Older Adults Program keeps tens of thousands of seniors engaged and active.
For many people, the holiday season means parties, gatherings, catchups … and general fun.
For our December cover, we bring you the inside story of Rec and Parks’ Older Adults Program, which sees some of its busiest days of the year bringing holiday joy to the City’s seniors.
And for the first time we include the dates of the holiday parties at all 29 Senior Centers around the City. (For seniors, find your local Senior Center on the schedule, and have fun!)
Truth is, holiday parties are just one occasion in the Rec and Parks calendar year– most of the Rec Centers host parties and events every single week – more than once a week, in some cases. Those include Mother’s and Father’s Days, Cinco de Mayos, Thanksgivings, Fourth of Julys, Valentine’s Days (big ones!) and many, many more.
The Older Adults Program serves more than 30,000 seniors a year, and the program is growing.
GOALS AND OFFERINGS
The Older Adults Program exists to promote physical and mental well being, socialization and lifelong learning for seniors. It aims to improve mental health, encourage physical activity, provide opportunities to meet new people, foster a sense of community, and alleviate loneliness.
In addition to the parties and get-togethers, senior programs include fitness and cultural classes, group walks, special interest clubs, field trips, and inter-generational events. Physical activity classes include shuffleboard, croquet, arts and crafts, Zumba, line dancing, language lessons, oil painting, entertainment and social dancing.
Senior Citizen Centers offer nutrition programs in cooperation with the City’s Department on Aging.
Increasingly, the Older Adults Program is looking to expand its offerings for older adults who are not yet retired, scheduling classes in the evenings and on weekends.
The Club thanks Ramon Bernal, Recreation Supervisor, Active Adult Centers, for helping us put this story together; Baya Louie, Recreation Coordinator at the Ahmanson Senior Center at EXPO Center, for hosting our photo shoot; and all the seniors who took part in our photo shoot. We had a blast.
Senior Service
On Oct. 22, Club CEO Robert Larios interviewed Rec and Parks employees dedicated to programming for seniors. They are: Ramon Bernal, Recreation Supervisor, Active Adult Centers, 27 years of City service, Club Member; Baya Louie, Recreation Coordinator, Ahmanson Senior Center (EXPO Center), 24 years; Kari Haseltine, Facility Director, Canoga Park Rec Center, Older Adult Section, 23 years, Club Member; and Dallas Wise, Recreation Assistant, 10 years. Later, senior program participant Cora Au joined the conversation. The interview took place via Zoom.
Alive!: Thanks for joining us today to talk about a favorite topic – holiday parties! First, though, tell us how you got to your current position.
Ramon Bernal: I began my career in the summer of 1992 as a Summer Youth Employment worker. I was later offered a position as a Recreation Assistant, a role I held for five years while completing my college education. In 1998, I became a Recreation Coordinator and served in that capacity for about three years before transitioning into a Facility Director position for just under a year. For the next 22 years, I worked as a Sr. Recreation Director at various facilities. For the past year and seven months, I have been serving as a Recreation Supervisor.
You’ve spent your entire City career in Rec and Parks?
Ramon: Yes. Most of our titles are all one department. We can’t go be a Recreation Director at any other department. Although we do have the flexibility to become management analysts now, but that’s about the only avenue we have outside of Recreation.
Makes perfect sense.
Kari Haseltine: I was an investment accountant for banks for many, many years. I had taken a break. My kids were at the park all the time. And one of the Directors reeled me in, so I was a Rec Assistant for two years. I was a Coordinator for seven, and then I became a Facility Director at a Senior Center for the remainder of it. And I love it.
I was at Woodland Hills first and then Canoga Park, where I am now. I’ve been at this location going on 17 years.
Baya Louie: My story is a bit different from everyone else’s. I started off in law enforcement in corrections as a Peace Officer for the State of California. I was a Youth Correctional Counselor. I moved on from that and became a Teacher’s Aide across the street from the EXPO Center, where I am now. That was in 1999. While I was there, I saw an ad in the paper, saying, why not try working for the City. That was in 2001. My start date was Sept. 11, 2001.
That was quite a day to begin.
Baya: Yes. I started on the 13th.
Got it.
