AA Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

Given the choice, most of us want to stay in our homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

Personal Care Consultation

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TESTIMONIALS

“I highly recommend Always Best Care for every aspect from the ones seeking care for a loved one or themselves, all the way to the ones seeking an opportunity to care for a senior. I personally worked for ABC, and throughout my years with them I had the pleasure of interacting with the seniors as well as with the amazing caregivers. From the stories of a much more simpler time in the elders life to the reasons from a caregiver wanting to truly care for the seniors. (Most reasons are personal to them that have impacted their life and heart). This is truly a caring company with exceptional professional staff. It's hard to find a company that demonstrates both of those traits....”

Christina H.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best Care absolutely saved us when my father needed immediate assistance. Maria and team were extremely compassionate, responsive, informative and truly wanted us to feel comfortable with every small detail. The caretakers were all amazing and dependable. I truly cannot say enough positive things about the level of service provided by ABC as they helped us navigate this truly impossible time.”

Sascha B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I cannot say enough good things about Always Best Care in the South Bay. I was lucky to be referred to ABC when my Father suddenly needed in-home care several years ago and I hired ABC again a few months ago when my friend needed in-home care. The learning curve is steep when a family member is no longer independent. Having reliable, caring and professional caregivers is invaluable in getting through these challenges. Hiring the caregivers from ABC allowed me to be the "daughter" again. I absolutely could not have cared for my beloved Father or my dear friend without ABC by my side!”

Marta P.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best Care agency has been wonderful to work with. The caregivers they have provided to stay with my dear friend, who has dementia, have been outstanding. My husband, an MD, and I, an RN, have rather high standards and have found all of the caregivers to be professional, caring and extremely reliable (24/7 care in this case) They go above and beyond expectations. I have felt safe with the caregivers,as they are also down-to-earth; caring people. Dr. David Hart is the main point person in this family-run agency and he is not only a very caring person, he is extremely intelligent in his communication, yet very down-to earth at the same time. He is responsive to any issues that arise immediately…not only for the client, but also to his caregivers, who he genuinely cares about. That is perhaps why he attracts and retains such stellar employees, We feel very lucky to have found ABC Senior Care services. Ilene Watson, RN and Dr. Walter Watson,MD, Manhattan Beach, CA”

Ilene P.
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TESTIMONIALS

“The senior in-home care was top notch. The caregivers were caring, comforting, and always available even with our requested schedule changes. Definitely would recommend to others in our family.”

D H.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I attended the free family caregivers seminar presented by Dr. David Hart. The seminar was both informative and practical. Dr. Hart is very knowledgeable and practical as he cared for his grandmother with Alzheimers. He is an unusually caring person who is very approachable. I am grateful to know him and to know he is available whenever he might be needed.”

Ruth O.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Dr David Hart has given me security to know that I can do it. He has such a caring and approachable demeanor. I feel I can call on him at any time for help with either one of us. Thank heavens he came along in our lives.”

Laurie D.
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TESTIMONIALS

“My experience with ABC Senior Services has been uniformly positive, starting with participation in their Memory Club several years ago. My wife has Alzheimer's and the challenges are severe. ABC, notably Dr. David Hart, has been a terrific source of support and advice. They take the time to understand your individual needs and circumstances. This is a great resource for those of us in the South Bay.”

Joel T.
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TESTIMONIALS

“This is a long overdue review and endorsement of Always Best Care-Torrance. My family is forever grateful for all the care given to my father for more than four years. From our initial meeting with Carrie and David to selecting the most wonderful caregiver that was with Dad to the end of his days. The love and support from everyone at ABC was so appreciated especially during some very difficult times. May God bless you always - You are truly special angels. Thank you all!”

Don V.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I attended one of their monthly caregiver essentials workshop and found it incredibly informative. I now have a much better understanding of the disease progression, and have walked away with so many helpful resources. Attending made me aware that I do not have to struggle alone through this, there are support groups and resources available to assist me. Dr. David Hart is a compassionate person who is genuinely willing to help others navigate the path of caring for a loved one with dementia.”

RENEE B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Carrie, David, and their team are terrific to work with. Carrie has been a lifesaver by helping us to quickly find a wonderful 24/7 board and care facility for our loved one who is suffering from both advanced dementia and a broken, severe arthritic neck. They have provided very capable temporary care givers to us to help with taking our loved one to doctor's appointments and during the time our loved one was being treated in the hospital. David has thoroughly educated us on all aspects of dementia and counseled the family members to help sort out their emotions during these difficult times. We strongly recommend Always Best Care South Bay to anyone needing advise, help, and services to find care facilities, care givers, and/or counseling.”

Raoul G.
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TESTIMONIALS

“From the moment I first spoke to Mark Wecker at Always Best Care, he was kind, caring and extremely knowledgeable. He made sure to ask all the right questions to help my siblings and me find the perfect place for our father who had very advanced Parkinson's Disease. He took us to places that fit the high quality we were looking for and in our budget range. Mark showed genuine concern for us and my father. And he helped us navigate through a challenging situation. We made a great decision based on his expert advice. Unfortunately, my father passed away before we could bring him to LA. But I will always be grateful for the detailed attention we received from Mark and Always Best Care.”

