Sept. 5, 2023 - Ventura Countyâs senior population (age 65+) is expected to increase 14% this year to 224,812, outpacing the overall growth of the county population, which is projected to increase just 2% to 884,148 in 2023.
(CSUCI) Assistant Professor of Health Science Ron Berkowsky is researching ways to address the increased need for caregiving this will require, as well as the unique needs of the countyâs older Americans, including the aging LGBTQ+ population.Â
He plans to support his research as one of 14 faculty members nationwide accepted into the prestigious Campus Compactâs Engaged Scholar Initiative. The Engaged Scholars Initiative is a prestigious year-long program in which a diverse group of early-career faculty and staff participate in professional development, attend retreats, and receive individual support through mentoring and coaching on work conducted in the community. Each scholar is expected to work on a specific project during their year-long program.
At the center of each Engaged Scholarâs project is the concept of equity and the need to adjust research and service projects to address imbalances in the community, recognizing that âwe all do not start at the same place.â To account for this, each project will also have an element of community involvement.
âWe are all very mindful of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) with our projects,â Berkowsky said. âAs a group, we will be discussing not only the status of our different projects, but also having a robust conversation about community-engaged work and what does that look like.â
Berkowsky plans to use the fellowship to develop a research project on either the needs of the aging LBGT+ community or an emerging model of organized volunteer caregiving for older Americans. In his letter of recommendation to the Engaged Scholar Program, CSUCI President Richard Yao stressed how well Berkowskyâs research addresses the needs of Ventura Countyâs expanding aging population.
âWith the anticipated impacts of this expansion on healthcare, both in Ventura County and nationwide, policymakers have engaged in robust discussion on how to best meet the caregiving needs of this group,â Yao wrote. âWhile much of this discussion has focused on expanding and strengthening both paid caregiving services, less attention has been devoted to strengthening volunteer caregiving services provided by community volunteers through local nonprofit organizations.â
If he selects the volunteer caregiving project, Berkowsky plans to evaluate the state of volunteer caregiving throughout the nation. He plans to work with the director of a Ventura County-based volunteer caregiving nonprofit to see how feasible it would be to coordinate and streamline a network of volunteer caregiving organizations across the nation to address the caregiving crisis.
âWhen we think about caregiving, we think of paid caregiving services or unpaid family caregiving. There are strengths and weaknesses to both approaches,â Berkowsky said. âWe have people who canât afford paid caregivers and for family members, it can be quite a burden.â Berkowskyâs work would focus on a different model: of addressing older adult needs through community volunteers.
His other area of research interest is the aging LGBTQ+ community. Berkowsky sits on the board of the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging (VCAAA), which reports a growing number of requests for information and services.
âI have a keen interest in LGBTQ+ aging because I do identify as bisexual,â Berkowsky said. âIn addition, I have an educational and research background in older adults.â
Berkowsky wants to research what barriers older LGBTQ+ Americans have to care and what unique issues confront them.
âThere really is a significant need for data on older LGBTQ+ adults and their experiences,â Berkowsky said. âWhen we typically think of LGBTQ+ issues, we think of various issues such as coming out, increased risk of drug abuse, or accessing transgender care. Older adults experience these but also experience unique issues. They may have been âout of the closetâ and open about their identity their entire lives, for example, but if they go into assisted care or skilled nursing they may not know if itâs a safe space for them. They may actually âgo back into the closet.ââ
Another problem is a social network that doesnât include family members who couldnât accept them or their partner or both.
âLGBTQ+ individuals generally have an extensive friend network, but they are usually mostly of a similar age. With older adults, this means isolation may be a problem as their friend networks also age and pass away,â Berkowsky said.
Berkowsky said he will decide on his area of study for the Engaged Scholar project in the next month or so.
Berkowsky was nominated for the 2023/24 Engaged Scholar cohort by CSUCI Center for Community Engagement and the Health Science Program.
Read more about the Engaged Scholars Initiative on the Campus Compact website at .