Baya: Because of my background in law enforcement, I was sent to Ramona Gardens, a housing project center that was challenging to staff, but it wasn’t hard for me at all. I went in and I gave the community their respect, and they gave me that same respect in return. I came in as a CLASS Parks Coordinator, and I moved from there to Toberman for a year. I moved from Toberman to Shatto and stayed there a year. I moved from there to Evergreen Recreation, and I stayed there for five years. From there to EXPO Center, and I’ve been here ever since.
Dallas Wise: I’m part time with the City of LA. I started in 2015, a couple years after my son was born. It was either my wife or me … one of us had to go part time, and it worked out better for me. Before this, I worked as an office administrator for an architectural firm for years. I didn’t think I’d be here this long, to be honest, but I love it. It’s flexible and it’s a great job to have. I live close, so I’ve been here ever since. I’m with the Adult 50-Plus Section Citywide.
Growing and Changing
Please describe the senior program in general.
Ramon: Year to date, we’ve served approximately 32,288 seniors Citywide. That counts all the numbers, all the class es, all the events.
We provide recreational programming for the seniors. We provide classes, educational workshops, field trips and a variety of different things. Special events are a big draw. We also host nutrition programs for seniors Monday through Friday. We provide them an opportunity to socialize, and we bring them out for different classes depending on the center. Every center has a little different programming. We have bingo, we have arts and crafts, and we have physical activities. It’s a little bit of everything for the seniors.
Are you growing? As the population ages, are you seeing more seniors?
Ramon: Yes. Both our programs and our attendance are growing. Coming back from COVID was hard. Our numbers were very down. In 2023, we had about 15,000 participants. Last year we had about 29,000. And this year to date, again, we have 32,000. We still have a few months to go, so we probably should get close to 35,000. We’ve more than doubled our numbers from 2023. We project that by 2030 the 50 Plus population is going to increase and actually be larger than the 18 and under.
You’re planning for that now, I would imagine.
Ramon: We are trying.
The growing number is changing our culture. Most of our seniors are retired at home. We give them something to do. But what we are pushing for now is to start including those seniors who are 50 and above and still working. We’re looking at offering classes after 5 o’clock or possibly adding some programming on Saturdays to accommodate those 50 Plus who are still out in the working world.
Kari: Aging has changed. It’s not the same where seniors want to come to the senior center and sit and watch TV and play bingo. They want to come and dance, travel and do active, vibrant activities. Being recreational professionals, we have to address and pro vide that. The programming we provide now offers exciting things for both retired and working seniors to come to and participate. It’s not just sitting around. It’s line dancing and hula and Zumba. And we still have bingo – absolutely, everybody loves bingo. But that’s a very small part of programming. It’s much more dynamic.
Baya: The programming is localized. You can have senior centers maybe three or four miles apart, and the atmosphere will be different. We cater to them specifically. I’ve been here at Ahmanson since September 2018. Our attendance numbers were in the high 80s to low 90s. When the pandemic hit, of course we were down to zero. Now we’re at more than 200 members. We were able to come back by calling the members on file and letting them know that we were a safe place, and programming was going to continue. Whatever the holiday was – St. Patrick’s Day, the Fourth of July, you name it, we had a potluck for it pre-pandemic. The numbers gradually increased post-pandemic. We don’t do potlucks anymore, but we do more outings, and classes during the day
Kari, how are the numbers at Canoga Park?
Kari: Sixteen percent of all the City seniors registered are here.
Sixteen percent Citywide are at Canoga Park?
Kari: Right! We have 800 registered seniors just here.
Wow. You must be busy.
Kari: Yes.
Do they tell you what activities they want to do? What’s the passion level of the seniors who are participating in your programs?
Baya: Believe me, they’re seniors; they’re going to voice their opinion. They are going to give you honest answers, and if they don’t like something, they’ll let you know. But if they do like something, they’re going to let you know, too.
Last year we had a Turkey Bowl, and some of the seniors knew what a turkey bowl was. Others did not. I explained it. Some of my upper management said, “You’re going to have them playing football?” I said, yes, and I’m going to officiate. Sports is my thing. So we got flags out there. I marked off the field. They had a blast to the point where 20 or 30 seniors asked if we could do that again. Yes, we’re definitely going to do that again.
