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By Paul Losch
About this blog: I was a "corporate brat" growing up and lived in different parts of the country, ending in Houston, Texas for high school. After attending college at UC Davis, and getting an MBA at Harvard, I embarked on a marketing career, mai...
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About this blog: I was a "corporate brat" growing up and lived in different parts of the country, ending in Houston, Texas for high school. After attending college at UC Davis, and getting an MBA at Harvard, I embarked on a marketing career, mainly in the Bay Area with different companies. My former wife went back to medical school after we had been married a few years, and we moved into married student housing at Stanford, had our two now adult children while she was a medical student, and moved into Palo Alto when she started her Residency. Been here ever since. As my kids were going through the Palo Alto schools, I was actively involved in their activities, most notably head umpire for Palo Alto Little League and 9 years as a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, among other activities. My kids both are grown, my son teaches 5th grade locally, and my daughter, fluent in Mandarin, is working in China. I sold the business I owned and ran for 8 years in 2012, worked on the Obama campaign, and am consulting for non-profit organizations, which gives me a nice, flexible schedule. Lots of stamps in my passport, and for fun, I like live performances &emdash; theater and music - and of course the Giants!
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Senior Living in Palo Alto
Uploaded: Oct 23, 2013
I am pushing 60, and I witnessed what my now deceased parents chose to do as they got to this stage of their lives. I think it is instructive for how we vote on Measure D, and more importantly how Palo Alto develops a senior housing policy going forward.
My parents had a lovely home in an east bay suburb, sold it and moved to a retirement community near Sacramento. So far, so good. Missing some of the variety of activities available in the Bay Area, but the community had great activities and resources, so they got involved.
Driving a car was needed to get to a market or a drug store or a doctor. This became increasingly difficult for my parents as they devolved into compromised health conditions. All of a sudden, a retirement community with a golf course, and a rec center were not amenities, and my folks were 90 miles away from any family. It did not work any more.
Here is why I voted against Measure D: no nearby amenities, retail resources, access to health care. Those are critical to people in the senior part of their life, and Maybell does not provide it.
More importantly, I am of the point of view that our City of Palo Alto needs to develop a clear vision and strategy for senior housing. I do not perceive that such exists right now.
I live near downtown, and it is great to see seniors in the retail area of University Ave. There are several senior facilities, Lytton Gardens the most prominent, that are close to things that seniors value and need.
I am voting against Measure D, and my message to leaders in Palo Alto is that we need a strategy for senior housing in town. It is important for numerous reasons.
Democracy.
What is it worth to you?
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