+ PLUS A GUIDE TO RESOURCES IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Bra in Train
How to keep an aging brain sharp
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Active Adults 50+ Drop-in Activities
Gentle Yoga: Chair Exercise:
Book Club:
Line Dancing: Walking Groups: Tai Chi:
Beginner Ping Pong Clinic: Bocce on the Wharf: Community Cinema
Chair Yoga: Garden Club: Qi Gong: Seniors Share: Cardio Drumming
Building iPad & Photography Skills: Senior Computer Center Tech Support: Ping Pong Club:
Mondays & Fridays 10 - 11:00 am
Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays 11 - 11:30 am
First Tuesday of the month 10:30 - 11:30 am
Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays at 9:30 am
Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:30 - 11:30 am, locations vary.
Tuesdays, 11 - 12:15 pm
Second Tuesday of the month, 1 - 3:00 pm
Tuesdays, 1 - 3:00 pm
Third Tuesday of the Month 1 - 3:30 pm
Wednesdays, 10-11:00 am
Wednesdays, 9:30 - 11:00 am
Thursdays, 11 - 12:15 pm
Thursdays, 11 - 12:00 pm
Thursdays, 11:15 - 11:45 am
Two Thursdays a month 2:30 - 4:00 pm
One-Hour tech tutor appointments are available Mondays 9 - 12 pm, Wednesdays 11:30 - 2:30 pm, & Fridays 9 - 2:00 pm
The Downtown Senior Center aims to keep seniors active, engaged and connected with the community through recreation, education, and technology.
Community Happens Here
Need support navigating your tech?
Our Senior Computer Center tech tutors are available to meet with you to help you learn how to use your devices or troubleshoot problems. Become a member for $25 a year.
2024 SANTA CRUZ
EDITOR’S NOTE
There are species of sharks that die if they don’t keep moving forward. Great white sharks, whale sharks, hammerheads and mako sharks need to move so there’s a strong current flowing toward their mouths and sending oxygen to their gills.
It’s the same with people.
The minute you stop growing, your mind and body shrivels.
That’s the focus of this issue: keeping people over 50 learning the way they did when they were young. Santa Cruz is a college town for all ages.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UCSC takes seniors right back to college, with a legion of classes.
Then there’s music, which can stave off disease and help with memory. And stretching to keep your body flowing.
Take our prescriptions here and catch a real fountain of youth.
BRAD KAVA | EDITOR
Home Care
Well-Being Home Care
CONTENTS
MUSIC IS MAGIC
Words and tunes perform wonders for the brain. P6
SAY WHAT?
ADHD doesn’t have to ruin your life. P10
BACK TO SCHOOL
There’s no age limit for great college courses. P14
A GUIDE TO 50+ RESOURCES IN SANTA CRUZ
Well-Being Home Care
Personalized
Personalized
rsonalized home care up to hours a day by experienced, mpassionate, and registered me care aides.
Well-Being
Well-Being Home Care
Well-Being Home Care
STRETCH IT OUT
From activities to local services, find everything you need. P16
Focusing
24 hours a day by experienced, compassionate, and registered home care aides.
to 24 hours a day by experienced, compassionate, and registered home care aides
new approach offering mple tasks without hourly inimums. This “just what you eed” model allows clients to ay only for the tasks they esire.
A new approach offering simple tasks without hourly minimums. This “just what you need” model allows clients to pay only for the tasks they desire
A new approach offering simple tasks without hourly minimums. This “just what you need” model allows clients to hey
Exercises to keep your body flowing. P12
CREW
PUBLISHER
Dan Pulcrano
EDITORS
Brad Kava
Sharan Street
CONTRIBUTORS
Danielle Ratliff
DNA
Kristen McLaughlin
CREATIVE SERVICES
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Deb Fisher
EDITORIAL DESIGNER
Haley Tweedell
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Rowdy Tompkins
Elena Razgonov
Kate Kauffman
Sue Lamothe
ACCOUNTING
Aurene Pokorny
OFFICE MANAGER
Danielle Ratliff
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Shannen Craig
Jackie Mujica
Richard Stockton
Ruby Lee Schembari
Jennifer Meyer
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
PHOTOGRAPHER
Tarmo Hannula
DIRECTOR OF
CREATIVE SERVICES
Cindy Couling
EDITORIAL
PRODUCTION
MANAGER
Zk Bradley
Debra Whizin
ADVERTISING REPS
Lisa Buckley
GENERAL MANAGER
Lee May
COVER Design by Haley Tweedell
Photo by TK TK
Your favorite music can rewire your brain BY RICHARD STOCKTON
This story is about your favorite songs. When you first heard them, you immediately wanted to hear them again. They stayed in your head for a month. While your body moved to their beat, everything that happened to you then, the memories of all of it, can come back to you through these songs.
Losing my father to Alzheimer’s felt like I was watching him fall backwards off a cliff in slow motion, seeing that powerful, shining man who gave me everything disappear from view. As his incandescent spirit receded further and further from his sense of self, I ached to know if his memories were still somewhere inside him. Who are we but the stories we live?
As an entertainer, the real rush with memory care gigs is when you wake someone up with a song from their youth. It’s a magic moment:
It’s 2:45 pm and I’m setting up my sound equipment in the sunny activities room of Sunshine Villa Assisted Living and Memory Care in Santa Cruz. Laughing caregivers are wheeling in my audience, cajoling the residents not to go too wild when the music starts. Half of them live here for physical assistance alone; they are every bit as sharp as I am, and they waste no time in needling me.