Ramon: It’s instant feedback. You don’t have to wait for surveys. They’ll walk up and tell you. One of the big events that we do is the 90 Plus. It’s a big celebration for our seniors who are 90 and above. We usually have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with the whole spread, but we tried once to change it according to the scheduling. They didn’t like that! We’re not changing the menu anymore. You know what they like. You know what they don’t like.
Kari: I actually have a senior here who just joined the chat. This is Cora Au. She’s one of our seniors. She is a working senior.
Cora Au: Hello, every body. I really enjoy the Canoga Park Senior Center because it has a lot of participants. There are so many different programs that I enjoy – line dancing and chair yoga. They have chair Zumba.
I also volunteer to help them out. I like to see people being happy. They come here, not always feeling up to anything. But once they get here, they socialize. We encourage them to do something among the whole group. When they go home, they’re happy.
Holiday Fun
Is this the busiest time of the year for senior programs?
Kari: Not here. We program holidays and special events all year long. That’s important for a senior community. Yearlong holiday events mark the passing of time that they’ve spent their whole life celebrating. So we celebrate: In January, we do Chinese New Year. February. we do a Valentine’s Day party and dance. We do St. Patrick’s Day, the Fourth of July, Mother’s Day, Flower Power, Father’s Day, ice cream socials and on. Coming up we have a Halloween dance with a full-on costume contest and a parade. We have live music. We have a Thanksgiving program coming – our Aloha Thanksgiving. For Christmas, we have a Silly Santa contest. Everybody gets dressed up and we parade around. These events make you feel like you belong to something. No one’s left out because they’re a senior.
Ramon: The seasonal parties are very well attended. The seniors are ready to celebrate anything. They’re eager to come out and socialize. Every facility looks a little different, but the common thing is just socializing, getting together, usually breaking bread with their peers and hanging out.
On average, how many events do Rec Centers host a year?
Dallas: 30-plus. At least.
Almost every other week.
Dallas: Those are the bigger events. There are many in between.
Why not celebrate it!
Dallas: For sure.
What makes it special during the Christmas and Hanukkah season?
Cora: People come here to not just sit at home.
Kari: Especially during the holidays.
Ramon: Yes, especially during the holidays.
Cora: So they won’t be depressed.
Kari: I love to pick the brains of our retired folks. They have a wealth of information. Once you go from the working world – where you have to be somewhere, you’ve got to get up, you’ve got to go to a job to support a family – now all of the sudden you don’t have that. It creates a big void. The first couple of weeks or six months, you can probably be okay. But after that, regular life kicks in and you’re looking for the same activity and social interaction that you had with coworkers. That is what the seniors are looking for – a continuation. We want to create programming that gives them a reason to come back, to join the community. To belong to something. “I have to get up because I’ve got to go see my friend today. And we’re going to Zumba.” So that day-to day, nine-to-five is replaced by recreation. They will always have someplace to go, and something to do, here at the Rec Center. They are seen here. They are heard here. It lowers their depression.
Cora: After I was retired for a whole year, I asked myself, what am I doing anymore? That’s why I started coming here. There was a purpose for me to get out of the house.
Baya: We take them on trips. Last year we took two busloads to Medieval Times. The year before that we went to an outdoor mall. They ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Then we took a tour of the Gucci store. We do things out of the ordinary that they probably wouldn’t do on a regular basis, but they enjoy it. They like to shop, they like to eat, they like to go to the movies. One year I took two busloads to the movies where they had the reclining seats and they ordered lunch and got popcorn and drinks when they walked in. I want them to have fun and be happy. That’s what we’re here for.
Creating a Family
Robert: Why is it important that we take care of seniors?
Ramon: Getting seniors out and engaged is incredibly important. One of the big gest challenges we faced during and after the pan demic was social isolation. Many older adults were kept home by their children out of concern for their health, but in many cases, the impact of isolation can be just as harmful—if not more so—than the risk of catching COVID or even a common cold. Being confined at home is detrimental to mental well-being. It can lead to anxiety, depression, and a decline in physical health, often worsening existing conditions.
We need to encourage seniors to come out, interact with others, stay active, and continue learning. Social isolation affects all of these areas, and addressing it is essential to supporting their overall health and quality of life.
Do you work with other departments?
Ramon: We work with our Dept. of Aging. They facilitate the nutrition programs at our sites. We also work with the County Dept. of Mental Health. We’re starting to work with a couple of schools. We work with Cedars Sinai at some of our centers. We partner with quite a few other health agencies to bring in more resources for our staff and our centers.
