An Event for the Ages : Health Care Issues Draw Many to Convention for Those 50 and Older

Some were pushing 100 and proud of it. Others were mere youngsters--just turned 50. They came here Tuesday from as far away as Texas and New York to attend the American Assn. of Retired Persons convention--one of the largest gatherings ever of people 50 and older.

More than 30 million members strong, the AARP is the largest and most influential advocacy organization for older people. More than 20,000 people turned out Tuesday to hear speakers ranging from former NAACP executive director Benjamin Hooks to “Firing Line” host William F. Buckley Jr. to sex therapist Ruth Westheimer, better known as Dr. Ruth.

Nearly 6,000 people crowded into a meeting room at the Anaheim Convention Center to hear the diminutive lecturer dispense tips for jump-starting one’s sex life in the golden years.

“Those of you with partners, don’t go to lunch. Go back to your rooms,” Westheimer said, eliciting a burst of nervous laughter from the crowd. “Maybe at a later stage people cannot swing from chandeliers . . . but don’t discard me because I’m older.”

While Dr. Ruth was the big draw, many said their main reason for coming to the convention was to learn more about how federal health care reforms will affect them. The AARP, which has not endorsed any of the competing health care proposals proposed by federal lawmakers, is lobbying for a plan that will address more of the concerns of older people about medical coverage--especially whether the new plan will pay for prescription drugs and long-term care for disabled persons.

“I wanted to be here to find out what’s going on,” said Eva Grant, a retired administrator with the L.A. County Unified School District. “They’re always trying to take things away from older people. Before you know it, you’ve lost everything you’ve worked hard for.”

Barbara Clemmons, 71, a retired social worker from Los Angeles whose mother recently died at the age of 100, said the experience of serving as care-giver makes her all too aware of the need for support services for relatives with ailing family members at home.

“I’ve been following the health care proposals for a while--not just how they affect older people but children as well,” said the mother of two, who sported a Billie Holiday T-shirt.

Besides workshops on topics like nutrition and grandparenting, conventioneers toured more than 100 exhibits featuring everything from Cadillacs to an antique RV.

One of the more popular attractions was the Hartford House, a model equipped with an array of special features--such as a shower chair and door handles instead of rounded door knobs--that make older people’s homes more user-friendly.

Not all conventioneers were actual AARP members. At 49, Lucille McKnight, a county official from Albany, N.Y.,is four months shy of eligibility for AARP membership.

McKnight said she made the trip from New York at the urging of her sister, one of the convention’s organizers. She joked that her sister has probably entered McKnight’s name into the computer already, to automatically activate her membership on her next birthday.

“I’m definitely going to join,” said McKnight who praised the conventioneers for their sense of purpose. “It’s such a great feeling here, you don’t see any regrets . . . no depression.”

Highlights of today’s sessions include:

At 7:30 a.m., a 1.5-mile fitness walk along Convention Way; 10:30 a.m., Dr. C. Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General, will discuss future trends in health care. At 2:30 p.m., two speakers will discuss health care reform issues: Fernando Torres-Gil, an assistant secretary for aging with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Bruce Vladeck , an administrator with the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration. Also at 2:30 p.m., author Betty Friedan will discuss role changes in later life.