'Dissing' The Frail Elderly and Disabled

The following letter was sent to Rod Wood, City manager of Beverly Hills

Dear Rod

Along with Betty Harris and the League of Women Voters' Dorothy Kaufman, I testified before the City's Human Relations Commission, on Sept. 10. Also in attendance was Councilman Steve Webb.

The three of us who testified were most heartened with the interest shown in our presentations. This was about the great need to assist approximately 30% of Beverly Hills residents who, according to the latest U. S. Census figures, are among the frail elderly, disabled, low income residents and those with few transportation options.

Identifying and assisting these seniors, many living alone, was discussed by the commissioners as possibly requiring a door-to-door survey. Even a telephone survey to ascertain their needs and preferences would be better than expecting them to get to a focus meeting.

We also discussed how Dial-A-Ride might be made available on Sundays, thus allowing these residents to attend the Farmers Market, concerts at Greystone and the Affair in The Garden. The idea is one of inclusion, while the City has, for far too long been excluding these citizens.

Of course, once these residents were brought to the Farmer's Market, a golf cart or other battery-operated vehicles would be needed for them to get about, from stall to stall.

As Mercedes provides BHPD with complimentary police vehicles, so might golf cart manufacturers, in exchange for being designated the official golf cart of Beverly Hills. So might vendors of battery-operated shopping carts, available nearby at Whole Foods, Ralphs, Pavillions and Gelsons.

While the City recently advertised that a focus group would be held at La Cienega Park at 7:30 PM one evening, evidently no one at the Recreation & Parks Dept. thought about all the seniors and disabled residents who cannot or should not be driving at night.

Rec & Parks consistently and inconveniently schedules seniors' events at the outer, southern edge of Beverly HIlls, usually at Roxbury Park, rather than centrally, at City Hall or the Library. In addition, City vans, operating from the Library parking lot, might even take residents to Greystone for senior exercise classes in a beautiful environment.

Councilman Webb, speaking with us after we left the commission meeting, noted that he expects the City's new, centrally located recreation facility in the Industrial Area to include facilities for seniors as well as for the City's youth.

Certainly a swimming pool should be a part of such a facility, as aerobic water exercises are among the safest and most beneficial activities for the frail elderly and disabled.

Going to the City's western edge, to use the BHHS pool, is inconvenient for the frail elderly and disabled. Also, that pool is, understandably, heavily scheduled for BHHS students' activities.

Holding nighttime focus groups is fine for soccer and baseball players and their parents as well as for those wanting to rent time on our tennis courts.

However, in trying to ascertain the highest and best uses of a recreation center being planned for the Industrial Area, such sessions exclude the 30% of us about whom I am particularly concerned.

I believe that a combination of a comprehensive telephone survey and a mailed questionnaire would bring us a more complete picture of what is needed by those who are now not being taken into account by the City's programs and planning.

Even the City's CERT programs fail to take into account these people who may, in an emergency, be in dire need of the skills taught at CERT classes. Unfortunately, despite my pleas to have an entire series of such classes held in the daytime, the only courses I've been notified of have some of the sessions held in the evening.

Too, a sense of community, for those who are shut in and thus shut out, can be enhanced by Community Access Cable TV. Rod, a couple of weeks ago, I gave you a 28-minute program I produced entitled, "Philanthropy 101," for your review.

It features a BHHS grad who also happens to be a significant property owner in Beverly Hills. His views and those of his wife on creative philanthropy, I believe would be of considerable interest to our residents.

I see that you are now running a series of programs on the propositions, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Since 1990, when there were 20 measures on the California ballot for our consideration, I have been hosting "Ballot Parties. " These are non-partisan, featuring approx. 20 very thoughtful participants.

They are moderated by Robert Stern, president of the Center for Government Studies and produced by the Beverly Hills-based, 501(c)(3) Fund for the Environment.

A series of three 28-minute "Ballot Party 2004" programs was cablecast on Adelphia's Ch. 37, in October and November.

As the League's shows are re-run on the City's own channel, we would like ours to be given the same consideration.

Many thanks for whatever you are able to do to fully take into account the moral and ethical need to begin an era of inclusionary rather than exclusionary programming and planning for all Beverly Hills residents.

Best regards,

Ellen

Ellen Stern Harris
Executive Director, Fund for The Environment
Editor of BeverlyHillsCitizen. org