"I want to look good," says Bentsion Fainshteyn, 96, sporting a crisp white shirt and suede vest at Choice in Aging’s Adult Day Health Care. He comes dressed nicely each day, say staff members at the Pleasant Hill facility.

Bentsion quickly moves between English and Russian, both second languages for the Jewish Latvian who survived World War II and the Holocaust and arrived in the United States 33 years ago. At his Adult Day Health Care program, he is surrounded by other Russian speakers doing activities and exercises coordinated by an interpreter.

What’s the secret to longevity? "Humor," says Bentsion. As if to prove to his point, he adds, "and girls."

Girls, really?

"Preferably younger than 95!" he says, a twinkle in his eye.

Providing young-at-heart activities in various languages is just one of the way California has been providing effective services for older adults for the past 50 years.