Batsheva F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“My son and I have received family counseling from Dr. Hart for nearly two years. We both suffer from PTSD, among other mental disabilities, and have been seen by a number of therapists over the years. We have found Dr. Hart’s care to be among the most helpful. He is kind, understanding, and patient. Rather than employing long term, traditional psychotherapy or other limited methods exclusively, he uses different approaches to break through a person’s natural resistance. He suggests interpretations of feelings and actions, asks questions that show real insight, and then gives practical and usually appropriate advice that can be accepted or discussed further. He has treated us with respect and even with a non-intrusive, kind of professional affection. We would recommend him to friends and family without hesitation.”

Andrew L.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I'm glad I attended Dr. Hart's caregiver support workshop which focused on Alzheimer's disease. I knew then Always Best Care would be the right agency to handle my Dad's care. From the beginning to the end the staff were professional and courteous. My dad unfortunately decided to end services because of his stubbornness. Mark was understanding and expressed his concern for my Dad's wellbeing. He didn't push for us to continue services. I would work with ABC again if my father agrees to resume services. They definitely have your loved ones best interest in mind.”

G S.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Experienced people, excellent service.”

Elsie M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Dr. David Hart for your elder-care needs. Dr. Hart is an incredibly knowledgeable and caring person who helped our family beyond measure to provide the best level of care for our mother who has Alzheimer's Disease. We engaged Dr. Hart to 1) conduct his own periodic assessments of our mother; 2) create a forum for our broader family, including our mom, to communicate and ask questions; 3) provide training and resources; and 4) help our family evaluate and implement an interim and long-term care plan for our mother. DR. HART EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS ON EVERY LEVEL. Prior to meeting Dr. Hart we had received a lot of conflicting information and our broader family was experiencing a very high level of stress and frustration. Thankfully, after engaging with Dr. Hart for several months, our family became knowledgeable, we communicated well with each other, and we just implemented a long-term care plan that addresses all of our mom's needs and one that she really enjoys. DR. HART IS THE BEST AND HE TRULY CARES ABOUT HIS PATIENTS AND THE FAMILIES HE WORKS WITH. Thank you Dr. Hart for all of you have done for our family. Words cannot express our gratitude.”

chris B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Dr Hart knows so much about dealing with issues that Alzheimer's creates for those who have the disease as well as those of us who are caretakers.”

Kaye T.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Best in home care company in the South Bay & LA”

Michelle P.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Mark Wecker provided us with invaluable help both in terms of finding appropriate board &scare homes for our loved one, and explaining how this whole senior placement business works. It turns out we were quite naïve about it being a "service" as it is very territorial! That made us all the more impressed with Mark's unselfish and caring approach to helping us meet our needs. He also took time to really listen to our criteria, asked great questions when he accompanied us to look at the homes, and only showed us places that met our standards. We recommend him highly to anyone!”

Ramona P.
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TESTIMONIALS

““ I have been very happy with the excellent professional and loving care services ABC has provided for Kathleen who suffers from Alzheimer’s Dementia and the Andreoli family who cares for her. ABC is a full service provider that has also offered free seminars, consultation and information to me and my daughter who are Kathleen’s primary care takers. These have helped us greatly in this daunting task. THANK YOU – Leo Andreoli, Torrance, CA””

Leo A.
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TESTIMONIALS

“My widowed 80-year-old mother who has Alzheimer's disease has been living alone for 3 years. She has been extremely resistant to having caregivers in her home and my brother and I had all but given up. We have been amazed at the progress we've made since enlisting the help of Dr. David Hart at Always Best Care. In a little over a month, Mom has accepted a caregiver and is considering a move to an assisted living facility. Equally important, the support and assistance we have received in making both large and small decisions has been invaluable and a huge relief. I also highly recommend the Caregiving Essentials class taught by Dr. Hart, which covers everything you need to know in a single 3-1/2 hour "bootcamp" session, including brain science, communication tips, and resources. (GPS shoe insert, who knew?!) The class would benefit anyone who has a friend or family member suffering from dementia.”

Linda S.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I want to express how helpful Mark Wecker was to me and my family as we were looking for a place for my father to live. We needed to quickly move him from Kansas City to Los Angeles. Mark spent time with us to hear our needs and then appropriately guide us through this new challenging stage in our lives. His advice and dedicated time was so valuable and personable to us, I don't how we would have managed without him. Thank you again, Mark!”

David H.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Thankful and grateful don’t seem quite good enough to express how I feel about Always Best Care South Bay and all the good work they do. They offer a support group run by Dr. David Hart. That group was my lifeline while I was caring for my husband. When it came time to place him in a memory care facility, they assisted me with that decision also. Dr. Hart and his team are extremely knowledgeable, always professional but most of all genuinely caring.”