SongS
The S That Turn Your MeMories ories On
“Last guitar player we had didn’t know any Patsy Cline and that man disappeared without a trace. Hope that doesn’t happen to you.”
I say, “Well, sir, I do go Walking After Midnight when I Fall to Pieces, and just so you know who you’re dealing with, I’m Crazy.” Half of the crowd bursts into applause, delicate fists pump in the air. The other half sit silently in their wheelchairs, some stare at the floor. I’ve performed here before, but the quiet ones don’t remember me and don’t know why I’m here. A woman in the front row is bent over in her wheelchair with her eyes closed.
I ask the nurse about her, and she says, “That’s Delores. Her file says she used to sing along with Johnny Cash records, but that was before I got here.”
I launch into Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “16 Tons” and the ones who join in know every word. I look at Delores, her head down, staring at the floor, and I say, “Got a couple going out to Delores.” She does not move.
I launch into “Ring of Fire,” selling my Johnny Cash baritone vibrato for all I am worth. Delores lifts her head. I go into “Folsom Prison Blues” and at the end of the first verse, Delores looks up at me, her eyes go wide, her mouth opens wider, she
gasps for air and exclaims, “Johnny Cash! Momma told me not to listen to him, but I did anyway. I love Johnny Cash!”
After my set, the nurse says, “Richard, I’ve been here for two years and that is the first time I’ve heard Delores speak.”
Kathryn Adkins—president of nonprofit group NextStage Productions, which connects seniors to the performing arts—has also witnessed how music makes connections.
Adkins remembers performing with the trio Key of Three at Westwind Memory. They chose songs that residents listened to when they were in their late teens and 20s.“We were singing ‘Moon River,’ the Oscar-winning song of 1961. At least three audience members raised their head, opened their eyes and sang along.”
If I would have known what I know now, I could have played my father’s favorite songs, awakened his memories and gotten to know him better. But I’m here at Sunshine Villa, to play songs from their youth, so maybe for a moment they can remember who they are.
Studies from Harvard Medicine explain what’s going on between Johnny Cash and Delores; music we heard in our late teens and early 20s can create neuroplasticity rewiring of the
PLAYBACK The right musical cues can trigger long-buried memories. PHOTO: SEVENTYFOUR SHUTTERSTOCK
« 6
brain. The right song can penetrate even the thickest fog of dementia.
Science is finding out why. Medicalnewstoday.com reports, “music can increase the speed of nerve impulses by inducing the formation of myelin, which wraps around nerve cell processes, and by increasing synapses—the connections between nerve cells. It may drive the generation of new nerve cells.”
Neuroplasticity really happens. As they say in the neurology crowd, “Nerves that fire together wire together.”
I was singing the Elvis tune “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” at Holiday Warburton Place, a memory care facility in Santa Clara. I noticed one resident named Beverly singing along. I got to the line “Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?” and Beverly’s eyes filled with tears. She caught her breath and her face looked like she was tasting something almost too sweet.
After the song ended, I asked her, “Beverly, what happens when you hear that line?”
“I see my husband coming in the front door, coming home to me from Vietnam.”
I perform regularly at Citrus Pines Senior Living, a tiny assisted living center in Sacramento, run by Janelyn Kelly. I have grown to love the six ladies whom I play music for, but it is definitely their songs that wake them up. They start talking, they start dancing in their wheelchairs or stand up to dance freestyle.
After I pack up my sound system and head for my car, they don’t want to leave. Janelyn puts on an Elvis concert video
and as the six women watch Elvis they start talking to each other, even making fun of one other. As Elvis croons, bumps and grinds on the screen the six women share their life stories.
The 2014 film Alive Inside is a story of music and memory. It is the journey of a social worker named Dan Cohen as he campaigned to bring iPods to nursing homes to help people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The film follows the 90-year-old Alzheimer’s patient Henry Dryer. It opens with Henry not communicating with the outside world; he looks catatonic. His nurse says, “He is very isolated, and he sits with his head resting on his hands. He doesn’t talk to people.”
Then Cohen puts headphones on Henry so he can listen to his favorite artist, Cab Calloway. Henry immediately wakes up, moves to the beat and starts singing along. And starts talking.
Cohen asks Henry, “What does music do to you?”
“Gives me the feeling of love. The world needs to come together with music. You got beautiful music in you. Oh, lovely. I feel a bond of love. Dreams.”
Cohen says, “So in some sense, Henry has reacquired his identity through the power of music.” He reports that 1.6 million Americans are living in 16,000 nursing homes, plus 1 million people living in assisted living facilities, and 40% of those have some form of dementia as well. Five million Americans have some form of dementia.
According to Cohen, “The American healthcare system is apparently more interested in pushing costly pharmaceutical treatments than any kind of therapeutic model. Music offers you a therapy that is free, with no side effects, that you can do anytime, and will boost your brain power.”
When I was 14, my two favorite things were my basketball and my transistor radio. I always had it tuned to KROY 1240 AM in Sacramento because they played James Brown. I would shoot baskets at Arden Park endlessly, only to stop when KROY played James Brown and then I would scream with him, “Whoaowww! I feeeeel good!”
