IOA in the News

Golden Years Grow Dark for Isolated Elders
By Paul Kleyman
New America Media, May 14, 2010

"It’s not surprising that Robert Lyons slipped into depression a few years ago, except that he was among the growing number of elders living alone, who were lucky enough to get the help he needed to pull him out of his deep funk. Today, Lyons receives daily calls from the Institute on Aging’s Friendship Line, a nationally emulated telephone service for suicide prevention and grief counseling. Program counselors call to chat, gauge his mood and remind him to take his medications or help arrange medical appointments in vans suitable for patients with wheelchairs or walkers. Lyons uses both...."

On Lok Hosts Annual Spring Banquet
AsianWeek, April 29, 2010

"On Lok’s annual Spring Banquet, scheduled April 29 at the San Francisco InterContinental Hotel, will honor outstanding community members while raising funds for the nonprofit organization, which provides complete healthcare and social services for frail seniors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. "This year, our theme is 'Celebrating Service,' which signifies our gratitude for the volunteers who help us improve the lives of local seniors," said Ian McCuaig, Director of Development.

During the Spring Banquet, On Lok will pay tribute to members of the community who have bolstered On Lok’s efforts to serve local seniors including Outstanding Organization: Institute on Aging. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, IOA is a frequent and powerful partner in On Lok’s efforts on behalf of frail seniors...."
See photos from the event

Agency for aging provides 'golden years' support, security
By Conor Gallagher
The Western Edition San Francisco, February 27, 2010

"For a quarter of a century, Institute on Aging has worked to improve the quality of life for seniors by helping them transition into their “golden years” and providing them with the tools to live independently.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the San Francisco-based organization will open a new state-of-the-art senior campus this fall. The new facility, located at 3575 Geary Blvd., will combine affordable housing for seniors with comprehensive health services, as well as an education center, art studios, a computer learning lab and more...."

Elderly Man Duped into Work at Home Scheme
By Michael Finney
ABC 7 - KGO-TV San Francisco, January 25, 2010

"Max Parker is long since retired and living in a quiet mobile home park. But he still longs for a better life, so the 94-year-old couldn't resist an offer to make some big money. Max was told he could earn hundreds of dollars a day selling credit-card swiping machines for Bankcard Empire of Phoenix. There was just a small startup fee of $319 and Max was hooked. What he got was a brochure and a DVD, but no contract and no apparent way to earn money....a salesperson on the phone talked him into investing more money - $10,000 in all. Max still hasn't received a dime and meanwhile, he's paying off the $10,000 on his card. "Unfortunately I hear about this all the time, and it's really open season on so many adults when it comes to telemarketing," Erika Falk from the Institute of Aging said. Falk says older people can be easily tempted by this type of pitch. "If I get this money it's going to change my life, and their discernment goes down. They can lose everything," she said...."

Alcohol Misuse and Older Adults
Host: Kira Reginato
KSRO 1350 AM, January 1, 2010

Patrick Arbore, Director of IOA's Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention, was a guest on KSRO 1350 AM's The Elder Care Show. Hear him speak with host Kira Reginato about addressing alcohol misuse with older adults.
Listen now

Elderly Oakland Couple Hit with Huge Unwarranted Bill
By Michael Finney
ABC 7 - KGO-TV San Francisco, December 30, 2009

"An elderly Oakland couple received a big bill for something they did not remember ordering. The bill totaled $1,820 and that is nothing to sneeze at, especially if you are retired and living on a fixed income. 82-year-old Charles Wagner takes good care of his 2000 Saturn. Last year, the Oakland man purchased an extended car warranty after receiving a sales call. He successfully cancelled it, but a year later his wife received a car warranty package and a bill on her credit statement. Dr. Erika Falk is with the Institute on Aging. She says seniors, especially, need to be wary of sales calls. "In many ways, if you don't call someone for a service, you shouldn't be expecting them to call you. This is one of the instances where it's okay to be rude," she said...."

Red tape stands in way of police volunteers
By Brent Begin
SF Exminer, November 7, 2009

"There are financial experts waiting to donate their time to help San Francisco police crack down on elder fraud, but they have been held up by bureaucracy. New police Chief George Gascón is pushing for creative ideas as the Police Department deals with budget cuts, and one of those ideas could be to let civilian investigators assist in solving crimes instead of always using additional police officers. Several studies on the department have recommended civilianizing positions, such as clerks and statisticians, to allow higher-paid officers to fight crime, but that process has lagged. Erika Falk, executive director of the San Francisco Institute on Aging, told the Police Commission on Wednesday night about financial crimes committed against older adults that are often overlooked. She also lobbied the Police Department to invest more resources toward solving the problem. So, when Falk told him there was a wealth manager, a certified accountant and a postgraduate student willing to sift through financial records to help police solve crimes without being paid, Gascón took notice...."

