While many of us can’t keep track of what day it is, I don’t think any of us will ever forget 2020 and how the Covid pandemic has transformed our lives. It’s hard to even read the news these days, but luckily, Staying Put or Moving On has been keeping busy and in our own small way, hoping to make a difference.
In the Fall of 2019, we interviewed Dr. Jan Gurley, Director of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response and the Deputy Health Officer for San Francisco’s Department of Public Health. We completed this short film before Covid-19 days, but the information she shares about the impact of climate change on the health and safety of older adults is still relevant and important…
…especially now when it seems we have more extreme weather than ever. The only thing we added to the piece is the mantra now familiar to all of us: wear a mask, wash your hands often, socially distance.
After we posted our film about cohousing, Growing Old Together
I wondered if the cohousing communities in North Carolina and Northern California had any regrets or insights about their living situations during the Covid crisis. In two different Zoom meetings, I recorded their responses.
We’re now developing our next short film about Shared Housing. We were supposed to shoot in early July, but – yep- you guessed it: Covid-19 interfered. Even though we have practices in place to make it safe for both crew and those we interview, the pandemic is still a little too active right now. We’re postponing for at least a month, but I am hoping to get a couple of more Zoom interviews in the meantime. Stay tuned. And let us know if you want to share any of your own insights about the topic.
On Friday, July 10, at 1 pm PST, you can Zoom in and join me in a talk about Staying Put or Moving On, featuring “teasers” of some of our films. Covia.org and their Well Connected program are the presenters. To join us in the Zoom, contact coviaconnections@covia.org.
There’s more info on page 40 of Well Connected’s summer catalog.
If you haven’t read it already, I highly recommend the book Elderhood, by Louise Aronson. A Pulitzer Prize Finalist, you will find yourself wanting to do just what the subtitle suggests: Redefine Aging, Transform Medicine and Reimagine Life. Many of us were made aware of how older patients often got the “she’s going to die anyway” treatment during the pandemic. Aronson strives to break these stereotypes and looks at the process of aging with open eyes and respect. Check it out.