Sixty-one years later I hear “I Feel Good” and I can see a basketball leaving my fingertips, arc high into the air, spin backwards, watch it drop through the hoop and hear the swish. That’s who I was, and James Brown helps me remember that’s who I still am.
Music connects to the memories that are our life story.
My dad and I differed in our relationship to music. He told me he tried to join the Bakersfield High School Glee Club, but they threw him out when it became obvious that he was only there to meet girls. Man, he had to have had a song or two that moved him. I would give anything to have played those for him.
As for my end, to paraphrase General Douglas MacArthur, “Old hippies never die, they’re just out of sight.” As I get more and more out of sight, I know I will feel ever more challenged to move with grace and power. Even if someday, I struggle to remember who I am, as long as I can dial up James Brown, I’m always going know I was that kid who would rise off the court with a basketball leaving his fingertips.
I wish I would have known to play music for my dad. I do know I can connect with my brother through music, and I know now that I can use music to remind people who they are, who need that song that turned them on to restore their sense of identity. I close my memory care show with the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans song “Happy Trails,” and every one of them sings along. Happy trails to you, until we meet again Happy trails to you, keep smiling until then Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Let’s sing a song and bring the sunny weather Happy trails to you, ’til we meet again
Special thanks to contributor Julie Flannery for her editing and story help.
MUSIC MAGIC Richard and Gary, who finds his gateway to memory with Leonard Cohen songs. PHOTO: RICHARD STOCKTON
THERE’S SOMETHING
WR ON G WITH
MY
B RAIN
An over-50 begins the road to a better quality of life BY DNA
Ihave Extreme (also called Severe) ADHD. Most everyone sort of understands what that is. But, lucky me, I also have APD, or Auditory Processing Disorder.
Not as sexy as ADHD, APD has its own unique properties. Essentially, my ears are fine, but my brain has its own circuitous way of processing sound.
For example, if you are talking to me in an environment with competing sounds, I probably cannot hear you. Similar words sound the same to me. If I hear a sound, I might not be able to pin it down locationally. Multi-step directions? For gosh sakes, write it down. Add in the ADHD, and I act with impulsivity, can’t concentrate on conversations, have trouble modulating my voice, and am just a joy to be around.
I’m also a grown ass man, who recently passed 60, but who, with pressure from my wife and therapist (foreshadowing), sought out a diagnosis and treatment. I didn’t want to. I’ve made it this far pulling up my boots, one at a time, just like John Wayne. I don’t trust Big Pharma.
I grew up having a feral fear of group activities. How would I hear the rules if everyone is talking? I went to a summer camp when I was eight. They had an end-of-summer activity, where the camp
was divided into groups and competed in a lot of activities; archery, swimming, horseshoes, basket making, beer pong—I’m making these up, because I can’t actually remember (another fun APD symptom).
I could do the activities, as long as I didn’t go first, I would watch and learn. Watching others is how many ADHD and APD people learn. But, when the camp had the end-of-year party, I couldn’t stay. It was overwhelming. People screaming and running around. It felt like a horror movie.
The point is, I’ve made it this far. I developed coping mechanisms, combined with sheer determination, and plowed through life the best I could. Why would I want to make any changes at my age?
Remember the foreshadowing? Once I had a diagnosis, my wife started listening to podcasts about living with people who have extreme, or even moderate, ADHD, and she understood, for the first time in our 20 years, that maybe I wasn’t ignoring her. Maybe I seemed indifferent to what she asked me to do, or acted like a total jerk, because of my ADHD. Maybe I never did any of it intentionally. Game Changer.
I figured, well, if I’m in for a nickel, I’m in for a dime. I started taking Adderall.
As you probably know, Adderall is a stimulant. But for me, it slows down
my brain. At first, I hated it. It made me sleepy. What about old fireball brain DNA? Won’t everyone miss him? Turns out, nope. Nobody misses that person and is just supportive of me and happy that I feel a little better.
One amazing thing about “Addie” is its immediate effects. Within an hour of taking it, I felt relief. I didn’t even know what I was feeling relief from. Physically, I felt like I could take a breath. Mentally, I felt able to pause.
It’s said that if you get sleepy on Adderall, then you actually have ADHD. One thing that isn’t stressed enough is how the dosage can have zero effect, or way too much effect. I started with a low dosage, 5mg. I did 25mg for several months. In the last few months I’ve gone down to 10mg and that feels manageable. I feel like I have a quality of life that I’ve been missing for five decades.
I never thought that at my age I would suddenly gain deep insight into my past, my current status and, with a little help from my friends, be able to look ahead and feel OK about it. Be clear, I’m not recommending anything. To horribly butcher Hunter S. Thompson, “I hate to advocate Adderall to anyone, but it’s working for me.”
IN THE PINK This is your brain on Adderall. PHOTO: ALIONAPROF SHUTTERSTOCK
Experience the Difference in Investing
Flex Time
As a 55-plus person who suffered a fractured foot bone recently, I had to find something to replace my usual indoor workout. Even though I am obsessed with the athleticism of vigorous hot yoga, I followed doctor orders for no weight bearing and am still wearing a brace.
So how would I maintain my balance and flexibility while my fractured foot heals? Fortunately, I stumbled into Mid-County Senior Center, where Sharon Barth teaches a one-hour Senior Stretch class Fridays at 9 a.m.