Ladies Home commemorates the 125th anniversary of its founding
By Kaleene Kenning
SF Examiner, October 24, 2009

"The University Mound Ladies Home, a little-known part of San Francisco’s past, present, and future, will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of its founding on Thursday evening, November 12, and the public is invited to attend. The Ladies Home is a non-profit assisted living residence for women over sixty, founded in 1884 with a bequest from noted businessman and philanthropist James Lick. Tours of the home will be offered at the celebration, and two San Francisco leaders in eldercare will be honored: David Werdegar of the Institute on Aging, and Mary Schembri of Catholic Charities...."

Elder Abuse News: San Francisco Distric Attorney hosts a Chinese press conference in Chinatown
KTSF, October 7, 2009

The press event was reported in both Sing Tao Daily and World Journal on Thursday, 10/8. See the KTSF video news clip.

Volunteer Serves San Francisco Seniors
Jefferson Award Winner: Ruth Ann Rosenberg
CBS 5, September 30, 2009

Ruth Ann Rosenberg has been selected to receive the Jefferson Award for Public Service. The Jefferson Awards are a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. CBS 5 featured an article and a segment about Ruth Ann Rosenberg that included Tracy McCloud, Director of IOA's Ruth Ann Rosenberg Adult Day Health Center. IOA is very proud of Ruth Ann Rosenberg and deeply appreciates her gracious contribution to ADHC and to our community. Read the article.
Watch the broadcast.

 

Senior Campus News
State Assembly member Fiona Ma visited IOA's new building site on June 19th. Ma has been a longtime advocate for seniors and senior services is currenty advocating for more funding for affordable housing. We appreciated her visit!

 

 

 

StoryCorps, the National Oral History Project, Partners With San Francisco Institute on Aging
By Tracy McCloud and Dina Zempsky
Forbes.com, Monday, January 5, 2009

Institute on Aging Hosts StoryCorps for a Recording Day as Part of the Memory Loss Initiative. StoryCorps, a national initiative to document everyday history and the unique stories of Americans, will visit Institute on Aging's Alzheimer's Day Care Resource Center on JANUARY 13, 2009 to celebrate the stories of the center's participants as part of its Memory Loss Initiative. StoryCorps is a national independent nonprofit project in partnership with NPR and the American Folklife Center (AFC) at the Library of Congress....

SF Elder Abuse Cases On The Rise, Authorities Say
CBS 5 CrimeWatch, December 19, 2008

San Francisco authorities Friday warned crimes against seniors are on the rise, not only in the number of reports of elder abuse but in their severity. The warning came as prosecutors highlighted two recent, separate elder abuse cases in which they allege women in their 80s and 90s were victimized and defrauded out of more than $100,000 each. District Attorney Kamala Harris said elder abuse "is unfortunately becoming a more pervasive crime." Harris said her department earlier this year helped initiate the San Francisco Elder Abuse Forensic Center, a new partnership with the San Francisco Police Department and the Department of Aging and Adult Services through which such crimes are investigated and prosecuted....

Playing around on the big money seesaw: Up and down with the recession
By Leah Garchik
San Francisco Chronicle, Thursday, December 11, 2008

A lucky bidder paid less than $200 for a replica of a 1973 New York Mets warm-up jacket with a "Say Hey 24" emblem, personally signed by Willie Mays. This was at a benefit for the Institute on Aging's Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention and Grief Related Services. The cause sounds sad, but the event - 300 volunteer carolers performing at an array of senior centers - was nothing but merry....

Carolers to spread holiday cheer on cable cars
SF Examiner, Sunday, December 7, 2008

More than 300 volunteers are bringing the gift of song and good cheer to the elderly today through The City’s 22nd annual Cable Car Caroling program. Cable Car Caroling raises money for the Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention and Grief Related services, which operates the nation’s only free emergency hotline for depressed, isolated or lonely elders. The agency’s 24-hour Friendship Line fields nearly 20,000 calls annually...

Patrick Arbore will be a guest on Aging in LA, a program of Los Angeles Cityview, Channel 35.
Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 8:30PM

Viewed by 2.1 million people weekly, Aging in LA is a weekly discussion series focusing on issues affecting Los Angeles’ senior population. Since its premiere in May 2001, Aging in LA has been a valuable source of information for seniors, their loved ones, and caregivers alike. Host Paul Petersen welcomes guests from all sectors of our society and engages them in thought-provoking dialogue and frank discourse.

