In accordance with the census, practically a 3rd of Los Angeles residents are over 50. And we’re getting older collectively — based on a Instances report, L.A. County’s median age rose 2.6 years between 2012 and 2022.
Fortunately, L.A. is an attractive place to get older, and never simply due to the temperate local weather. Town is without doubt one of the few municipalities on this planet with a “purposeful getting older” initiative (although the price range for senior applications will probably be lowered in 2025). It’s a spot that understands that older Angelenos are our cultural core.
“Older folks are usually the holders of tradition, of language, of sharing [these things], and they also’re all the time on the forefront of making that have for all of us,” says Dr. Laura Trejo, director of Los Angeles County’s Ageing and Disabilities Division.
Which is why it’s so vital for older Angelenos to have assets — and bounties — as they age. Listed below are some free (and nearly free) providers and experiences that older folks have entry to — and youthful generations can hopefully look ahead to.
50+
Crack open the books with free school courses
Whether or not you wish to be taught a brand new ability or simply problem your self, neighborhood school courses are among the greatest free assets for older Angelenos. Santa Monica Faculty has been providing a free non-credit Emeritus program for 50 years, and Pierce Faculty in Woodland Hills has an analogous program referred to as Encore. Each are arrange for adults over 50 to audit quite a lot of courses from artwork and live performance music to political science and occupational coaching. Los Angeles Group Faculty additionally affords free non-credit programs for all adults.
UCLA’s Senior Students Program at Longevity Heart isn’t free, nevertheless it affords the flexibility to audit one class for $175 and as much as 4 courses for $625. UC Irvine has an analogous program referred to as the Osher Lifelong Studying Institute that prices $25 in the summertime, $160 per semester in the course of the spring and fall, and $235 for the entire 12 months and permits older adults to take limitless courses.
Most of those applications additionally provide on-line courses, if that fits you greatest.
55+
Get pleasure from a free drink or low-cost(er) meals
Lots of quick meals spots have reductions for seniors, however Dairy Queen and KFC go one step additional, providing a free drink for adults 55 and up. Eating places are a traditional spot to seek out “senior reductions.” TheSeniorList, a web site useful resource for older folks, has a often up to date checklist of eating places that provide reductions and freebies, however perks might differ from location to location so name earlier than you go. There are a ton of locations that provide reductions for folks over 55 — the perfect factor to do is ask.
60+
Come down with a case of senior-center-itis
Los Angeles County has a senior heart geared for adults age 60-plus in practically each neighborhood, and every of them has a slate of actions the place older Angelenos can take part in all the pieces from line dancing and jewelry-making courses to diet programs and pickleball. A full checklist of actions at L.A.’s senior facilities may be discovered on the Division of Parks and Recreation’s web site.
“In Los Angeles County, we have now over 140 of them, so that you’re not that far-off from considered one of them,” says Trejo, who calls senior facilities a “focus” of the communities they serve.
62+
Reconnect with nature at our nationwide and state parks
Cap Rock Nature Path in Joshua Tree Nationwide Park.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Instances)
The US Geological Survey affords a Lifetime Senior Cross that covers all the nationwide parks. This one isn’t technically free — it’s $80 plus about $10 in charges — nevertheless it’s a lifetime cross for the price of a daily yearly cross. By that logic, after a 12 months, it’s free. There are 9 nationwide parks in California, 4 of which — Joshua Tree, the Channel Islands, Sequoia and Dying Valley — are inside a four-hour drive from L.A.
What’s free is the Golden Bear cross issued by California State Parks. For Californians over 62 and incomes a month-to-month revenue under $1,677 (or $2,269 for the family), the cross permits for automobile entry to a lot of the state’s 280 parks. That is the most important parks system within the nation, so there’s a lot to discover. For those who don’t meet the revenue threshold, there’s a Restricted Use Golden Bear cross that prices $20 and is just energetic in the course of the offseason between Labor Day and the Friday earlier than Memorial Day, nevertheless it beats the $195 annual cross youthful Angelenos should shell out.
Catch a flick
There aren’t any utterly free film screenings on the main cinema chains, however older adults can discover reductions at most of them, together with Cinemark theaters, the place “senior day” tickets may be as little as $5 for folks 62 and older. There are additionally loads of movie screenings at senior facilities and, after all, since that is the town of cinema, there are free screenings everywhere in the metropolis at any given time.
Get round in type
Driving round L.A. may be horrible for folks of any age. Nice information, this isn’t the L.A. Metro you grew up with. The general public transit system has had a severe makeover and is getting much more upgrades to cowl extra areas sooner or later. Fortunate for Angelenos 62 and older as a result of the town affords deep reductions and fare-capping, which implies you’ll by no means pay greater than $5 every week. Common fares are discounted too, with single rides costing older Angelenos 75 cents throughout peak hours and solely 35 cents per experience throughout off-peak hours.