“I really enjoy the class,” said student Luisa Oderman, 77, after trying out her first session. “The stretch is good for every little muscle. It makes you feel good and gives you better posture.”
“We stretch everything from the top of the head to the toes,” Barth said. “We do a little body massage.” Senior Stretch is just one of several fitness options offered at the center, along with yoga, qi-gong and senior physical fitness.
While certainly beneficial for seniors, these classes are open to any adult looking for restorative fitness. Stretches are performed from a standing and a seated position in a safe and effective way. “We start seated on a chair and do a total body massage to make you more body aware,” Barth said. “We do spine motions for a supple spine and floor exercises.”
All Mid-County classes are taught by highly qualified, energetic activity leaders. Now retired, Barth worked as a veterinarian and taught anatomy classes at Cabrillo College. She has extensive training in yoga and fitness, and is a registered Level 1 Gyrokinesis® trainer.
I was curious about this method, and how it was different from other exercise programs. Barth says the method can be adapted to fit anyone’s ability, combining elements of tai chi, yoga, dancing and swimming. “It’s more fluid than hatha yoga,” Barth said. “You keep moving.”
Romanian ballet dancer Juliu Horvath, who suffered three disc injuries, developed the method in the 1980s, Barth says, as a way of healing himself and regaining his strength and agility.
In Senior Stretch, there were about 12 to 15 students seated in chairs both times I attended. Barth instructed our warmup, demonstrating tapping motions on parts of the body including clavicle, sternum and lower extremities, along with facial and mandibular self-massage techniques. At first I thought this was a little weird, but I’ve come to appreciate the gentle facial massage and even started using some of these techniques when I’m stopped at a red light or stuck in traffic on Highway 1.
In one of the more fun and fluid movements, Barth demonstrated what
she called “Barrel Full of Monkeys.” As in the children’s game, we switched off, reaching one arm under the chair, palm facing up, as the other reached overhead, palm down, stretching the lateral obliques. It actually gets quite confusing keeping track of the ups and downs while reaching side to side but that’s part of the design; it’s good exercise for the brain too. “Each place we touch is making a blueprint on your brain,” Barth said.
We were also guided into postures standing on one leg, spine twists with open arms, and seated center positions with an ankle crossing knee for a piriformis stretch and exterior rotation of the thigh.
This class is perfect for people recovering from injury because each movement flows into the next, allowing the joints to move in a natural range of motion without any jarring or compression. It is sequenced to warm up and target all sections of the body— transverse, sagittal and frontal planes.
Barth teaches Senior Stretch on Fridays, 9-10 a.m., at Mid-County Senior Center, 829 Bay Ave., Capitola. Cost is $4 members; $6 non-members. Gyrokinesis® classes are held Wednesdays at London Nelson Center, 301 Center St., at 1 p.m; and Thursdays at Scotts Valley Senior Center, 370 Kings Village Road, at 3 p.m. “Don’t be late,” Barth said. “The doors are locked at 3:10.”
GO WITH THE FLOW Sharon Barth’s classes at Mid-County Senior Center are ‘more fluid than hatha yoga.’ PHOTO: SHARON BARTH
Senior Stretch classes
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UCSC has offered seniors in Santa Cruz a sense of community and education since the fall of 1984.
Originally known as the UCSC Lifelong Learners, it was started by a group of five seniors looking for an opportunity to learn and meet regularly.
In 2010, the Lifelong Learners program merged with the Osher institute, known as OLLI, which offers 125 different programs across the United States.
At UCSC, the OLLI program currently has 650 members attending different types of classes, such as photography, biochemistry, linguistics and foreign literature.
While learning is one of the benefits of joining the program, giving back to the community is another perk. It costs $60 per year to join and $25 per class, all of which is donated to a scholarship to help students re-attend UCSC. So far in 2024, OLLI has raised $47,500 for student scholarships, says the organization’s vice president, Doug Garcia, who has been a member for four years.
“This is the heart and soul of our organization, and it’s wonderful,” said Lou Rose, who has been a member with his wife, Joan, since 2006. The two of them joined OLLI after a friend recommended the program to them.
“Boy, it was a good fit for us. We went to the monthly talks, which were stimulating,
Class in Session
Seniors keep their learning curve up with OLLI BY RUBY
and we took courses on foreign affairs, film and economics,” Lou said. “We also took six or seven courses on Shakespeare’s plays, so our boring retirement stopped, and eventually we became leaders of three OLLI interest groups.”
Joan founded a New Yorker magazine discussion group nearly 18 years ago, leading the meetings twice a month.
“Later, I began another interest group called Read It Again Sam, and we’re in our 11th year. We discuss the top hundred works of world literature, and we recently read War and Peace,” she added.
While Joan has her discussion groups, Lou started an interest group based on playing folk music that had been going strong for ten years before the pandemic hit. He plans to restart it in the fall.
“OLLI is a great boon to the people who attend our courses and our interest groups, many of which are seniors that live alone,” he says. “And there’s considerable evidence that it’s important to be socially and mentally active as we age, and so we think we’re doing the public service.”
If all of these points still aren’t convincing enough to check out the program, read what the former president of OLLI UCSC, Barry Bowman, says about one of his memorable moments.