Ann W.
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TESTIMONIALS

“The attitude and professionalism of the management of a company is especially important in the field of elder care. I can think of no better way to express my experience with Always Best Care then to say the management and their hands on approach with the care givers they hire is 5 stars”

John D.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Its always a pleasure working with a team that has their hearts and minds on the patient’s wellbeing. ABC is the way to go.”

David S.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always best care saved my life they have a great staff ready to assist 24/7 always available and reliable I highly recommend Always best care.”

Jennifer B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“This company is very professional. All the staff is very experenced. They provide top notch care..The caregivers are also so professional on time and experenced.”

Christina 3.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Very professional staff. Also my caregiver was awesome”

Atom F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Best In Home Care Company in the Southbay”

mpalacio
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TESTIMONIALS

“Helpful, compassionate, and always available to assist. I appreciate Always Best Care so much!”

ashaon
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TESTIMONIALS

“The staff are friendly and professional every step of the way.”

JG B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Mark Wecker provided us with invaluable help both in terms of finding appropriate board &scare homes for our loved one, and explaining how this whole senior placement business works. It turns out we were quite naïve about it being a "service" as it is very territorial! That made us all the more impressed with Mark's unselfish and caring approach to helping us meet our needs. He also took time to really listen to our criteria, asked great questions when he accompanied us to look at the homes, and only showed us places that met our standards. We recommend him highly to anyone!”

Jack P.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Dr. Hart has been of monumental assistance to our family during a very difficult time. We first learned of Dr. David’s practice when mom was first diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). His support groups for families and patients offered comfort and practical advice from others going through the same experience. He provided essential information—facts about dementia and lifestyle changes to slow the process—based on the latest research findings, sparing us the time and frustration of navigating the web and sorting facts from myths. But most important to me has been the emotional support Dr. David has personally provided to my sister and I, and the trusting relationship he established with mom. His professional empathy and experience with human behavior as well as his expertise in the field of geriatrics and cognition combine to provide an array of servicesthat will truly make the difference toward a successful transition for elders and their families. I could not recommend Dr. Hart more highly!”

Eileen S.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Over the last five years always best care has provided Home Care to several of my patients. I appreciate their case management did they include with their service. The patients and families have been very happy with the caregivers. Several have been able to take advantage of the driving service. I have referred numerous people to their caregiving course that is offered monthly.”

nancy G.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I want to let you know how fortunate I feel that our lives intersected with your company and with those who work there. When I realized that we would be needing a company that provided caring care-providing services, I was hoping and praying that I would find a company like yours. We could not have asked for better with the service Always Best Care provided. Even when the chemistry and/or the timing wasn't quite right, adjustments were made and reasonably so. Carrie, that introductory talk you and I first had and why you started ABC -- I want to let you know that what you created and why you created it is evident. Some of Dad's caregivers go the extra mile and above and beyond and really give of themselves. They are really top notch people. I have heartfelt gratitude for your company and for your employees who cared for my dad during our time of need. Thank you not only for providing the service that your company does, but also and in particular, for the high quality of the service that some of your employees provided.”

Ky S.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I am so very fortunate to be a part of a professional, caring and supportive company. We are all family here trying our very best to be a family for all the clients we work with. Our caregivers and staff try our best to help those families in need live a peacefully, fulfilling and loving life. If you want to have a dependable, reliable and gratifying career come and work with Always Best Care South Bay!!”

Julie M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I've worked for four agencies over the last 16 years but this is the best by far! Personable, supportive, compassionate, knowledgeable, and the greatest staff!”

Debora A.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Great place to work”

Ruby J.
 In-Home Care Harbor City, CA

How does In-home Senior Care in Harbor City, CA work?

Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it's especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one ages, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

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 Senior Care Harbor City, CA

Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a unfamiliar assisted living community, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

Comfort
Comfort

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them? A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old. With the help of elderly care in Harbor City, CA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Healthy Living
Healthy Living

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors. Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

Independence
Independence

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like an assisted living community. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

Cost and Convenience
Cost and Convenience

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, can be less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care in Harbor City, CA gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

Empowers Seniors

Affordable Care Plans

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

Veteran's Benefits
Veteran's Benefits

Aid and Attendance benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.

Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance

Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.

Private Insurance
Private Insurance

Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.

Life Insurance
Life Insurance

Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.


Respite Care Harbor City, CA

During your Care Plan consultation with Always Best Care, your Care Coordinator will speak with you about in-home care costs and what options there may be to help meet your budget needs.

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Harbor City,CA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

 Caregivers Harbor City, CA

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

An assessment of your senior loved one

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An in-depth discussion of the needs of your senior loved one to remain in their own home

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Reviewing a detailed Care Plan that will meet your senior loved one's needs

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

Latest News in Harbor City, CA

New Harbor City Kaiser hospital features state-of-the-art technology

Awash in soothing shades of cool pastels, the new four-story North Hospital at Kaiser Permanente in Harbor City doesn’t look much like hospitals from earlier decades.The long-anticipated new building at Normandie Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway is set to open in February after nearly three years of construction. It will replace the old hospital building, constructed in the late 1950s, that stands next to the new tower and will come down over the next year to make room for more parking.Spurred on by state mandates that ha...

