Mental health

Dance can be a highly beneficial form of exercise for seniors with pre-existing health conditions. It offers a low-impact, enjoyable way to improve physical fitness and overall well-being through improved cardiovascular health, enhanced balance and coordination, increased flexibility, boosted mood and cognitive function, and weight management. For Bay Area native Joseph “Smokin’ Joe” Guillory, line dancing is a mental, physical and spiritual experience. “It all works together,” Guillory says. “It helps the body and the mind.”

Hazel Su is one of several hundreds who have migrated from Myanmar to the Bay Area to seek political asylum to resettle in the U.S. As an asylum seeker, Su is so focused on paying living expenses and helping family back home that she doesn't prioritize her own health. Despite learning about Medi-Cal covering people like her, Su finds that her options are too confusing to navigate and there are not enough community workers who can help.

"Saving Face”, a traditional Confucian concept, delineates the purpose of social exchange to promote self-esteem and equilibrium within the community. Chinese older adults who have internalized this concept may be more reluctant to engage with their social network to share negative emotions and life difficulties, potentially creating a fertile ground for loneliness. John Feng, who is 91 years old experiences intense bouts of loneliness and isolation, despite living in a senior apartment building in L.A. Chinatown where nearly all the residents are Chinese.

A mini-interview with Sunny, a neatly dressed Korean American who lives on the street after he lost his job.

Marjorie Lauderdale, an 80-year-old caregiver in Palm Springs, faces a daunting task caring for her 77-year-old wife, Deidre, who suffered multiple strokes. The Inland Empire region, facing a growing aging population, is working to address the needs of seniors, including transportation and caregiving support.

As they cultivate gardens, seniors in Sacramento find a renewed sense of purpose. Sharon Chandler is one such senior who introduces the love of gardening to residents of the Delta Cove senior apartment complex in South Sacramento. The initiative fosters social interaction, encourages healthier eating habits and induces gardeners to incorporate home-grown produce into their diets.

Sevety-four-year-old Cha Seung-pyo volunteers at the LA Korean Community Center everyday from 9a.m. to 3 p.m. On average, he assists 20 individuals daily with their various needs. Volunteering has given Cha a sense of purpose and helps stave off loneliness and isolation.

Research indicates that women tend to become dependent on substances, including fentanyl, more quickly, and take longer to seek help due to gender roles. Fentanyl use has skyrocketed in recent years, even among pregnant women. In the Tenderloin district of the San Francisco, Bay Area, reporter Dayanna Monroy talks to pregnant women who struggle with addiction.

Young adults 18 to 24 years old who are aging out of the foster care system face the risk of housing instability and homelessness. One in five foster youth become unhoused upon turning 18. Young Asians are further hampered because they are not seen as needing support. This is the story of a twenty-one year old Korean American woman who faced innumerable challenges in finding a stable home after leaving foster care.

Low income seniors struggle with unaffordable rents in densely populated Koreatown, in Los Angeles. Amid the high concentration of residents, there is a severe shortage of low-income and senior apartments with long waiting lists for government-assisted public housing.