“A retired astronomy professor was teaching us about the [James Webb
LEE SCHEMBARI
Space Telescope] over Zoom, and at one point during the conversation, the chief science officer for the Webb telescope joined us for an hour. So we had this national guy from the Goddard Space Center in Maryland in our living rooms, and we could ask him questions on Zoom,” Bowman said. “So we’re able to have a real connection like that.”
The personal stories of members like Lou and Joan Rose highlight the profound impact of OLLI on their lives, turning a once “boring retirement” into a period of active engagement and leadership. Through various interest groups, from magazine discussions to music sessions, OLLI fosters both intellectual stimulation and social interaction, which are essential for healthy aging.
The experiences members share underscore the program’s ability to create memorable and enriching moments. As former president Barry Bowman illustrates, OLLI provides education and a real connection to the broader world, making it an invaluable resource for seniors seeking to stay mentally and socially active.
OLLI UCSC is more than just a learning program; it is a thriving community that offers a remarkable opportunity for anyone seeking intellectual stimulation and meaningful social engagement in their later years.
CLASS ACTION The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USCS helps turn ‘boring retirement’ into active engagement. PHOTO: ALEXANDRMUSUC SHUTTERSTOCK
SENIOR GUIDE
LIVING FACILITIES
There are many types of senior housing options, ranging from residential facilities and assisted living homes to independent living and retirement communities. Learn more about the differences and search for options near you at eldercare.gov (800-677-1116) or seniorfacilityfinder.com.
ALEXANDRIA VICTORIA
226 Morrissey Blvd., Santa Cruz, 429-9137, alexandriavictoria.com
DOMINICAN OAKS
3400 Paul Sweet Rd., Santa Cruz, 462-6257, dominicanoaks.com
LA POSADA
609 Frederick St., Santa Cruz, 429-9230, laposadaretirementcommunity.com
THE MAPLE HOUSE I & II
410 Pennsylvania Ave., Santa Cruz, 423-6347, 2000 Brommer St., Santa Cruz, 476-6366, themaplehouse.com
OAK TREE VILLA
100 Lockewood Lane, Scotts Valley, 205-7363, brookdaleliving.com
PACIFIC COAST MANOR
1935 Wharf Rd., Capitola, 476-0770, paccoastmanor.com
PARADISE VILLA
2177 17th Ave., Santa Cruz, 475-1380, paradisevillaassistedliving.com
SUNSHINE VILLA
80 Front St., Santa Cruz, 291-4672, sunshinevillaseniorliving.com
TWIN LAKES MANOR
777 Volz Lane, Santa Cruz, 477-1100, twinlakesmanorseniorcare.com
VALLEY HAVEN
2266 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz, 818-8372, valleyhavencare.com
VALLEY HEIGHTS
925 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, 722-4884, valleyheights.com
WESTWIND MEMORY CARE
160 Jewell St., Santa Cruz, 854-9346, westwindmemorycare.com
CLASSES & ACTIVITIES
ACADEMY OF MARTIAL & INTERNAL ARTS
1570 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, 475-1429, reelingsilk.com
AWAKENING CHI
1060 River St., Ste. 111,Santa Cruz, 334-7757, awakeningchi.org
BRIDGE OF HOPE
P.O. Box 576, Soquel, 464-2362, bridgeofhopefoundation.org
CHAIR YOGA WITH SUZI
Grey Bears, 27 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz, suzimahleryoga.com
CITY OF CAPITOLA RECREATION DEPARTMENT
4400 Jade St., Capitola, 475-5935, cityofcapitola.org/recreation
CITY OF SANTA CRUZ PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
323 Church St., Santa Cruz, 420-5270, cityofsantacruz.com
DOMINICAN HOSPITAL’S PERSONAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
1555 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, 462-7709, dominicanhospital.org
DOWNTOWN SENIOR CENTER AT LONDON NELSON
301 Center St., Santa Cruz, 420-6180, cityofsantacruz.com/seniors
LENZ ARTS
142 River St., Santa Cruz, 423-1935, lenzarts.com
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PARKS DEPARTMENT
979 17th Ave., Santa Cruz, 454-7901, parks. santacruzcountyca.gov
SIMPKINS FAMILY SWIM CENTER
979 17th Ave., Santa Cruz, 454-7960, parks. santacruzcountyca.gov
FINANCIAL SERVICES
BAY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Multiple Locations, 479-6000, bayfed.com
CANDACE EBERT & CO.
749 37th Ave., Santa Cruz, 316-1106, candaceebert.com
EDWARD JONES INVESTMENTS
Multiple locations, edwardjones.com.
MAIN STREET REALTORS
2567 Main St., Soquel, 462-4000, mainstrealtors.com.
PACIFIC INLAND FINANCIAL INC.
5161 Soquel Drive, Soquel, 475-2600, pacificinland.com
PAMELA MORGAN, LDA 421-1234, Paralegalpam.com
RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA 476-2960, rpeasantacruz.org
SANTA CRUZ COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
324 Front St., Santa Cruz, 425-7708, scccu.org
TERRY BALLANTYNE BREZSNY/ SERENO GROUP REAL ESTATE
720 Front St., Santa Cruz, 588-8485, brezsnyassociates.com
FOOD AND NUTRITION
AGRI-CULTURE
141 Monte Vista Ave., Watsonville, 722-6622, agri-culture.us
GREY BEARS
2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz, 479-1055, greybears.org
CARNATION CAFE SENIOR LUNCH AT LOUDEN NELSON COMMUNITY CENTER
301 Center St., Santa Cruz, 427-0901, cityofsantacruz.com
CINDY’S CELEBRATIONS, INC.