Kari: Seniors are our history. Seniors have lived longer than us. They’ve experienced things we haven’t experienced. They have stories that are priceless. Just like we honor history classes in high school, elementary school and middle school, we need to honor seniors; once that life experience is gone, it’s gone. The lessons that seniors can teach us, the experiences they’ve had, are very important. They’ve done what we’re hoping to do, and we need to value that. We need to respect that. That cannot be replaced. It’s really important to take care of our history and the wisdom that seniors possess.
Baya: That’s walking history right there. My grandparents and great grandparents told me a lot of things that I would never have learned in school or from history. I also learned about my family history because they kept all the pictures. Seniors have a wealth of knowledge. And the seniors here are the same way. I’ll start talking to a group of seniors, and before you know it, an hour or so has passed by. We have to take care of them because once they’re gone, they’re gone. I’ve learned how to travel from them.
Dallas: They’ve given so much to the com munity. I’m always trying to tell my son, look, I’ve been through this. I know what I’m talking about. A lot of times I’ll ask our seniors certain things, like, what advice do you have for me? One of them told me, you need to travel now. Don’t wait until you’re old. Experience life now because you get to eat what you want, you can get around easier, and stuff like that. I always try to take little tidbits of their information for my life. It’s important for everybody to have your elders around.
We’ve talked a little about it, but alleviating loneliness is critically important. That’s what the Club’s Retirees Society is all about.
Kari: Absolutely. In fact, one of the reasons that I joined the Employees Club many, many years ago is because I had a friend, an older lady who worked for Sanitation. She said, you’ll see why the Club is so important as you get older and things change. You could have friends and family, and after they pass, that leaves you still here. You wake up, you’re still living and breathing, and that can be really lonely if you’re not part of something. Life does not always end up the way we plan. It didn’t in her case. She said that her savior was the Club, with its activities.
Loneliness is a very real thing for seniors, especially because we can’t control life. We must help people to not feel so alone.
Baya: We try to cater to everyone here at Ahmanson. Caregivers often take care of their seniors at their homes. They ask, where else can they go? So they come here, and every one becomes part of a family. They light up, they talk. I can’t say the loneliness goes away completely, but when they’re here, they’re with family. We see smiles.
Dallas: It’s important that we have these centers for loneliness. Loneliness is really unhealthy. The statistic behind it is that loneliness equals smoking something like five cigarettes a day. It’s up to us to make sure that they know that they have these places in their community to join. We’re a welcoming, comforting and fun place to be.
Ramon: Social isolation is devastating and can take a serious toll on a senior’s overall health. Bringing them into our centers—whether to take a class, participate in an activity, or attend a special event—makes a meaningful difference. Every opportunity to connect, engage, and stay active helps support their well-being.
Changing Lives
What do you love about what you do?
Dallas: It’s the first job I’ve ever had that doesn’t feel like a job. That’s why I love it so much; it’s just fun. I’m not stuck in one place, and I get to go around and see different com munities and go all over LA at different times. Every day is new and exciting, and I get to meet a ton of different interesting people. I hope to continue to do it for years to come.
Kari: We change lives. We give somebody who is lonely, maybe who has lost everybody in their family – we give them hope, family, friendship and purpose. We’re doing it for another human being. To have that as a job is a blessing.
Cora: I’m grateful that there is a place for seniors to come. There are always people caring for you. There are always people you can lean on. At this age, as a senior, it’s very important.
Baya: I enjoy my whole entire time, from the time I walk in the door to the time I leave, it’s a stress-free environment. Coming from working with teens, working with after school/preschool programs, sports, and special events it’s refreshing working at the senior center. We have a good time when we come through the door.
My staff makes it enjoyable. It’s a well-oiled machine here. I like to plan events. Whatever they want to do, I’m right there with them. It is a joy to come here every day.
Kari: These seniors are somebody’s mother, grandmother, aunt or uncle. We’ve had their children come and say, since their mother has been here, they can’t believe the difference in her. We were worried about her maybe doing physical harm, with her depression. It’s not just the seniors anymore: What we do affects the whole family.
Ramon: Most of my work happens behind a desk and a computer, so I really enjoy getting out to these events. I love seeing seniors walk in looking a bit frail, and then—after a few songs on the dance floor—they leave looking like completely new people. It’s inspiring to see the impact we have on them and to wit ness their joy and smiling faces.
