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The Time of Their Lives

Alameda Offers Seniors a Plethora of Services and Activities

Mitch Tobias

    When Phyllis De La Vergne isn’t riding a zip line through the jungles of Costa Rica or skydiving, she enjoys participating in a wide array of activities at the Mastick Senior Center in Alameda.
    “I’ve been to other senior centers,” says De La Vergne, an avid traveler, “but Mastick tops them all.”
    Seniors like De La Vergne, who recently turned 90, are helping redefine the idea that getting older inevitably means going downhill, while also paving the way for the influx of baby boomers.
    According to the California Department of Aging, one in five Californians will be 60 years old or older by the year 2010. In 1990, there were one in 99 persons in the state’s 85 and over age group. By 2040, this population is expected to increase to one in 34.
    Mastick (www.mastickcenter.com), which boasts more than 3,000 members between the ages of 50 and 100, enjoys the distinction of being one of the area’s largest and most active community senior centers, operated by the city of Alameda’s Recreation and Park Department. Traditional programs such as bingo and needlepoint are now offered alongside Nintendo Wii video game tournaments and conversational Italian, designed to attract both longtime members and baby boomer newcomers. The center, open to all adults over the age of 50, also offers seniors information on transportation, housing and healthcare resources.
    Doctors agree that participating in regular activities, like those offered at Mastick, play an important role in aging healthily. A study published in the November 2007 issue of the Journal of American Geriatrics suggests that regular vigorous activity such as housework, gardening or sports can protect a senior’s ability to walk several blocks, climb stairs, maintain a sense of balance and sustain grip strength.
    At Mariner Square Athletic Club in Alameda (www.marinersq.com), approximately 656 of the health club’s estimated 3,000 members are 62 years or older, and 76 are over the age of 80.
    “Our oldest member is 101 and still works out three times a week,” says Diana Thomas, the club’s general manager. In addition to offering seniors special membership pricing, Mariner Square has a number of classes tailored to older adults. For instance, Arlene Palumbo teaches a gentle water aerobics class at Mariner Square three times a week.
    “Most of the women in my class are in their 80s, and a number of them have had hip or knee replacements,” says Palumbo, a senior who declines to give her age. “When you tell people how old you are, they put a label on you.”
    In addition to offering older adults a great low-impact workout, Palumbo says her class gives participants the opportunity to socialize and make new friends. “Many of the women in my class are widows, and in this class they can connect with other women while they exercise and have fun,” she says.
    For seniors who have led sedentary lifestyles, Thomas says it’s never too late to become active. “At Mariner Square we offer a welcoming environment for people of all ages and fitness levels, including those who have been inactive,” she says. “All new members complete a health history questionnaire and are paired with one of our personal trainers for two complimentary one-hour orientations. We educate new members on how to use our exercise equipment and help design an individualized workout program for them.”
    For seniors interested in increasing their flexibility, strength and coordination, Alameda Yoga Station (www.alamedayogastation.com) offers “Gentle and Restorative” yoga classes for those with physical limitations and slower-paced classes at a reduced rate for active adults over the age of 50.

Committed to Lifelong Learning

    Who says school is just for kids? Programs such as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, East Bay, also known as SCHOLAR-OLLI, provide lectures, field trips and classes to adults over the age of 50.
    “Our programs offer mature adults both mental stimulation and social interaction,” says Kathleen Bryant, program coordinator for SCHOLAR-OLLI. Programs are offered in Alameda, Hayward and Contra Costa County.
    The program currently boasts more than 800 members and has offered courses and lectures on topics including inflation and the recession, wine tasting and Russian art.
    Members pay $35 a year, which entitles them to a reduced rate on courses and complimentary admission to lectures. Nonmembers can pay $5 for lectures and a slightly higher rate for courses. The program’s brochure of 2009 courses will be available in mid-December at www.ce.csueastbay.edu/courses/OLLI/index.shtml. Seniors can also register online to become a SCHOLAR-OLLI member.
    For seniors who want to have a lively discussion around their favorite book or discuss politics with their peers but are unable to leave their home, the Senior Center Without Walls, or SCWW, project connects homebound seniors throughout Alameda County by phone.
    SCWW (www.seniorcenterwithoutwalls.org), sponsored by Senior Resources at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Oakland, operates through telephone conference calls that are easy to dial into and which SCWW pays for. Seniors can interact with their peers and participate in a variety of discussions with guidance from activity leaders.
    The program targets seniors who may not be able to leave their homes due to lack of transportation, caregiving responsibilities or illness. Activities are offered on a daily basis and include bingo, improvisation, brain aerobics, writing and coping with loss. Membership is free to all local seniors. Call (877) 797-7299 to sign up for this service.