320 Carrera Circle, Aptos, 479-7509
COMMUNITY BRIDGES ADULT CARE
FOOD PROGRAM
519 Main St., Watsonville, 688-8840, communitybridges.org
HIGHLANDS SENIOR DINING CENTER AT THE SENIOR CENTER OF SAN LORENZO VALLEY 8500 Hwy. 9, Ben Lomond, 336-8900, highlandsparkseniorcenter.org
HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
1020 Emeline Ave. Bldg. B, Santa Cruz; 18 W. Beach St., Watsonville, (888) 421-8080, santacruzhumanservices.org
LA MANZANA COMMUNITY RESOURCES
521 Main St. Ste. Y, Watsonville, 724-2997, communitybridges.org/lmcr
LIVE OAK FAMILY RESOURCES
1740 17th Ave., Santa Cruz, 476-7284, communitybridges.org/locr
comforting senior living community with a guarantee to match.
The 60-Day Merrill Family Guarantee.
The 60-Day Merrill Family Guarantee.
The 60-Day Merrill Family Guarantee.
If you are not completely satisfied with your new home, we will refund your rent for up to 60 days of your stay.
If you are not completely satisfied with your new home, we will refund your rent for up to 60 days of your stay.
Enjoy an extra layer of comfort — even before you move in. A
If you are not completely satisfied with your new home, we will refund your rent for up to 60 days of your stay. Enjoy an extra layer of comfort — even before you move in.
Enjoy an extra layer of comfort — even before you move in.
If you are not completely satisfied with your new home, we will refund your rent for up to 60 days of your stay. Enjoy an extra layer of comfort — even before you move in. A comforting senior living community with a guarantee to match.
senior living community with a guarantee to match. (831) 291-4999 • sunshinevillaseniorliving.com
(831) 291-4999 • sunshinevillaseniorliving.com
80 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 291-4999 • sunshinevillaseniorliving.com
80 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
80 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
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MEALS ON WHEELS FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Contact Community Bridges for meal times, locations and drop-off information: 464-3180, communitybridges.org/mealsonwheels
MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY RESOURCES
6134 Hwy. 9, Felton, 335-6600, communitybridges.org/mcr
ONE SOURCE COMPOUNDING
104 Whispering Pines Dr., Unit 105, Scotts Valley, 535-6864, onescrx.com
SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK
800 Ohlone Parkway., Watsonville, 722-7110, Food hotline: 662-0991 thefoodbank.org
SCOTTS VALLEY SENIOR CENTER
370 Kings Village Rd., Scotts Valley, 438-8666, scottsvalley.gov/569/Senior-Center
WATSONVILLE SENIOR CENTER
114 E. 5th St., Watsonville, 722-1333, watsonville.gov
HEALTHCARE & HEALTH RESOURCES
ADULT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
1400 Emeline Ave. Bldg. K, Santa Cruz, 454-4170, santacruzhealth.org
ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES (HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT)
1400 Emeline Ave. Bldg. K, Santa Cruz, 454-4101, santacruzhumanservices.org
AIMÉE GOULD SHUNNEY, ND
Licensed Naturopathic Doctor. 740 Front St. #130, Santa Cruz, 465-9088, drshunney.com
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE CARE CENTER AT ELDERDAY
100 Pioneer St. Ste. C, Santa Cruz, 458-3481, communitybridges.org
ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION GREAT WEST REGION
90 New Montgomery St. Ste. 710, San Francisco. (888)391-9389 ext.13, arthritis.org
CABRILLO COLLEGE STROKE & DISABILITY LEARNING CENTER
6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 477-3300, cabrillo.edu/stroke-disability-learning-center
CAMILLE ELLIS, CERTIFIED LIFE COACH 246-1038, yourcoachcamille.com
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH
1600 Green Hills Rd. Ste. 101, Scotts Valley, 430-5500, thealliance.health
COASTAL VITALITY MD
2112-A Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz, 400-5665, coastalvitalitymd.com
DAKOTA HEALTH CENTER
111 Dakota Ave. Ste. 2, Santa Cruz, 429-1188, dakotahealthcenter.com
DIABETES HEALTH CENTER
85 Nielson St. Ste. 201, Watsonville, 726-4267, pvhealthtrust.org
DOMINICAN HOSPITAL
1555 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, 462-7700, dominicanhospital.org
EYECARE AMERICA SENIORS
EYE CARE PROGRAM
(877) 887-6327, eyecareamerica.org
GOLDEN STATE ORTHOPEDIC & SPINE
4140 Jade St. Room 100, Capitola, 475-4024, goldenstateortho.com
HARBOR HEALTH
4450 Capitola Rd. Ste. 105, Capitola, 325-0202, Harborhealthcenter.com
HEALTH PROJECTS CENTER
9000 Soquel Ave. Ste. 103, Santa Cruz, 459-6639, hpcn.org
HEARING AID HELPLINE
(734) 522-7200 ext. 2, ihsinfo.org
HEARTS & HANDS, POST ACUTE CARE & REHAB CENTER
2990 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 479-9000, heartsnhands.us
HOMELESS HEALTH PROJECT
115-A Coral St., Santa Cruz, 454-2080, santacruzhealth.org
HORSNYDER PHARMACY
1226-A Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 458-1400, horsnyderpharmacy.com
HOSPICE OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
940 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley, 430-3000, hospicesantacruz.org
KATZ CANCER RESOURCE CENTER AT DOMINICAN HOSPITAL
3150 Mission Drive Fl. 1, Santa Cruz, CA, 462-7770, dignityhealth.org
LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY
111 W St John St, San Jose, 800-955-4572, lls.org
Warming homes since 1982