I truly love what I do. Whether I was working with kids, supporting sports programs, or now serving older adults, the impact we make in our communities is meaningful. Seeing the dedication of all our senior center directors motivates me. It makes me want to do even more—find additional resources, bring in more information, and continue supporting the important work happening at every center.
Well said. Thanks everyone for your time today and for all you do for LA.
Baya: Thank you. Have a good evening.
Ramon: Thank you.
Kari: Bye!
Party Time!
Attend a Rec and Parks Senior Center holiday party! Here’s the schedule:
Anderson Memorial Senior Citizen Center 828 S. Mesa St. San Pedro 90731 Tues., Dec. 9 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Betty Hill Senior Citizen Center 3570 S. Denker Ave. Los Angeles 90018 Fri., Dec. 12 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Boyle Heights Senior Citizen Center 2839 E. 3rd St. Los Angeles 90033 Tues., Dec. 23 Noon-2 p.m.
Canoga Park Senior Citizen Center 7326 Jordan Ave. Canoga Park 91303 Fri., Dec. 19 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Claude Pepper Senior Center 1762 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles 90035 Wed., Dec. 10 5-8:30 p.m.
Costello Senior Citizen Center 3121 E. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles 90023 Fri., Dec. 19 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
El Sereno Senior Citizen Center 4818 Klamath Pl. Los Angeles 90032 Thurs., Dec. 18 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
EXPO Center/Ahmanson Senior Citizen Center 3990 Bill Robertson Lane, Los Angeles 90037 Thurs., Dec. 18 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Fairfax Senior Citizen Center 7929 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles 90046 (323) 653-1824 TBD TBD
Felicia Mahood MPC 11338 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles 90025 Tues., Dec. 16 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Glassell Park Senior Citizen Center 3750 Verdugo Rd. Los Angeles 90065 Thurs., Dec. 18 1-4 p.m.
Griffith Park Adult Community Center 3203 Riverside Dr. Los Angeles 90027 Fri., Dec. 5 11:15 a.m.
Highland Park Adult Senior Citizen Center 6152 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles 90042 Thurs., Dec. 18 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Las Palmas Senior Citizen Center 1820 Las Palmas Ave. Los Angeles 90028 Fri., Dec. 19 Noon
Lincoln Heights Senior Citizen Center 2323 Workman Street Los Angeles 90031 Thurs., Dec. 18 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Lincoln Park Senior Citizen Center 3501 Valley Blvd. Los Angeles 90031 Mon., Dec. 15 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Mid-Valley Senior Citizen Center 8801 Kester Ave. Panorama City 91402 Thurs., Dec. 18 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Montecito Heights Senior Citizen Center 4545 Homer St. Los Angeles 90031 Fri., Dec. 19 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
North Hollywood Senior Citizen Center 11430 Chandler Blvd. North Hollywood 91601 Fri., Dec. 19 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Pan Pacific Senior Activity Center 141 S. Gardner Ave. Los Angeles 90036 Thurs., Dec. 4 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center (SOEVAC) 5056 Van Nuys Blvd. Sherman Oaks 91403 Mon.-Fri., Dec. 8-12 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Slauson Recreation Center and Senior Center 5306 S. Compton Ave. Los Angeles 90011 Sat., Dec. 13 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
South Los Angeles Sports Activity Center 7020 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles 90003 Thurs., Dec. 11 Noon – 2 p.m.
Sunland Recreation Center 8651 Foothill Blvd. Sunland 91352 Fri., Dec. 5 5-8 p.m.
Sunland Senior Center 8640 Fenwick St. Sunland 91040 Thurs., Dec. 18 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Vineyard Recreation/Senior Citizen Center 2942 Vineyard Ave. Los Angeles 90016 Tues., Dec. 16 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Watts Senior Citizen Center 1657 E. Century Blvd. Los Angeles 90002 Fri., Dec. 12 Noon
Westchester Senior Citizen Center 8740 Lincoln Blvd. Los Angeles 90045 Fri., Dec. 19 1-3 p.m.
Wilkinson Senior Citizen Center 8956 Vanalden Ave. Northridge 91324 Sun., Dec. 21 2-5 p.m.