Awash in soothing shades of cool pastels, the new four-story North Hospital at Kaiser Permanente in Harbor City doesn’t look much like hospitals from earlier decades.

The long-anticipated new building at Normandie Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway is set to open in February after nearly three years of construction. It will replace the old hospital building, constructed in the late 1950s, that stands next to the new tower and will come down over the next year to make room for more parking.

Spurred on by state mandates that have increased seismic standards, along with a need to upgrade technology, the new building is part of an overall campus improvement project at Kaiser Permanente South Bay that is expected to cost about $440 million. Included are new outdoor park spaces, more parking and state-of-the-art medical services.

“Our members’ expectations are changing,” Chief Operating Officer Yvonne Rockwood said during a tour of the new facilities. “They expect the one-person (private) rooms, and they expect the technology.”

The new seismic standards forced hospitals to decide whether to replace or retrofit facilities. In many cases, new construction provided the less costly option, especially when other upgrades were needed anyway.

The new hospital features an expanded 24-hour emergency room with 39 private treatment areas, 140 private patient rooms, a state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging suite (including a digital breast center), the Wave Cafe with indoor and outdoor patio seating, and “room service-style meals” for patients with food made daily by Executive Chef Mitchel Ramos, of the Fig & Olive restaurant in Los Angeles, and his team of cooks.

“Everything in this hospital — from the nurses’ stations to meal service — has been patient-centered in its design,” said Dr. Barbara Carnes, area medical director.

Built to LEED Gold environmental standards, the 280,000-square-foot complex also includes a healing garden and Wi-Fi access for patients and visitors.

Floors are rubberized to provide easier working conditions for medical staff. Nurses’ stations are less centralized, giving staff better eye contact with rooms.

Signs are bilingual and hospital officials are especially trying to spread the word that the ER entrance will now be on Pacific Coast Highway, not at the back of the campus as before.

A surf-and-ocean theme is highlighted throughout the building, with wave, sand, whale and historic images from around the Port of Los Angeles and local beaches displayed on walls and etched into glass.

Specialty services will include an intensive care unit, inpatient dialysis, respiratory services, physical therapy and a bariatric unit with a surgery center.

In addition to meeting seismic standards, the new construction will help with demand, which is expected to grow now that health insurance is mandatory.

Kaiser Permanente South Bay, which is across the street from Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park and Machado Lake, is bordered by Pacific Coast Highway, Normandie Avenue and Vermont Avenue.

It’s the latest construction project to be completed by Kaiser.

In June 2013, a new three-story Kaiser facility was opened in Carson to improve its reach to nearly 200,000 members in the South Bay, Harbor Area and Long Beach.

The 180,000-square-foot Carson building — at 18600 S. Figueroa St. where offices of Nissan North America were — features a state-of-the-art dermatology department and an occupational health wing for those with work-related injuries.

Kaiser Permanente came to the Harbor Area in 1950 to serve longshoremen and their families, who still make up a good portion of the providers’ members.

A firm opening date hasn’t been announced and there is still plenty of work ahead, including transitioning patients and staff. Overseeing that will be Sherry Bearden, who also will direct practice drills as the transition draws closer.

South Bay history: Navigating Harbor City’s Five Points intersection has always been challenging

Head south down Vermont Avenue past Kenneth Malloy Harbor Regional Park, and you’ll soon reach a crossroads that gives you options. Lots of options.Make a hard right onto Anaheim Street and you’ll continue through Harbor City, headed for Lomita and Torrance. Bear right more gently and Palos Verdes Drive North will take you up onto the Peninsula. Bear slightly left and you’ll find yourself on San Pedro’s main drag, Gaffey Street. Finally, a hard left sends you the other way down Anaheim toward Wilmington and Lon...

Head south down Vermont Avenue past Kenneth Malloy Harbor Regional Park, and you’ll soon reach a crossroads that gives you options. Lots of options.

Make a hard right onto Anaheim Street and you’ll continue through Harbor City, headed for Lomita and Torrance. Bear right more gently and Palos Verdes Drive North will take you up onto the Peninsula. Bear slightly left and you’ll find yourself on San Pedro’s main drag, Gaffey Street. Finally, a hard left sends you the other way down Anaheim toward Wilmington and Long Beach.

Welcome to Five Points, one of the South Bay/Harbor Area’s wackiest intersections.

Archaeological and historical evidence suggests that a large Native American settlement once was situated near the Five Points intersection, and that the area once was a crossing for several major trails used by coastal Shoshonean tribes.

Hopefully, they had fewer gnarly traffic crashes there than did subsequent settlers.

Because of its harbor, San Pedro was among the earliest settlements in the Harbor Area, incorporating in 1888. (It disincorporated itself and became part of the city of Los Angeles in 1909.) Other smaller settlements began cropping up north of San Pedro and south of L.A., but for several decades those areas mostly consisted of farmland.

