Who are we?

The Long Beach Aging Services Collaborative provides a platform for advocacy, education, and networking for professionals dedicated to the well-being of seniors in Long Beach, CA. Volunteer committees plan educational and networking opportunities, grow new membership, and monitor legislation and impacting initiatives facing our older adult community, their families, and caregivers.

Our goal is to keep our members aware of hot topics, the latest data, and trends that help their organizations provide a high level of service and improve the quality of life for seniors in our community. The Collaborative shares resources and information, promotes awareness of the unique needs of seniors, and coordinates support to the community in times of need.

Most importantly, the LB Aging Services Collaborative is people. People like you–people who realize that we can accomplish collectively what no one individual can do alone. The strength of our group lies in our members, who bring energy, ideas, and action. Join us!

History

The Long Beach Aging Services Collaborative originated from discussions initiated in 2018 when the Long Beach Health Department formed a steering committee to connect senior-related services. Concurrently, the Center for Successful Aging at California State University, Long Beach, established the Beach 2030 Aging Taskforce to inform the university’s strategic planning. This led to a 2019 community event attended by 57 stakeholders, including businesses, community organizations, and CSULB faculty, which called for the creation of an aging service provider network in Long Beach.

In Fall 2019, the Center for Successful Aging surveyed event attendees and participants in the city’s age-friendly strategic planning process to gather input on the proposed network’s structure and function. The first network meeting was held on March 3, 2020, in collaboration with the Healthy Aging Center at the Long Beach Health Department. When stay-at-home orders were issued in mid-March 2020, this informal network rapidly adapted to weekly meetings facilitated by the Health Department to support providers struggling to assist older adults during the pandemic. The Center for Successful Aging also established a Facebook Group for the Collaborative to facilitate communication between meetings.

Since August 2022, the Heart of Ida (HOI) has served as the administering organization and fiscal sponsor for the Long Beach Aging Services Collaborative. The Collaborative meets regularly, holding quarterly in-person meetings for networking and monthly online educational and advocacy workshops to strengthen the workforce and enhance the sector’s impact. 

In May 2024, the Collaborative, in partnership with HOI and Long Beach Parks, Recreation, and Marine, co-sponsored a Senior Mental Health Fair at Houghton Park. This event was made possible by funds received from the LA County Department of Mental Health.

Heart of Ida also maintains a social media presence, an E-newsletter, and a website to share resources and events throughout the network, enhancing communication and accessibility for all involved.

Currently, 225 local professionals serving older adults in Long Beach subscribe to the E-newsletter. As of July 2024, over 150 attendees attended the Collaboratives meetings and workshops, and over 800 visited the website.

“It’s a great way to stay connected, learn, and collaborate with other experts in the field. Through our collective knowledge and efforts, we can make positive changes for older adults in Long Beach.”
 
Summer Smith, Long Beach Police Department (Senior Police Partners)