Warming homes since 1982
IndoorLiving
IndoorLiving
IndoorLiving
IndoorLiving
IndoorLiving
Fireplaces, Inserts & Stoves
Fireplaces, Inserts & Stoves
Fireplaces, Inserts & Stoves
Fireplaces, Inserts & Stoves
Gas, Electric, Wood & Pellet
Gas, Electric, Wood & Pellet
Fireplaces, Inserts & Stoves
Gas, Electric, Wood & Pellet
Gas, Electric, Wood & Pellet
Gas, Electric, Wood & Pellet
OutdoorLiving
OutdoorLiving
OutdoorLiving
OutdoorLiving
OutdoorLiving
Fireplaces, Fire Tables & Fire Pits
Fireplaces, Fire Tables & Fire Pits
Fireplaces, Fire Tables & Fire Pits
Fireplaces, Fire Tables & Fire Pits
Fireplaces, Fire Tables & Fire Pits
Kitchens, Furniture, Pizza Ovens
Kitchens, Furniture, Pizza Ovens
Kitchens, Furniture, Pizza Ovens
Kitchens, Furniture, Pizza Ovens
Kitchens, Furniture, Pizza Ovens
Grills, Kit Pergolas & Umbrellas
Grills, Kit Pergolas & Umbrellas
Grills, Kit Pergolas & Umbrellas
Grills, Kit Pergolas & Umbrellas
Grills, Kit Pergolas & Umbrellas
WOODSTOVE & SUN
WOODSTOVE & SUN
WOODSTOVE & SUN
WOODSTOVE & SUN
WOODSTOVE & SUN
WOODSTOVE & SUN
WOODSTOVE & SUN
510 Soquel Avenue
510 Soquel Avenue
510 Soquel Avenue
WOODSTOVE & SUN
510 Soquel Avenue
510 Soquel Avenue
510 Soquel Avenue
510 Soquel Avenue
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062
510 Soquel Avenue
(831)425-5123
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062 (831)425-5123
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062 (831)425-5123
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062 (831) 425-5123
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062 (831)425-5123
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062 (831)425-5123
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062 (831)425-5123
www.woodstoveandsun.com
www.woodstoveandsun.com
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062 (831)425-5123
www.woodstoveandsun.com
www.woodstoveandsun.com
www.woodstoveandsun.com
www.woodstoveandsun.com
www.woodstoveandsun.com
Instagram @woodstoveandsun
Instagram @woodstoveandsun
Instagram @woodstoveandsun
www.woodstoveandsun.com
Instagram @woodstoveandsun
Instagram @woodstoveandsun
Instagram @woodstoveandsun
Instagram @woodstoveandsun
Instagram @woodstoveandsun
MEDI-CAL
1020 Emeline Avenue, Building B, Santa Cruz, 888-421-8080, benefitscal.com
MEDICARE
800- 633-4227, medicare.gov
MENTAL HEALTH CLIENT ACTION NETWORK
1051 Cayuga St., Santa Cruz, 469-0462, mhcan.org
OPTIMAGE HEALTH INC.
930 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 421-0197, optimagehealth.com
REJUVENATE MEDI SPA
1595 38th Ave, Capitola, rejuvenatemedi-spa.com
SANTA CRUZ AIDS PROJECT
716 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, 427-3900, encompasscs.org/santa_cruz_aids_ project_english
SANTA CRUZ CORE FITNESS AND REHAB
317 Potrero St., Ste. C, Santa Cruz, 425-9500, santacruzcore.com
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
3150 Mission Drive, Santa Cruz, 462-7770, scprostate.org
SANTA CRUZ LIGHT THERAPY
540 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 387-9401, santacruzlighttherapy.com
SANTA CRUZ PARKINSON’S COMMUNITY
708-2906, easepd.org
SANTA CRUZ VET CENTER
1350 41st Ave. Ste. 102, Capitola, 464-4575, santacruzhumanservices.org, va.gov
SENIOR BENEFITS INSURANCE SERVICES
64 Rancho Del Mar, Aptos, 661-0700, seniorbenefits.care
SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ
2900 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz, 477-2200, sutterhealth.org/smscsc
VISTA CENTER FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED
3315B Mission Drive, Santa Cruz, 458-9766, vistacenter.org
WATSONVILLE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
75 Nielson St., Watsonville, 724-4741, watsonvillehospital.com
WATSONVILLE PHARMACY
1433 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, 728-1818, watsonvillerx.com
WESTSIDE PHARMACY
MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND GIFTS
1401 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 423-7175. westsidepharmacyrx.com
WOMENCARE
2901 Park Ave. Ste. 1A, Soquel, 457-2273, womencaresantacruz.org
HOUSING
BAY AVENUE SENIOR APARTMENTS
750 Bay Ave., Capitola, 464-6435, firstcommunityhousing.org
FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY OF THE CENTRAL COAST
104 Walnut Ave. Ste. 208, Santa Cruz, 423-9444; 11 Alexander St. Ste. D, Watsonville, 728-9970 (24-hour multi-lingual crisis line), fsa-cc.org
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, MY HOUSE MY HOME
108 Magnolia St., Santa Cruz, 469-4663, habitatmontereybay.org
HOUSING MATTERS
115-A Coral St., Santa Cruz, 458-6020, santacruzhsc.org
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
2160 41st Ave., Capitola, CA, 454-9455, hacosantacruz.org
MOBILE HOME COMMISSION
701 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, 454-2772, sccounty01.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/mhc/ index.html
MOBILE HOME OMBUDSMAN’S OFFICE
(800) 952-8356, hcd.ca.gov
MONARCH SERVICES
1685 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz, 425-4030; 233 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville, 722-4532, (888) 900-4232 (crisis line), monarchscc.org
100% customer satisfaction
ea Spirit Memorial specializes in personalized ocean memorials, offering private full-body burials and ash scatterings aboard a dedicated 50' motor yacht from Santa Cruz, CA.