As Los Angeles Harbor development ramped up in the early 1900s, the need for roads connecting the port and its goods to points north became obvious. Of course, it went both ways, with port workers from cities such as Torrance in need of connection to San Pedro using eastside thoroughfares, such as Western and Vermont avenues

Developing this highway infrastructure that we take for granted today took time.

The last link connecting Western Avenue from Torrance to San Pedro wasn’t finished until 1950. By contrast, the Southern Pacific freight railroad link to San Pedro came early on, in 1881. The Pacific Electric red car began bringing passengers to the port in 1904.

Anaheim Street had been established as an east-west artery between Long Beach and Wilmington in the 1880s. Vermont and Normandie were extensions of major north-south Los Angeles arteries. Palos Verdes Drive North came into the picture with the development of the Palos Verdes Peninsula during the mid-1920s.

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Anaheim St. traffic headed west passes through Five Points intersection, center, as Vermont Ave. traffic waits, left. Palos Verdes Drive North is beyond red traffic lights at right, while Gaffey St. lies beyond more distant traffic signals, center. August 2022. (Photo by Sam Gnerre)

These various planned thoroughfares didn’t start coming together in organized chaos until a series of construction projects received approval in 1929 and began in 1930. These included extending Gaffey Street from Channel Street up north to Anaheim Street and building Normandie and Vermont avenues south from 228th Street to Anaheim.

Work began on paving the Gaffey Street extension from Channel Street north to Anaheim in June 1930 and was completed that September.

North of Anaheim, the plan was for Normandie to veer east and merge into Vermont just north of Anaheim Street. But both had to be extended a considerable distance south first.

San Pedro businessman and land baron George Peck helped out on the extension northward in 1931 by deeding the right-of-way on the land he owned through which the expansion would run.

Traffic was a mess during all this construction, as one might imagine, with some sections of the roads involved, especially Anaheim, being closed for weeks at a time. But with the completion of its extension in July 1932, Vermont Avenue became the first continuous roadway connecting San Pedro to Los Angeles.

The fifth and final of the Five Points, the extension of Palos Verdes Drive North from the Peninsula eastward to link to the intersection, was approved in 1932 and completed in 1934.

It was all well and good for San Pedro to announce in 1936 the installation of a new “Welcome to San Pedro” sign at the gateway intersection. But once construction there was completed, it quickly became clear that traffic controls were what really were needed.

Crashes at the confusing intersection became commonplace.

In 1932, stop signs were installed at Gaffey and Anaheim. Improved lighting was added in 1936 to the formerly dark-at-night intersection, and there was much talk of improving safety there over the next few years.

Somehow, though, traffic signals weren’t installed until the U.S. Army demanded them in late 1943 to protect troops and defense workers trying to safely navigate the crossing. They became operational in January 1944 and seemed to help reduce crashes somewhat.

More attempts to improve the intersection came after the war.

The addition of a nearby bridge on Anaheim and new storm drains were aimed at reducing the flooding from nearby Bixby Slough that occurred at the intersection during rainy weather. Gaffey and Anaheim streets also were widened in 1946 to accommodate the heavy traffic in the area.

Improvements to the difficult traffic problems posed by the converging roadways have continued throughout the years.

The whole intersection might have been altered radically if a 1965 proposal for a coastal freeway through the South Bay had been adopted. The preferred route would have followed Anaheim Street right through the Five Points intersection. It was debated for several years, but the freeway idea was put to rest in the early 1970s.

From time to time, other proposals to improve traffic have been made. The idea of a roundabout, or traffic circle, similar to the Lakewood Boulevard roundabout in Long Beach has been tossed around for years. Detractors have said the Five Points site is too small for one and roundabouts, in general, pose unnecessarily dangerous traffic risks.

For now, Five Points remains a souped up, frequently redesigned, update of the traffic puzzle that first bedeviled traffic engineers – and drivers – in 1934.

Sources: Daily Breeze archives. Los Angeles Times archives. San Pedro: A Pictorial History, by Henry P. Silka, San Pedro Bay Historical Society, 1993. San Pedro News Pilot archives. Torrance Press Herald archives.

Note: Thanks to reader Angel Rodriguez for suggesting this topic.

Caught on camera: 13-year-old brutally attacked by woman in McDonald's

HARBOR CITY, Calif. (WKRC/KCAL/KCBS/CNN Newsource) - A young girl in California was brutally beaten by an adult woman inside a McDonald's. The attack was caught on camera.Caught on camera: 13-year-old brutally attacked by woman in McDonald's< > (KCAL/KCBS, Angelina Gray, CNN/CNN Newsource)On Sep. 6, 13-year-old Kassidy Jones stopped at the restaurant with two classmates on her way home from school. She says when she came out of the bathroom, the woman immediately made eye contact and cornered her."She was like...

HARBOR CITY, Calif. (WKRC/KCAL/KCBS/CNN Newsource) - A young girl in California was brutally beaten by an adult woman inside a McDonald's. The attack was caught on camera.

