AgeWise King County

May is Older Americans Month, when we celebrate the contributions of older people throughout their lifetimes. Despite current limitations, that celebration is more important now than ever, as we see COVID-19 disproportionately impacting older people and their families. As we know from news reports, among the first U.S. deaths due to COVID-19 were residents of... Read More

Older people who test positive for COVID-19 are far more likely than younger people to become seriously ill and die. Fortunately, less than 10 percent of all COVID positive cases are among people 65 plus; however, this age group accounts for nearly 85 percent of all COVID-related deaths. The quicker older people are vaccinated, the... Read More

Some days I shake my head in near-disbelief at the news. Frequently, the phrase “truth is stranger than fiction” comes to mind. “’Tis strange but true; for truth is always strange; Stranger than fiction; if it could be told, How much would novels gain by the exchange! How differently the world would men behold! How... Read More

Everyone I know has been deeply affected by the demonstrations and protests that took place following the deplorable killing by police of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta in June—and so many other African Americans over many years. Across the nation and around the world, we’re hearing people call... Read More

The Age Friendly Seattle 2019 Annual Report is hot off the press, and well worth review. If you’re not familiar with the “age friendly” movement, the City of Seattle joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities in 2016 and launched its Age Friendly Seattle initiative the following year. After reading the report, I’m... Read More

Recently, the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services weighed in on changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility rules proposed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Their proposal would negatively affect 3.6 million families nationwide and cause more than 620,000 older adults to lose nutrition benefits. The change would... Read More

Most people are aware of the special Sunday in June called Father’s Day. It’s been a national holidays since 1972. But did you know that this tribute to fatherhood can be traced back to 1910 in Spokane, Washington? In my January 2021 AgeWise article, I reflected briefly on my father-in-law as well as my grandfather... Read More

May 2021: Recognizing Older People as Strong and Vibrant (Older Americans Month 2021)

Friends, the senseless and tragic killing of eight people—six of them Asian women—on March 16 at three sites in Atlanta is on the hearts and minds of many right now. Unfortunately, they aren’t even the latest incidents of violence against Asians or violence against women. I’m referring to a 27-year-old woman of Asian descent who... Read More

At our February 12 meeting, the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services had the opportunity to hear from and talk with John H. Vassall, MD. Dr. Vassall is the Physician Executive for Quality and Safety with Qualis Health, an organization focused on improving healthcare delivery and health outcomes for all. You can... Read More

It is my honor to now chair the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services. I would also like to acknowledge and thank Ava Frisinger for her extensive contributions, and the multiple terms she served as Chair of the Advisory Council. I was invited to join the Advisory Council several years ago because... Read More

In November, we give thanks—not only on Thanksgiving but for the tremendous contribution of unpaid caregivers to our families and throughout our communities. That’s because November is National Caregivers Month. November is also national Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and National Diabetes Awareness Month. You will find reference to these special recognitions in this issue of AgeWise,... Read More

Perhaps you read the Seattle Times article about income inequality on Sept. 25 (“Seattle’s median household income soars past $100,000—but wealth doesn’t reach all”). Median household income in the Seattle metropolitan area hit $102,500 last year. Median income for households headed by a white or Asian person was $112,000—2.4 times higher than those headed by... Read More

You may recall last month’s article about the new Long-Term Care Coalition in Washington state. The coalition’s work is intense and ongoing. Why? Because thousands of vulnerable Washingtonians are at risk of losing services they depend on for daily living. We are working to prevent cuts to vital services. The worst-case scenario at this time—based... Read More

Coronavirus—sometimes called novel (meaning new) coronavirus or COVID-19, which is short for Coronavirus Disease 2019—weighs on the hearts and minds of people around the world. According to the World Health Organization, COVID-19 has become a pandemic. Last week, it was declared a national emergency. King County has been the U.S. epicenter. Following the advice of... Read More

You may find it of interest to know who is speaking for Aging and Disability Services (ADS) in Olympia. It’s not ADS employees (unless they choose to do so on their own time). They are City of Seattle employees and City ethics rules prohibit them from taking part in political activity while on City time... Read More