"First of all, you're alone...if you fall between the cracks and you're not very well-to-do you're sort of like nowhere." - elderly woman living in San Francisco
San Francisco, known as a progressive city with world-renowned attractions, diversity, climate and vibrant youth movements, is graying: that is, of its 825,863 residents, 19.2% of them are over the age of 65. Almost half live alone, many have no relatives, and for the majority of this population, English is a second language.
With ripple effects of 'the Great Recession' affecting many Americans, especially aging Baby Boomers, the challenges this growing population contends with illuminates looming issues concerning health care, housing and quality of life for future generations.
My project "Aging in Place" visually explores the perspectives of the aging poor and mentally ill population in San Francisco. In addition to the photo essay, I made a multimedia piece with interviews of those I photographed which is now used by the hospital administration at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in the Tenderloin neighborhood to show doctors and other employees their patients' life outside hospital walls.
A version of the multimedia piece can be viewed here: http://vimeo.com/81323697