Caught on camera: 13-year-old brutally attacked by woman in McDonald's< > (KCAL/KCBS, Angelina Gray, CNN/CNN Newsource)

On Sep. 6, 13-year-old Kassidy Jones stopped at the restaurant with two classmates on her way home from school. She says when she came out of the bathroom, the woman immediately made eye contact and cornered her.

"She was like, 'What the F are you looking at? I fight kids, I 'll fight you,'" Jones recalled. "I said, 'Can you get your hand out of my face?' She moves it closer. That's when I go like this [raised an arm to block], and then she grabs me, starts manhandling me, and I didnt do anything to her."

The eighth-grader says she asked the attacker to let go, but she only tightened her grip.

"The only way I got her to let go of me was to hit her, and that's when she started punching me in my face. She was grabbing me by my hair and she yanked me to the floor, swung me like a rag doll," Jones said.

A man who appeared to be with the woman then pulled her away from Jones -- who was left with cuts, bruises, and facial swelling -- and they left.

"It was all about surviving and making sure I was not injured in the worst way possible," Jones said. "It was very horrific, very bad."

Angelina Gray, Jones' mother, says it broke her heart to see her daughter, a 4.0 honor roll student, beaten so severely.

"I could not believe it," said Gray. "I'm thinking it had to be an animal that would hurt a 13-year-old, someone mentally disturbed."

The mother says she's outraged and hopes someone will be able to identify the woman in the video so she can be brought to justice.

"She should go to jail, lose her children, lose her job, as well," Gray said. "If anyone knows this lady, please turn her in."

Police say no arrests have been made so far, but that the assailant will face child abuse and battery charges.

"I would just ask her why. That's it," said Jones. "There is no excuse for what she did."

As Sweeps Resume, Residents of a Harbor City Encampment Are Left Without Options

Encampment residents were not offered shelter or storage for their belongings, and endured weeks of uncertainty and fear.For several weeks, an encampment of unhoused residents located in Harbor City has endured fence repair, leading to daily threats of sweeps. Encampment residents shared their frustration and confusion with Knock LA, and most reported not being provided any offer of shelter beds or storage for their belongings.The encampment has existed in its current iteration for several years, and many of the res...

Encampment residents were not offered shelter or storage for their belongings, and endured weeks of uncertainty and fear.

For several weeks, an encampment of unhoused residents located in Harbor City has endured fence repair, leading to daily threats of sweeps. Encampment residents shared their frustration and confusion with Knock LA, and most reported not being provided any offer of shelter beds or storage for their belongings.

The encampment has existed in its current iteration for several years, and many of the residents arrived there after leaving from a nearby area called “the tracks,” located in a field nearby on land owned by the County of Los Angeles. Residents told Knock LA they were informed they could move to their current location by LA County officials.

After the community moved, members ran into numerous new hardships and battles with CD 15 Councilmember Joe Buscaino’s office, as well as the LAPD. Many residents of the encampment have lived unhoused in the area for several years.

Advocates for unhoused people often run afoul of employees of Councilmember Buscaino’s office, even as Buscaino has attempted to make his strategy on encampment clearing a cornerstone of his mayoral run.

Knock LA has witnessed tense exchanges between advocates and unhoused residents with CD 15 employees and LA Sanitation. There have even been several arrests made by the LAPD over the past year during what the city calls “major cleaning” operations. [Ed. Disclosure: Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, the author of this article, was arrested in July 2021 while covering a “comprehensive cleanup” at this Harbor City encampment. The charges against Sean were dropped in October 2021.]

Despite the CDC having strongly advised unhoused people to “remain where they are” during the COVID-19 pandemic if no individual housing options are available, the Harbor City encampment was the first to experience what residents often call sweeps and the city calls “comprehensive cleanups,” after a brief moratorium in 2021. Buscaino even lobbied to “fast-track” bringing back comprehensive cleanups in his district while other councilmembers wanted to move more slowly during the pandemic.

Buscaino’s team has, on at least two occasions, lied about the number of encampment residents living in CD 15, while claiming his strategy is effective. There was even an incident where an advocate for unhoused people was shoved by Buscaino’s senior adviser during a press event.

The night before the fence repair began, Knock LA talked to a resident of the encampment who goes by Tan. Tan has been at this encampment for three years, and had previously spent five years at the tracks.

Taking drop-offs of cans and bottles using a hand-painted sign, Tan makes his living by recycling cans and spending some time with a sign near an overpass asking for donations. He said that people leave cans for him to take to a recycling facility and food donations early in the morning. Mentioning he was unsure how he could receive the donations of cans if he moved for two weeks, Tan said he was concerned with losing that income.

Sharing his chores for the day — crushing and processing cans for recycling, charging his phone, purchasing food from the grocery store, getting new batteries every few days, and other tasks — Tan told Knock LA that they all become more difficult on days he has to move all of his belongings during sweeps.

Shadow, who has lived at the encampment for several years, described services promised but never delivered — or later taken away. “They scattered us all out, and everything’s changed since then. Everything’s gone bad since then.” A local business owner provided a dumpster to the encampment after several months of residents not having enough dumpster space and occasionally no dumpster at all.

