11 going on 70
Hannah Beloff, 11, a student at Gault Elementary School in Van Nuys,California, volunteered to be transformed into a 70-year-old by Hollywood makeup artists Larry Bones and Autumn Hand as part of a senior citizen awareness program for fifth-graders at her school. The students also experienced firsthand some of the challenges that come with aging through a series of hands-on exercises intended to demonstrate the physical challenges facing seniors. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Students at Gault Elementary School in Van Nuys, California, got to walk in the shoes of senior citizens, albeit piled high with popcorn.
Bones, a makeup artist at Universal Studios, works on aging Hannah’s appearance by about 60 years. The pilot program by SCAN Health Plan taught sensitivity about being seniors, including living with physical disabilities, from hearing loss to fading eyesight. The program was the first of what SCAN hopes will become an educational program for children throughout Southern California. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Hannah sits patiently as makeup artists make her look as if she were 70 years old. For some students, their senior experience included wearing earplugs. Others donned thick glasses and gloves while struggling to open prescription bottles full of sweet tarts. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Fifth-grader Angie Rivera, right, strains to read mock medical forms through plastic glasses that simulate a degenerative eye condition. The program was designed not only to educate young people on the needs of older people but also to nurture an understanding of them. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Fifth-grader Javier Arambula, left, grimaces as he feels the effects of popcorn kernels in his shoes, which simulate a foot ailment that can afflict senior citizens. SCAN facilitator Judy Velarde led the children in a variety of exercises to mimic the challenges facing seniors, including hearing loss through distorted recordings, vision changes through special glasses fitted with blurred lenses and loss of dexterity with special gloves that limit mobility in the hands and fingers. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Looking into a mirror at Gault Elementary, 11-year-old Hannah Beloff reacts at first seeing her transformation into a 70-year-old by two Hollywood makeup artists. “The transformation was a real eye-opener for the students and a great way to demonstrate that you really can’t judge a book by its cover,” said Principal Brad Albion. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Hannah’s classmates react at her visual transformation from an 11-year-old into a 70-year-old as part of the senior citizen awareness program. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Daniela Chavez, left, and Ani Sarkisian, both 11, react at seeing their classmate Hannah’s transformation. Principal Brad Albion said the program gave students an appreciation of the challenges faced in the aging process. “It’s one thing to tell kids how your eyesighte or hearing changes as you get older,” he said. “But going through the activities is something different.” (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