Helping Others Benefits Your Health

    Research from the Corporation for National and Community Service in Washington, D.C., has found that volunteering provides seniors with benefits including improved physical and mental health and greater life satisfaction. For those who have a passion for helping others, volunteer opportunities abound in Alameda.
    RSVP of Alameda County (www.rsvpsf.org) provides opportunities for people 55 and over to make a difference in their community, serving at schools, day-care centers, museums, hospitals and other nonprofit and public organizations.
    Tony Santare, 79, of Alameda caught the volunteering bug while living in New York.
    “I taught adults how to read and found it very fulfilling,” says Santare, who retired at the age of 57. Today, he continues to volunteer as the newly elected president of the board of directors at Mastick.
    “Through volunteering, I’ve met many fantastic, unselfish people and established some lasting social relationships,” he says.
    Jackie Krause, senior services manager  at Mastick, says the center is always looking for volunteers to help at bingo games and with other activities at the center.
    In addition to Mastick, the Volunteer Center of San Francisco and Alameda Counties is always recruiting volunteers, ages 55 and older, to serve in their Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
    Currently more than 400 RSVP volunteers donate their time to more than 80 nonprofit organizations in the Bay Area serving as teachers, mentors, food bank staffers and more. In the East Bay, RSVP is seeking volunteers to serve as docents at Chabot Space Center, to tutor children in Bay Area classrooms and help the environment through the Save the Bay program. Visit www.rsvpsf.org for more information or call (510) 452-0868.