Shadow told Knock LA, “our trash builds up and we don’t have anywhere to put it, then they target us for the trash.” Shadow questioned the city’s response and the conditions in the camp, saying “we’re not getting electricity, we’re not getting water, we’re not getting to use the bathrooms. And they’re leaving us like that. I don’t understand that.”

Many residents acknowledge how difficult the area is for an encampment, but while describing the difficulties, they stress that the area is the best option available. The encampment runs alongside a dirt road, and often the dirt gets kicked up by weather and nearby trucks. Portable restrooms on the nearby LA County land were filled with feces after not being cleaned for months, while the portable restrooms at the current encampment location were removed in late 2021.

One resident, situated alongside a busy street, was hit by a vehicle in August 2021 and required hospitalization. Tan told Knock LA of noise level concerns for encampment residents, saying, “I swear to god every hour there’s got to be at least three or four emergency vehicles with their sirens passing by your tent with that high pitched screeching noise.”

Before fencing construction began, signs were posted giving notice of major cleanings for two consecutive days, despite the encampment having been “cleaned” twice the week before. Conflicting information from multiple city and county agencies compounded anxiety and misunderstandings: some residents reported that employees of Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) informed them that the area might be fenced off completely.

A flyer titled “Fence Replacement Project” was handed to one unhoused resident, showing a map of the fence bordering the encampment and describing a three-week repair period. Residents reported they were told by an LAPD officer that they should relocate to a street corner nearby, and most did so in the night before the cleanups began.

As the comprehensive cleanups began on Monday, CD 15 Field Deputy Caitlin Muldoon was present to watch the operation. At least a dozen city vehicles arrived for the sweep. LAHSA officials were present, but told at least two of the unhoused residents that there were no beds available for temporary shelter.

Once one side of the encampment began getting taped off, a group of unhoused advocates requested to speak with Muldoon, who confirmed that the project would last two weeks. After being asked why the area had undergone two sweeps just the week before and were scheduled for two more, Muldoon told the group that CD 15 was informed that “this is for a construction project for all of this fencing that’s going to be replaced.”

She told the group that “there has been continuous outreach out here. Continuous. So unfortunately all of the beds as of this week are full.” She later told the group that “we have to have this project completed. Because as of now the supplies are available, the crew is available.” She did clarify that the encampment residents could return after business hours every day, but did not offer solutions to the group as to how the residents could move personal belongings and tents every day.

During the impromptu discussion, advocates voiced dissatisfaction with the City, as well as Muldoon. An unhoused advocate said “a fence is more important than the lives of the people who are living here who you’re evicting temporarily, [and] who have nowhere to stay?” Another advocate told Muldoon that the residents were “much less safe” on the nearby residential street where they were relocated to for the upcoming weeks. One advocate joked that he could repair the fence more quickly and cheaply on his own.

At various points during the discussion, Muldoon ordered the group to stop yelling at her — though the group did not appear to be louder than was necessary given equipment in operation nearby.

Knock LA asked Muldoon what the outreach from LAHSA entailed, given that they don’t currently have beds available. She told the reporter that it was “informing them of the construction,” and that it was “so they can relocate.” Despite both LAHSA supervisors and CD 15 employees stating to residents that there were no beds available at the beginning of the operation, a large cadre of LAHSA workers arrived and began telling residents that “one spot was available, but they’d need to hurry.”

As Knock LA was interviewing residents of the encampment, a third “Notice of Major Cleaning” for Wednesday, April 6, 2022, was posted by an LA Sanitation employee. An advocate for unhoused residents sent Knock LA pictures of such notices, which have been functionally continuous since the fencing project began.

Councilmember Buscaino and his office did not respond to calls or requests for follow-up comments to Knock LA for this story. LAHSA employees on site referred Knock LA to their offices, which did not respond to requests for follow-up for this story.

As residents of the encampment attempted to make sense of the situation after crews started work, they told Knock LA about their frustrations with the new area and the difficulty of living in an encampment in CD 15.

One resident, who asked to go by W, said, “Got me walking up and down these streets? It’s like we are in Apocalypse Now or something. …Broken knees, broken legs, hit in the head with a bat, hit in the head with a 2×4, DOA, ear bitten off. What the fuck is y’all waiting on?”

Shadow told Knock LA, “We’re not bad people, we may have all made some bad choices. But nonetheless we’re all American citizens; we buy shit, and we are paying taxes on everything that we buy.” He called the situation in Harbor City a human rights violation.

CA$H Rules in Harbor City: How Persistence Pays Off

By Steven Guzman, Editorial InternIf the grand opening of a new skate park in Harbor City proves anything, it’s that persistence pays off and that anyone, at any age, can directly impact their community.“Age is nothing but a number,” Richard “Richie” Ortiz said. “It just depends on your persistence.”Ortiz is a member of the CA$H Skate Crew, a group of Harbor City youth skaters who led the effort to build a skate park in its community....

