Institute on Aging

Thursday Dementia Caregiver Support Group (Held Monthly)
2026-01-22 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-12-25 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-11-27 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-10-23 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-09-25 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-08-28 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-07-24 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-06-26 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA, United States
Thursday Dementia Caregiver Support Group – free to attend!
Email Clara Allen at callen@ioaging.org to register.

Saturday Dementia Caregiver Support Group (Held Monthly)
2026-01-03 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-12-06 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-11-01 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-10-04 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-09-06 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-08-02 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-05 10:30 - 12:00 | CA, United States
Saturday Dementia Caregiver Support Group – free to attend!
Email Clara Allen at callen@ioaging.org to register.

Elder Abuse Prevention - Mandated Reporter Training
2025-12-19 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-11-17 14:30 - 16:00, 2025-10-22 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-09-23 15:00 - 16:30, 2025-08-21 13:30 - 15:00, 2025-07-09 09:30 - 11:00, 2025-06-23 14:30 - 16:00
This training is for all mandated reporters who work in the City and County of San Francisco, and whose agencies receive funding from the City and County of San Francisco. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.
Mandated Reporters are, by law, any person who has assumed full or intermittent responsibility for the care or custody of an elder or dependent adult, whether or not that person receives compensation, including administrators, supervisors, and any licensed staff of a public or private facility that provides care or services for elder or dependent adults, or any elder or dependent adult care custodian, health practitioner, clergy member, or employee of a county adult protective services agency or a local law enforcement agency. If you have not attended an elder and dependent adult abuse training in the past fiscal year, please see your supervisor about your need to participate.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Describe 3 common scenarios in which elders and dependent adults are susceptible to abuse
Identify 4 “red flags” that indicate possible elder or dependent adult abuse- Define the term “mandated reporter,” as legally defined by California State Law
Practice knowledge application of 4 legal obligations of mandated reporters, as required by the State of California
Analyze the role of Adult Protective Services (APS) in protecting elders and dependent adults from abuse

Registration Link

Promoting Emotional Health and Preventing Suicide
2025-12-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-07 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-05 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-06-10 10:00 - 11:00
Promoting Emotional Health and Preventing Suicide
This training is hosted by IOA’s Friendship Line. Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have long-lasting effects on individuals, families, and communities. Everyone can help prevent suicide. This course will provide information and helpful strategies for people who support those dealing with suicidal thoughts.
Learning Objectives:

Increase one’s knowledge, and understanding of suicide
Recognize warning signs
Identify risk and protective factors
Increase willingness and ability to intervene with a person at risk for suicide

Location: Online Webinar
Cost: Free
Instructor Name/Bio: Ingrid Valdez
Ingrid is a bilingual, Spanish-speaking Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) based in San Francisco, originally from New York City with roots in the Dominican Republic. She holds a BA in Applied Psychology, an MA in Special Education, and is licensed as a BCBA in California. With a robust background in mental health education and applied interventions, she has provided support to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and has extensive experience in care coordination, individualized support planning, and advocacy for older adults with traumatic brain injury, dementia, and anxiety disorders. Her commitment to cultural sensitivity ensures that mental health education and services are inclusive and responsive to diverse community needs. Currently, Ingrid trains staff and volunteers in grief support, suicide prevention, and crisis de-escalation, equipping them with the skills to deliver compassionate and culturally competent care.
Register Here

Cable Car Caroling
2025-12-06 10:00 - 13:00 | CA, United States
For many of us, the holidays are an anxiously awaited time spent with family and friends, sharing memories, laughter, and warmth. However, for the quarter of seniors in our community who are socially isolated, the holidays can be painfully lonely.
Forty years ago, the late Dr. Patrick Arbore saw this need and decided to bring holiday cheer to socially isolated and lonely seniors in San Francisco. His vision became Institute on Aging’s Cable Car Caroling, an event spreading songs and joy throughout the city on motorized cable cars.
We invite you to join as we once again climb aboard the iconic San Francisco cable cars to bring music and smiles to aging adults in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and senior centers across the city.

Understanding Grief and Loss
2025-11-04 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-09-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-08 10:00 - 11:00
Understanding Grief and Loss
Grief is the reaction to loss, and any kind of loss can trigger grief. People grieve for the loss of someone they love but also for the loss of independence, usefulness, cognitive functioning, and physical abilities. Grief is also a lifelong process: a journey rather than something that is cured. This course will teach people to recognize grief and how to respond appropriately to the grieving person. A final section on compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary stress includes strategies for professional self-care.
Learning Objectives:

Define grief
Identify three physical changes that affect people as they age to normalize the process, and help people understand important aspects of working with a grieving person
Identify three myths about grief
List ways to manage compassion fatigue

Location: Online Webinar
Cost: This webinar is free for all to attend
Instructor Name/Bio: Ingrid Valdez
Ingrid is a bilingual, Spanish-speaking Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) based in San Francisco, originally from New York City with roots in the Dominican Republic. She holds a BA in Applied Psychology, an MA in Special Education, and is licensed as a BCBA in California. With a robust background in mental health education and applied interventions, she has provided support to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and has extensive experience in care coordination, individualized support planning, and advocacy for older adults with traumatic brain injury, dementia, and anxiety disorders. Her commitment to cultural sensitivity ensures that mental health education and services are inclusive and responsive to diverse community needs. Currently, Ingrid trains staff and volunteers in grief support, suicide prevention, and crisis de-escalation, equipping them with the skills to deliver compassionate and culturally competent care.
Register Here