“Plus, Metro has a program that helps older adults discover ways to use it extra successfully,” Trejo says. “In order that’s one other alternative if folks wish to contemplate giving up their vehicles.”
65+
This sporting life
A golfer on the Wilson Golf Course, one of many L.A. metropolis golf programs that provides reductions for older L.A. residents.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Instances)
{Golfing} is a long-standing custom for older folks. Possibly it’s the gradual tempo of the sport or perhaps it’s simply an excuse to get outdoors with a bunch of associates. It’s not often free, however for those who’re savvy, you may play on one of many L.A. metropolis golf programs for nearly free. For Angelenos 65 and up, there’s a yearly payment of $28, and you then’ll pay inexperienced charges as little as $4.50 for a weekday spherical. Ensure to reserve a tee time, and get on the market on the hyperlinks.
Additionally, power coaching has been linked to longevity, as The Instances’ Deborah Vankin reported lately. You is perhaps eligible for SilverSneakers, a program that has exercises like tai chi, Zumba and out of doors strolling teams, in addition to scores of dwell on-line courses. It’s free for older folks on most well being plans in California, and for folks on Medicare Benefit.
And we’ve all heard about the rise of pickleball. It may be a fantastic, free exercise for older Angelenos who won’t be up for a tennis match. Most of L.A.’s metropolis courts are free to everybody.
Change into a cultural maven by visiting L.A. museums free of charge
View from the balcony of the outer peristyle on the Getty Villa in Malibu.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Instances)
Many L.A. museums provide free admission for everybody — the Getty Villa and the Getty Heart, the Museum of Modern Artwork, the California Science Heart’s everlasting galleries, the Institute of Modern Artwork, Los Angeles, the Broad and the Hammer Museum — however some provide extra perks for older adults. The Los Angeles County Museum of Artwork and the Pure Historical past Museum are each free for L.A. County residents after 3 p.m. on weekdays, and each provide a reduction for adults 65 and up with an ID throughout all open hours. The Norton Simon, the Academy Museum, the Huntington Library, Artwork Museum and Botanical Gardens, and the Craft Modern additionally provide reductions to older Angelenos.
Perks with no particular age requirement
Shhh! Your library card holds many secrets and techniques for seniors
The glass-roof atrium on the Los Angeles Central Library.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Instances)
Libraries are one of the highly effective assets for anybody, not to mention older Angelenos, however they continue to be an important hub of our communities, notably for our getting older residents. I ended by my native library lately — the Lincoln Heights Department, housed within the stunning Italian Renaissance Revival constructing funded by Andrew Carnegie in 1916 — which was crammed with older Angelenos quietly studying or on the pc.
It’s no shock, because the library is a pleasant place for older folks. For these with restricted imaginative and prescient, the library is full of large-print books. Trying to catch as much as know-how so you may keep up a correspondence with family members? The library has tutorials on primary laptop abilities from Gmail to Instagram. And the library caters to homebound patrons with a program linking them with neighbors who can choose up and drop off supplies.
Not solely that, however your library card comes with a bevy of perks by way of the library’s Uncover & Go program (have your library card useful to enter the location). On provide proper now are 4 complimentary passes to the L.A. Zoo and Botanical Gardens, free tickets to pick screenings on the Academy Museum (usually $10), and deeply discounted L.A. Kings tickets to pick video games.
“Your library card is price its weight in gold nowadays due to the great assets obtainable at our libraries,” says Trejo.
What’s the 211?
211 LA is the town’s hub of assets for nonprofit providers, connecting Angelenos with all the pieces from suicide hotlines to nonprofits that can assist them stop smoking. There’s an entire web page referred to as the Ageing and Incapacity Useful resource Connection that helps older Angelenos discover a caregiver, navigate medical health insurance and even affords authorized providers.
“When unsure, attain out to 211,” Trejo says. “They’re my companions. They’re my data and referral supplier for all of L.A. County. And they’re truly there. They work with us. We prepare them, we share assets with them in order that they’re all the time updated on providers and assist obtainable for older adults and their households.”
Keep linked
As we grow old, protecting in contact with associates and family members appears to get extra vital, however it may well come at a excessive value. For those who’re low revenue, that may be a burden. The state has a program referred to as California LifeLine that affords low-income older folks reductions on cellphones or dwelling telephones of as much as $19 per 30 days. Which will or might not cowl the entire invoice, nevertheless it’ll assist maintain you in contact.