By Steven Guzman, Editorial Intern

If the grand opening of a new skate park in Harbor City proves anything, it’s that persistence pays off and that anyone, at any age, can directly impact their community.

“Age is nothing but a number,” Richard “Richie” Ortiz said. “It just depends on your persistence.”

Ortiz is a member of the CA$H Skate Crew, a group of Harbor City youth skaters who led the effort to build a skate park in its community.

“As long as you stay persistent and you really stay consistent to achieve what you’ve got to achieve, nobody can deny you,” Ortiz said.

The idea for the skate park began germinating in the minds of these young adults while they were still in middle school.

“It’s been an idea for the longest,” Emilio Otero Jr. said.

Otero, 19, is one of the youngest members of the Harbor City Neighborhood Council.

“When we were young we were doing it; going to these meetings, [but] nothing was being done, you know?” Otero said.

As children, Ortiz, Otero and their friends would attend the Harbor City Neighborhood Council meetings religiously. They made direct requests for a skate park from their neighborhood council representatives. They created petitions, walked their neighborhoods and knocked on doors collecting signatures for a skate park, trying to convince anyone who would listen.

“When we were young we wanted it to be for ourselves, as little kids,” Ortiz said. “But [eventually,] we kinda look[ed] at it as, ‘This isn’t just for us; this is for our futures; this is for our community and with this skate park we can save a lot of lives.’”

However, their initial attempts to drum up support for a skatepark within city government failed. Their voices were disregarded or brushed aside.

“When you’re doing something as little kids, do you really expect someone of a high stature to really believe you or take you seriously?” Ortiz said. “They kinda push you off like, ‘Sure kid it’ll happen.’”

Nothing happened for six or seven years, but when Otero graduated from Sunburst Youth Academy, he was still itching to make his dream a reality.

“So, I got out of Sunburst and was like, ‘Fuck it, let’s do this again,’” Otero said. “I got all my friends together and we went out to the [neighborhood council] meeting and spoke up.”

It was at this meeting that they finally got the break they had needed. Tim Tucker and Howard Scott Jr., cofounder of the City Lights Gateway Foundation and respected music producer, happened to be in attendance.

“Mr. Scott was there…,” Otero said. “Later on … we were all outside that day chilling, skating, and then Howard Scott and Tim Tucker, they come up to us and they asked us, ‘You all really want a skate park?’ We tell them, ‘Yes, we do.’ [They’re] like, ‘Alright, it’s not going to be easy, but we’re going to do this.’”

From that moment on, the CA$H Skate Crew’s dream of a skate park in their community steamrolled. With help from Scott, Tucker and the City Lights Gateway Foundation, the city found money within its budget for the construction of the project. The total estimate for the construction of the skate park was around $650,000 and it would be designed, not by a third party, but by the CA$H skate crew itself. In total, $700,000 was available — $300,000 from the city, as well as from Quimby Act funds set aside for local park and recreation purposes. The final $400,000 was donated anonymously.

For Scott, who was born and reared in Harbor City, this was the exact opportunity he was looking for to give back to the community that saw him grow.

“I was looking for the same thing for young kids that the longshoremen Local 13 did for older guys in the community [who] didn’t get along,” Scott said. “They hated each other back in the day. But then they became longshoremen. How did all of that anger eradicate? What I found out was that it was more important for them to take care of their families and make money, and be part of Local 13, as opposed to be(ing) part of local bullshit.

“What we were looking for is the same thing with these young kids, to find them a Local 13, something that they were unified in, [where] it didn’t matter where they were from [and] that it would allow them to be ambassadors for the youth in that way…. Skating just happened to be their Local 13.”

During the time Scott and Tucker spent alongside the CA$H skate crew, Otero and another member, Armando Micro II, heard as an off-hand comment from their mentors that the Harbor City Neighborhood Council was about to have its elections and that seats would be open. From there, as Otero succinctly puts it, “We nominated ourselves for election.”

Not only did Otero and Micro run for the Harbor City Neighborhood Council, but they won. “We got over 200 votes,” Otero said. “For me and Mando, from a lot of people … everyone knew what we were doing. They were so psyched that we were actually doing it because of how young we are.”

“We were thinking about it, [about] how we wanted to have a say about what happens in our city,” Micro said. “It’s what we’ve been wanting for so long and now we had a chance to be able to do that. So, we took advantage of that.”

On June 21, Los Angeles District 15 Councilman Joe Buscaino and the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks joined Scott, Tucker and the CA$H Skate Crew at the grand opening of their dream skate park. During the celebration, Otero made a short speech in which he brought up the entire CA$H Skate Crew to bask in their achievement.

“What we’re doing is a reconstruction of the whole mindset of this youth base, if they’re out here doing positive things like this and nobody is dying, then our mission is complete, Tucker said.

Otero and Micro both run the Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness and the Youth Committee. The CA$H Skate Crew is looking to build on its momentum. If you ask them why they do what they do for their community they’ll probably tell you it’s all about what CA$H stands for: “Cuz All Skaters Hustle.”

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