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Perspectives on Aging: Shaohua Zhu and Brittney Ramirez Osorio

Hello! Our names are Shaohua Zhu and Brittney Ramirez Osorio. We had the opportunity to have Seattle Youth Employment Program summer internships with Age Friendly Seattle. We want to share our reflections and the knowledge we gained while working with the Age Friendly team.

How we used to think about aging

Prior to this internship, our knowledge around aging may not have been as open-minded and our thoughts were very limited. At the start of our internships, we were asked about our thoughts relating to aging and the older adult population:

Shaohua: What I think about aging was that it makes society less active. People will become more and more isolated because in many ways the connection between the elderly and society is weakened. Due to the constant development of technology, new ways of socializing are developing at a rapid pace, and it is difficult for older people to learn them without guidance. Therefore, this can lead to a narrowing of the social space for older people. My grandma has a short memory, so she often forgets the steps on how to use the internet, so when wanting to make a video call, she has to ask someone to help her or wait for someone to call her on their own initiative. So, she doesn’t go looking for information on the Internet for fun either. However, traditional in-person socializing can also be challenging for many older adults to choose where to meet. My grandma is more frugal and not likely to spend too much money on entertainment. When my family members go to work or school, she’s always at home by herself with nothing special to do. So that is why I think aging leads to a reduction in the workforce, which creates economic pressures, not only on society but also on families, making it difficult to achieve an active and healthy lifestyle in old age.

Brittney: I could think about how we all grow older and each of our experiences at that stage of life depends on the community we live in and who we have around. I am ethnically Mexican and one of the biggest things I noticed was that many older adults in my community were still working. Especially the immigrant community in the United States who may come from poorer areas, they have to always work. Many people may not have a retirement plan and will have to work longer than others. Much of the ideals when coming to the U.S. is just to work. In a way that sticks with them until they can no longer work. This makes me think about how my future will look with my parents and other relatives. I didn’t know anything about what resources are out there that can help the older adult population. This lack of knowledge can be because aging is a topic that is too sensitive. People don’t like the idea of aging.

Age Friendly Seattle changed our perspectives

This summer we were able to shift our perspectives about aging. Our internships opened up a new door to our knowledge of older adults and aging.

We had the opportunity to take an anti-ageism training so we could understand ageism issues. The training helped us recognize how ageism is present in our everyday lives and how it is impacting the way we live. Through our daily lives, we get negative messages about aging and even jokes about it. As we age, we tend to associate it with becoming physically incapable and loneliness.

Even though many see aging as a negative topic, we understood that we are all aging. At any age, people should feel a sense of belonging and community. People should be able to get a job because of their experiences and not have their age be a limitation. As a society, we should not harm the health, economic, and social well-being of older adults. We recommend everyone to take some time to take the training because at the end of the day we are aging!

Access to community activities and events

We noticed there can be a lack of access to community engagement in Seattle for an older adult population. Many events or spaces are advertised for the younger population. As we age, there can be less engagement in community. Sometimes spaces are not age friendly or accessible. Older adults also deserve to enjoy spaces in the city. There can also be issues with affording to go to areas around the city.

Shaohua: Summer is a great opportunity to get out and enjoy the sunshine, nature and have a wonderful time with friends! However, many older adults decide to stay home. Do older people not want to go out? Actually, no.

One thing Age Friendly Seattle does is help older adults consider ways to help older adults easily get out of the house, connect with others, and enjoy activities around the city. Age Friendly Seattle’s Gold and FLASH Card discount program allows older adults and adults with disabilities to have fun at a lower cost. If you are age 60 or older, you can apply for a Gold Card. If you are age 18+ years with a disability, you can apply for a FLASH Card. When you go to places that are enrolled in our program, you can get a special discount just by showing them your card. The Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet have offered deep discounts to visitors who use their Gold and FLASH Card!

When we learned about this, we thought it was important to share this information with our older friends and neighbors, especially among Black, Indigenous, and other people of color in our community. We wanted to share these resources so that they feel included in their city. We think it is important to help everyone enjoy their life in a more diverse way.

Age Friendly Seattle is creating “Explore and Save” mini guides that provide ideas for how someone might spend a day accessing discounts at entertainment venues, restaurants, and retail shops. In this way, older adults can take advantage of multiple discounts in a short amount of time. It even includes travel tips!

In today’s living environment, it seems like every step out of the house involves a cost, which can be prohibitive for someone living on a lower fixed income. This is unfortunate since retirement is a time to enjoy leisure activities and enjoy life.

What we have learned

As a society, we really need to shift our perspectives on aging. It is important to talk about what our lives may be like in the future. It should be important to keep having everyone engaged in community. Without different perspectives, we cannot grow stronger together.

Through our internships, our views on aging have changed a lot. As we set up tabling activities at community events, we met many older adults who shared their thoughts with us. They were very happy to receive a Gold Card to help them get discounts and they looked forward to having a rich and varied life, living and aging in Seattle with its wealth of social, cultural and entertainment opportunities.

Throughout all of our life stages, we can continue to explore and develop our interests and hobbies. We are not afraid of aging, we love aging, and we look forward to the city’s efforts to promote aging!

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Contributors Shaohua (Eva) Zhu and Brittney Ramirez Osorio are Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) interns working with the Age Friendly Seattle Program. Shaohua attends the University of Washington (Class of ’25), double majoring in Sociology and Communication. Brittney attends Seattle University (Class of ’25), double majoring in Sociology and Spanish.

This article appeared in the September 2024 issue of AgeWise King County.