We provide a serene and intimate experience for up to 38 passengers, ensuring comfort and security with various packages available. Operating exclusively for memorial services in the Monterey Bay, our compassionate team supports families with diverse preferences, from simple ash scatterings to full-service ceremonies with catering and floral arrangements
We are committed to creating a dignified farewell, guiding you through every step with exceptional customer service. Trust Sea Spirit Memorial to honor your loved one’s legacy with grace and respect.
GET INVOLVED!
Join the Elderly & Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee
X Speak up about the transportation needs of seniors and disabled individuals
X Support transportation services to help seniors and disabled individuals to be independent, involved, and connected
X Guide and review planning, policy, and funding for transportation programs
X Communicate with public and private agencies, service providers, and community members about transportation needs
For information on membership positions, view the membership application at www.sccrtc.org/edtac-app or contact the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission at info@sccrtc.org
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission delivers transportation solutions for a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable community. 1101 Pacific Ave., Suite 250, Santa Cruz, 95060 www.sccrtc.org, info@sccrtc.org, (831) 460-3200
THE SHELTER PROJECT OF THE COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD
406 Main St. Suite 207, Watsonville, 763-2147, cabinc.org
IN-HOME SERVICES
CARE FROM THE HEART HOME SERVICES
4769 Soquel Dr., Soquel, 476-8316, carefromtheheart.net
COMFORCARE HOME CARE
100 Doyle St. Ste. F, Santa Cruz, 920-4929, comforcare.com
COMPANION FOR LIFE / LIFELINE PROJECT
234 Santa Cruz Ave., Aptos, 688-0400, seniorscouncil.org
DOMINICAN HOME HEALTH
2045 40th Ave. Ste. A, Capitola, 465-7988, dominicanhospital.org
FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS
2901 Park Ave. Ste. C3, Soquel, 480-3990, fshomecare.com
HELPING HANDS SENIOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM
427-5070, scvolunteercenter.com/ programs/elderly-disabled/helping_hands
HEARTLAND HOSPICE
824 Bay Ave. Ste. 40, Capitola, 476-2158, heartlandhospice.com
HOSPICE OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
940 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley, 430-3000, hospicesantacruz.org
IN-HOME SUPPORT SERVICES
(IHSS) PUBLIC AUTHORITY
1400 Emeline Ave. Bldg. K, Santa Cruz, 454-4101; 12 W. Beach St., Watsonville, 763-8800,santacruzhumanservices.org
LIFESPAN CARE
WELL-BEING PROGRAM
600 Frederick St., Santa Cruz, 469-4900, lifespancare.com
SAFE AT HOME SENIOR CARE
3335 Soquel Dr., Suite A, Soquel, 4623500, safeathomeseniorcare.com
SENIOR NETWORK
SERVICES REGISTRY
1777-A Capitola Rd., Santa Cruz, 462-1433, seniornetworkservices.org
SUTTER CARE AT HOME
2880 Soquel Ave. Ste. 10, Santa Cruz, 477-2600, sutterhealth.org/scah
VISITING ANGELS
5274 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, 430-0616, visitingangels.com/ centralcoast
MEMORIAL SERVICES
SEA SPIRIT MEMORIAL
333 Lake Ave., Suite H, Santa Cruz, 3362244, seaspiritmemorial.com
VOLUNTEERING
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
740 Front St., Ste 155, Santa Cruz, 4648691, santacruzmentor.org
GREY BEARS
2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz, 4791055, greybears.org
CASA
813 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, 761-2956, casaofsantacruz.org
DOMINICAN HOSPITAL
VOLUNTEER SERVICES
1555 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, 462-7964, dignityhealth.org/bayarea/locations/ dominican
SENIORS COUNCIL OF SANTA CRUZ AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES
234 Santa Cruz Ave., Aptos, 688-0400, seniorscouncil.org
SUICIDE PREVENTION SERVICE
104 Walnut Ave. Ste. 208, Santa Cruz, 423-9444, fsa-cc.org
VOLUNTEER CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY’S RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
1740 17th Ave., Santa Cruz, 771-9272, scvolunteercenter.org/programs/rsvp
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