When You Need a Little Help of Your Own

    Most seniors want to remain active and independent for as long as possible, but sometimes circumstances change. Maybe you need a little assistance after having hip replacement surgery, or you no longer drive and need a ride to your next doctor’s appointment. Alameda has a number of services available that can help seniors to continue living independently.
    Luella Baker, 94, moved to Cardinal Point at Mariner Square, a continuing care retirement community in Alameda, two years ago. Although she’s in good health, Baker worried about the possibility of falling.
    “I didn’t know what I would do in the event of an emergency,” says Baker. At Cardinal Point, she lives in a one-bedroom residence and enjoys the fact that she no longer has to cook her own meals.
    “We have 27 different entrees we can choose from each day,” Baker says. “The food is delicious, and the best part is I don’t have to wash the dishes.”
    Cardinal Point is Alameda’s only continuing care retirement community (www.cardinalpointccrc.com), and it offers both independent and assisted-living options. The community gives seniors the chance to live independently knowing they can receive assisted care in the future if the need arises.
    “A lot of people don’t know that there are housing options like ours,” says Beth Remenap, Cardinal Point’s director of marketing. “It’s a perfect community for a couple who may have different healthcare needs. The spouse who is independent can continue living in their own residence, while their spouse who requires a higher level of care can live in our Care Center.”
    Although Cardinal Point caters to seniors, Remenap says the community doesn’t “do old people or curmudgeons.”
    “You can act old later,” she says with a smile. “We’re having way too much fun here.”
    Baker agrees. Although she recently celebrated her 94th birthday, she feels as though she’s in her 60s. On any weekday, she can be found taking part in the wide variety of activities offered at both Cardinal Point and the Mastick Senior Center.
    “I think there was a mistake with the calendar,” she deadpans. “It claims I’m older than I actually am.”
    For seniors in need of a hot, nourishing meal, Alameda Meals on Wheels (www.alamedamealsonwheels.org) is there to help. Unlike many Meals on Wheels programs that only serve low-income families, the Alameda program serves the entire community.
    “We’re here for anyone who needs a hot meal delivered to their home,” says Rosemary Reilly, the program’s executive director. “Often people need our services for a short period of time while they recover from surgery, others are homebound and unable to go to the grocery store. We’re here to help residents of all ages either on a short- or long-term basis.”
    The program relies on more than 200 volunteers who deliver meals to more than 140 Alameda residents seven days a week. To cover their operating costs, Meals on Wheels relies on monetary donations from the community and corporate sponsors.
    “Our residents pay for the meals on a sliding fee scale,” Reilly says. “We’ve never turned anyone away.”
    Alameda Friendly Visitors was formed as an offshoot of the Meals on Wheels program when volunteers found that many of their meal recipients were isolated and lonely.
    “For some people, our volunteers were their only daily contact,” Reilly says. The Friendly Visitor service was founded in 2004 and now provides homebound residents with one- to two-hour visits each week.
    “Kathy Miranda, who oversees the Friendly Visitors program, does a great job of matching homebound seniors with volunteers who share their interests,” Reilly says. “Many of the volunteers call and check in between visits, and their devotion makes a huge difference.”
    In January, Avalon Village (www.avalonvillage.org), a new nonprofit concierge service for seniors, will launch in Alameda. The village isn’t an actual place, but rather a membership program that helps seniors remain in their own homes by providing them with everything from housework help to grocery shopping.
    The concept is modeled after Beacon Hill Village in Boston, a group developed six years ago by a group of elderly neighbors who were trying to line up in-home services their insurance didn’t cover.
    “Members pay an annual membership fee that buys them access to a wide variety of services,” says Jill Cabeceiras, executive director of Avalon Village. “Maybe a senior needs someone to help with cooking or to come in once a week and help clean their home or to deliver groceries. We can provide them with the assistance they need to continue living safely and comfortably at home.” For more information about Avalon Village, call Cabeceiras at (510) 326-2430.
    Geriatric care managers can also help seniors with in-home care, housing referrals and much more.
    Alameda resident Paula Silver-Manno, director of marketing for the Cohen Cormier Home Care and Care Management Group (www.eldercaremanagers.com), has first-hand experience using her company’s services. When her mother, who lives in an assisted-living facility in Alameda, began having falls, Silver-Manno hired a caregiver to assist her mom on a part-time basis so she could continue to live independently.
    “We help seniors and their families to determine whether an older adult can live safely in their own home or if they need the help of a caregiver,” Silver-Manno says. “Maybe they just need temporary help as they recover from surgery, or someone to help with light housekeeping.”
    The Cohen Cormier agency helps seniors on both a short-term and long-term basis. It can assist seniors who are contemplating moving to an assisted-living facility and aren’t sure what options are available; the agency can also help seniors make their home more environmentally safe by installing grab bars in the shower and suggesting other modifications that can help them live safely in their own home.
    “All of our care managers are licensed social workers or registered nurses,” Silver-Manno says. “We can meet with a senior and their family and assist with situations such as medication management or helping the senior transition from their own home to a senior-living community.”
    For seniors who need a little extra peace of mind, Lifeline, a personal response service, provides Alameda seniors with assistance in the event of an emergency. For a one-time installation fee of $75 and a monthly fee of $44.50 per month, seniors are given a medical alert bracelet or necklace with a button that can be pressed in the event of an emergency. Once the button has been activated, a Lifeline operator will call the resident on a speakerphone. If there is no answer, the operator will alert the police and fire department. Lifeline also helps members manage their medications.  To sign up for the service, call (510) 869-8992.
    For seniors who would like an overview of the many services available in Alameda, Sheila Leonard, 67, an Alameda resident, and member of the Mastick Senior Center Advisory Board, recommends attending one of the center’s orientation meetings that cover activities and classes at the center, and other services including health screenings, legal services, income tax preparation and more. “Getting involved in activities at Mastick and within the city has given me the opportunity to continue to grow and develop my interest as well as to have fun and meet new people,” Leonard says. “Once people become aware of all Mastick has to offer, they find their niche.”

Senior Service Resources

Alameda Friendly Visitors
1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 748-0342
www.alamedamealsonwheels.org

Alameda Meals on Wheels
516 Willow St., Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 865-6131
www.alamedamealsonwheels.org

Alameda Yoga Station
2414-A Central Ave., Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 523-YOGA
www.alamedayogastation.com

Avalon Village
1154 Bismarck Lane, Alameda, CA 94502
(510) 326-2430
www.avalonvillage.org

Cardinal Point at Mariner Square
2431 Mariner Square Drive, Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 337-1033
www.cardinalpointccrc.com

Cohen Cormier Home Care and Care Management Group
2100 Embarcadero, Suite 101, Oakland, CA 94606
(510) 652-3377
www.eldercaremanagers.com

Lifeline
(510) 869-8992
www.lifelinesys.com

Mariner Square Athletic Club in Alameda
2227 Mariner Square Loop, Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 523-8011
www.marinersq.com

Mastick Senior Center
1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 747-7500
www.mastickcenter.com

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, East Bay (SCHOLAR-OLLI)
25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward, CA 94542
(510) 885-3605
www.ce.csueastbay.edu/courses/OLLI/index.shtml

RSVP of Alameda County
1611 Telegraph Ave., Suite 302, Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 452-0868
www.rsvpsf.org

Senior Center Without Walls (SCWW)
114 Montecito Ave., Oakland, CA 94610
(877) 797-7299
www.seniorcenterwithoutwalls.org