Community & Public 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.”

A bill (AB 1147) aims to make California’s regional centers for developmental disabilities comply with transparency laws. This could allow 450,000 individuals access to records about their care, promoting accountability.

In California, 80% of all skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities are run by for-profit entities.

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.

A reporter takes a closer look at the toll taken by heightened drug-related arrests and under-resourced behavioral health services on San Francisco's Latino residents.

These practices focus on community building and dialogue as alternatives to traditional models of criminal justice and law enforcement. Part Two of a three-part Special Report.

A reporter reflects on what ongoing rate hikes by a major California utility mean for residents in the state’s hottest regions.

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.