On Your Side: Cracking Down on Elder Abuse
ABC-7 News, Thursday, May 29, 2008

Nearly half the crimes against seniors involve some form of financial exploitation. Raising awareness of these and other risks to seniors, IOA's fourth annual Elder Abuse Awareness Rally was held at San Francisco City Hall Thursday, May 29 at 12:00. Channel 7 subsequently featured a segment on their 5:00 ABC News broadcast entitled "On Your Side: Cracking down on elder abuse"...

Al Hart to host new radio series on aging
By Chuck Barney
Contra Costa Times, Saturday, April 19, 2008

Starting on Monday, Hart will host a six-part series called "Aging Your Way" on public radio station KALW (91.7 FM). Presented by On Lok Lifeways and the Institute on Aging, the series seeks to "transform aging in America" by exploring the myths and realities associated with growing older in America....

Bay Area gay senior housing closer to reality
By Judy Richter
San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, March 30, 2008

Despite [the] national track record for gay senior housing, three Bay Area projects are moving closer to reality... Barbary Lane in Oakland, Openhouse in San Francisco and Fountaingrove Lodge in Santa Rosa... To serve residents who need in-home health help, Openhouse is working with the Institute on Aging, which has case-management services....

S.F. Faces Silver Tsunami
By Sarah Duxbury
San Francisco Business Times, January 18-24, 2008

With almost 18 percent of its population over 60, San Francisco is already the grayest major metropolis in the country. By 2020, it is expected that more than 21 percent of the population will be over 60 as Baby Boomers age and lifespans increase. David Werdegar, executive director of San Francisco’s Institute on Aging, believes the mismatch between supply and demand is a looming public crisis, and his fears are echoed by many people familiar with the challenges of this changing demographic....

Help the Elderly for the Holidays
By Ken Garcia
San Francisco Examiner, December 13, 2007

This time of year is often equated as the season of sharing, but it is also a period of heightened loneliness for a lot of individuals, especially the elderly. That point was brought home during a meeting I had recently with the good folks from San Francisco’s Institute on Aging, which is looking for volunteers to work on its “friendship line,” a 24-hour toll-free help line designed to reach out to seniors by offering counseling, crisis intervention, medication reminders or just emotional support....

Former Theater Encores as New Senior Facility
“Community Notes,” Newsletter of Northern California Community Loan Fund, Spring/Summer 2007

An innovative joint venture between Institute on Aging (IOA), a nonprofit senior health, social services, educational and research agency, and BRIDGE Housing, an affordable housing developer, will soon provide comprehensive senior care and housing on a unique site in San Francisco’s Richmond District. Construction of the $75 million building, located on the former Coronet Theater property on Geary Boulevard, is planned to begin later this year. The facility will house IOA’s administrative offices, health and social support programs, as well as 150 affordable senior apartments owned and operated by BRIDGE Housing.….

Experts: Elderly most at-risk in suicide
By Sarah Skidmore, Associated Press Writer
ABC News, September 18, 2007

The elderly are the highest risk population in the country for suicide. But few suicide-prevention programs target them — a result, advocates say, of scarce funding and lack of concern for older Americans. In San Francisco, Patrick Arbore founded the Friendship Line in San Francisco in 1973 after seeing the lack of understanding some suicide hot line workers displayed for older people. The line, which lets people call just to talk or get support, now handles more than 3,000 calls a month….

CBS-5: Mosaic
Rabbi Eric Weiss, Host
CBS-5, 5am, February 18, 2007

Jeff Chapline, Director of IOA's Center for Elders and Youth in the Arts, was interviewed on Mosaic in February, discussing creative outlets for older adults. Each week, Mosaic focuses on culture, religious, and community issues, and focused on different religious traditions each week, rotating between Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. IOA's Rabbi Eric Weiss, director of Bay Area Jewish Healing Center, hosts the Jewish segment, the 3rd Sunday of each month.

CEYA Participant Receives National Accolades

Susan Sun, a participant of the IOA Center for Elders and Youth in the Arts (CEYA) program, has received national accolades for her illustration, "Arbor with Spider," which appears in the 2007 Arts in Aging Calendar, published by Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine. The Huffington Center on Aging salutes the “Arts in Aging” as a complement to a good life long lived. In this 12th edition, we again feature the works of older artists from throughout the world still painting, still providing us with enjoyment. This year’s group range in age from 72 to 99.

Improving Services for Seniors
Jefferson Award Winner: Geraldine Earp
Barbara Rodgers, Reporting
CBS-5, January 24, 2007, 7:16pm US/Pacific

JEFFERSON AWARD Presented to Geraldine Earp - Age isn't an issue for advocate for the elderly
by Shelah Moody,
The Chronicle, January 21, 2007
IOA board member Geraldine Earp receives the prestigious Jefferson Award for making a difference in her community….