Press Guidelines

IOA serves as a resource for reporters, advocates, and other professionals covering issues related to aging in the Bay Area.

Interview an Expert

IOA experts are available to the news media for interviews on a wide range of issues related to aging.

Common Interview Topics

• community resources
• caregiving
• creativity and art for older adults
• memory loss and cognitive impairment
• mental health
• depression
• sleep disorders
• grief and loss
• suicide in the elderly
• end of life issues
• elder abuse prevention
• spiritual support

IOA can also provide:

• Access to people involved in adult day programs, art programs, and other programs to help people live independently, in their homes and in the community.
• Comment on breaking news

Format for Citations

Any programs referred to in the press should be listed as:

• “Institute on Aging’s [program name],” or
• “[Program Name], a program of Institute on Aging…”

Experts interviewed should also be linked with the organization, as well as the program if relevant.

IOA Statistics (based on fiscal year 2008/2009)

• Institute on Aging was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 1985.
• Active employees: 400
• Programs: 18, providing 53 services
• Professionals served through IOA trainings and workshops: 8,900 annually
• Hours of service provided: 650,000 annually
• Clients served: 20,000 annually
• Income levels served: All
• Ages served: Disabled adults 18 or older, and seniors age 55 or older (varies by program)
• California counties served: San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara (with a nationally available 24-hour Friendship Line phone program for isolated, depressed, or suicidal elders)

Recent Achievements

• In 2009 IOA received a $54,000 grant from UCSF’s Northern California Geriatric Education Center to support IOA’s ongoing efforts to educate geriatric health care professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• In 2009 IOA received $10,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts for intergenerational arts programming.
• In 2009 IOA received a $670,000 contract with the San Francisco Department of Public Health to provide geriatric mental health training for community clinics and senior centers.
• IOA broke ground on our new Senior Campus site in September 2008. On completion, the Senior Campus will combine all of our services in one accessible location, as well as offer a senior health clinic.
• In 2008 IOA received $1.5 million for the Senior Campus project from the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation.
• In 2007 IOA received $225,000 from the Mount Zion Health Fund for a pilot project offering home-based geropsychiatry.
• In 2007 IOA received a $400K grant from the Archstone Foundation to establish Northern California's only Elder Abuse Forensics Center.
• In 2006 IOA received the “Above and Beyond Award” from San Francisco’s Adult Protective Services for contributions to the field of elder abuse.
• ElderShelter, run by IOA’s Consortium for the Elder Abuse Prevention, was selected to receive the California Association of Homes and Services for the Aged's (CAHSA) 2004 Social Responsibility Award, which recognizes exemplary housing programs that have demonstrated a commitment to social justice and equal opportunity for ethnic and/or minority persons.