere else in California. Currently it is estimated that there are 75,000 folks over 60 in Santa Cruz County with about a quarter of that amount living in the mid-county area.

In many ways, aging here is a positive experience. Compared to the rest of the state, Santa Cruz County seniors are quite well-educated with over 80 percent having some college or being college graduates and most are healthy, with over 60 percent identifying as being well and active. We are also pretty tech savvy with almost 80 percent of us owning cell phones and 82 percent having either a computer or tablet or both.

On the other hand, there are some surprising issues. We forget, perhaps, that we are essentially a rural area and a much higher percentage of seniors in Santa Cruz County live alone as compared to the rest of the state. This probably contributes to the high levels of isolation, loneliness and depression that have been identified in multiple surveys here. In fact we have higher levels of depression (23 percent) than other Medicare recipients (18 percent) throughout the country. This particular issue was poignantly explored in a recent exhibition by The Santa Cruz County Museum of Art and History (SC MAH) which attracted thousands of people.

Other areas of concern are the growing numbers of Medi-Cal eligible (low-income) seniors. These numbers increase at an alarming rate, and if you are in this category, it is still extraordinarily difficult to locate a provider who will accept Medi-Cal. Recently it has even become difficult to find a provider who will take new Medicare patients. There are now reports that providers who have had patients for many years have been discharging them when they go on Medicare. This creates a great deal of confusion among seniors. Indeed, in the Area Agency on Aging quadrennial senior needs assessment in 2020, understanding Medicare and/or Medi-Cal was rated as the third highest unmet need,

That the cost of housing here is an issue comes as a surprise to nobody, and it affects seniors as well as the rest of the population., In the probability sample of seniors conducted by the California Department of Aging last year, Santa Cruz County was highlighted as a county where seniors could not afford to live. In addition, the actual cost of housing seems to leave little extra room for minor home repairs and maintenance. These two items were ranked first and second in the list of unmet needs in our own local needs assessment. But even this problem looks good when compared to the 2.2 percent of the over 50 population who identify as homeless.

A final concern for many of us is paying for long-term care when we are ill. Current nursing home costs in California now approach $120,000 a year and Medicare does not generally pay for care past the first 20 days and ends whenever a patient only requires “custodial care.” Past that, many patients “spend down” to Medi-Cal and often a skilled nursing home will not accept Medi-Cal patients. And if you have recently tried to find and pay for home care, you know how difficult (and expensive!) that can be.

These are only a few of the issues that we confront in our older years, but there are some benefits and services that can help to meet these challenges. Luckily for us, Santa Cruz County has always been a leader in the development and implementation of services for older adults. There are many programs and services available to seniors that can be accessed by a call to Senior Network Services at 831-462-1433 where dedicated professionals can help to guide you through the system. Or if you just want information, you can stop in at 3333 Soquel Dr Suite A and pick up a Senior Resource Directory. It could be the first step in getting the help you (or someone you care for) might need.

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Pamela Arnsberger, Ph.D, MSW, LCSW, received her PhD with distinction from UC Berkeley in 1991. She served as a researcher and professor at the Institute of Health and Aging at the UCSF, the University of New England and the University of Hawaii. She is also a Fulbright scholar and has authored almost 50 peer reviewed publications on aging issues. She is the recipient of the Na Lima Kokua award for research and service and a community champion award for her advocacy work in the community. She is currently retired and serves as president of the Santa Cruz and San Benito County Seniors Council.