Guest Column: Assisted Living

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Burt Ross

I don’t understand why every year, without exception, I am a year older. I also don’t understand why my brother who, when we were kids, was exactly three years and nine months older remains exactly three years and nine months older today. The gap hasn’t widened or narrowed one bit in all those years. 

Not only am I aging, but everybody else in the world seems to be getting older every year. The world’s population is aging and the same is true for the citizens of Malibu. I would wager that those of us in Malibu who are eligible for Medicare are indeed the fastest growing segment in our population.

All of this rambling brings me to the subject of this column—assisted living. There used to be three men who would regularly meet up at Diamond’s Malibu Gym on weekends—Ed, Lawrence and Mickey. And then there were two. Mickey, who is almost but not quite as cantankerous as I am, had back surgery, and although he had lived in Malibu for many years, Mickey ended up in an assisted living facility in the Valley, away from his friends and familiar surroundings.

The term “assisted living” is odd. What it means is that at some point in time, preferably later rather than sooner, many of us will need assistance to live. Hmm. That is a very strange concept. Whether we like it or not (I do not), we may very well need assistance simply to live, so why don’t we have some assisted living housing in Malibu? Why should some of us who live here and love Malibu be forced to live elsewhere because we are getting long in the tooth? 

There are those of us who prefer no growth in our city or slow growth, but let me suggest another alternative—“smart growth.” The PCH is a nightmare and certain commercial development will undoubtedly increase traffic, but assisted living, serving many who would no longer be driving, should have less impact on traffic than other kinds of development, and would most assuredly serve a need that will only increase as our population ages.

I applaud our mayor and council for wanting to purchase three parcels of land currently under consideration. May I suggest that one of the parcels (the one on the PCH near Heathercliff) could be an ideal location for assisted living—mostly flat, near public transportation and a stone’s throw from banks, post office cleaners, and a supermarket.

So, let’s all of us be open to helping those of us who are getting ancient. If you’re lucky, you’ll be joining us someday.