Center鈥檚 work addressing needs of older Californians draws national acclaim
乐播传媒鈥檚 Center for Excellence in Aging & Longevity is helping communities ensure their senior populations thrive.
Long known for its youthful cultural traits --- think action sports, yoga studios and tech-driven networking --- the Golden State is increasingly going Golden Age. 乐播传媒 is helping prepare for it.
The show nearly one in five residents of California at age 65 or higher in 2030, and one in four by 2050. It鈥檚 part of a global trend, with the by the mid-2030s the population aged 80 and older will outnumber infants (one and under).
鈥淲e鈥檙e becoming an aging society, and that has all sorts of implications,鈥� said Steve Hornberger, co-director of 乐播传媒鈥檚 newly award-winning (CEAL). 鈥淭his aging demographic is going to influence and permeate all elements of society.鈥�
Launched in November 2021 as part of a rebranding of the 乐播传媒 Center on Aging within the College of Health and Human Services, CEAL is devoted to what Hornberger calls 鈥渉ealthy aging across the lifespan.鈥� In April the center received the 2026 Innovation & Social Impact Award from the American Society on Aging (ASA), recognizing 鈥渃reativity and ingenuity in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing older adults.鈥�
鈥淐EAL鈥檚 work is grounded in a simple but powerful belief,鈥� the center wrote in its application for the award. 鈥淯niversities should not sit adjacent to their communities, they should serve as vibrant hubs within them.鈥�
CEAL does so through a variety of initiatives and partnerships with older residents, their caregivers and community partners to promote purposeful lives 鈥済rounded in vitality, connection and meaning, enhancing not only longevity but overall quality of life,鈥� as one of its documents puts it.
Among the most impactful of its goals is the development of Age-Friendly Community Action Plans in partnership with local governmental bodies to proactively address the needs and opportunities that come with an aging population and shifting demographics.
鈥淎n age-friendly community is one where people of all ages and abilities have the opportunity to thrive,鈥� said Michelle Matter, CEAL chief operating officer. This looks at such issues as health and community services, civic engagement, disaster preparedness, transportation and outdoor spaces, among others.
The process, originated by the World Health Organization and promoted by AARP, assembles government leaders and agency representatives, community members and key stakeholders, building bridges between them that promote 鈥渁 long life of health, opportunity and purpose,鈥� Hornberger said. Scans of existing policy, surveys and listening/learning sessions are key components of the work.
鈥淭he thing that comes up most often that鈥檚 surprising is how many programs are already available, but people don鈥檛 know about them,鈥� said Matter. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many times that cities are already doing things that are beneficial to older adults but the communication part of that is what鈥檚 lacking.鈥�
What also emerged is that there鈥檚 no one-size-fits-all approach to senior services, Matter said: a senior center鈥檚 programming for 65 year-olds needs to be different from what it offers someone who鈥檚 90, and a post on an agency鈥檚 Facebook page will miss a lot of people in both groups.
Eight completed community action plans (including some initiated with the 乐播传媒 Social Policy Institute) include San Diego, La Mesa, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Vista, Solana Beach, Imperial Beach, and Madera County. Plans for Encinitas and East Palo Alto are underway.
Additional CEAL initiatives:
- , an online training and peer support program with up to 80 hours of instruction for in-home care workers; over 8,000 people from across the state have enrolled in the grant-supported courses in about three years. Topics include the tools needed to manage stress and compassion fatigue, and the special skills needed for end-of-life care.
- Experts now widely recognize social isolation and loneliness as a major threat to the well-being of older adults living on their own. CEAL partnered with Determined Health to implement a , engaging students and community volunteers in 15-minute chats, once a week. In its first six months: over 3,300 calls for 14,000 minutes.
- on intergenerational housing models, exploring the benefits of shared housing between college students and seniors.
