Healing California
The Center for Health Journalism has teamed with eight ethnic media organizations in California to report together on health equity, community well-being and gaps in health care in a unique collaborative learning effort.
"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.
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.
Cathay Manor, a senior housing project with 270 housing units in LA's Chinatown, is home to low-income elderly residents. The two elevators in the building have never functioned smoothly, leaving residents trapped and isolated and, in some cases, causing injury and great harm.
The “food as medicine” movement is growing in popularity as more people look to plant-based solutions for ills that continue to plague the Black community at disproportionate rates.
Financial and structural inequities and challenges, including lack of affordable homes, discrimination in the mortgage lending process and limited access to credit, restrict Latinos’ housing options to less affluent neighborhoods.
The Inland Empire region of Southern California is experiencing record-breaking heat, which is particularly dangerous for the homeless population. The heat can exacerbate pre-existing health conditions and increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, which can lead to hospitalization or even death.