Senior Socialization

The Benefits of Attending a San Francisco Senior Center for Aging Adults

One of the problems with aging in America is that, for various reasons, your world can become easily constricted. Streets and sidewalks aren’t designed with the needs of older adults in mind. Friends move away or pass on. Driving becomes more difficult. And for some reason, as a society, we feel that increased isolation is a normal course of events, rather than a series of choices.

The Best Swimming and Water Aerobics for Older Adults in San Francisco

We all have one special home we live in our entire lives: our bodies. When older adults are working against arthritis and other challenges to their mobility, it’s not just their physical fitness that backslides—they’re also likely to lose touch and feel disconnected from their bodies. When we’re not feeling actively in touch with those living homes, we feel displaced, and other aspects of our lives can get out of balance, too.

Creative Memoir Writing Classes in San Francisco: Share Your Life Story Your Way

“We can learn so much about the people around us—even about the people you already know—just by taking the time to have a conversation. And if you pay just a little attention, you’ll find wisdom and poetry in their words … Most people love to be listened to because it tells them how much their lives matter,” says Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps, in a short video that introduces its purpose.

Free Home Repairs for Older Adults in the Bay Area Help to Rebuild Community

With the barriers of walls and doors, how would you know if your own neighbors are struggling to keep up with vital home repairs and maintenance? More and more, this is becoming a challenge for older adults in the Bay Area—especially if their homes are older and haven’t been updated for their evolving needs.

2017 Guide to Summer Library Reading Programs for Older Adults in the Bay Area

When I was a kid in the Midwest and summer was approaching, I always looked forward to the library’s summer reading program. It felt magical to me—and not because of the prizes they gave out (fancy pencils, little toys, pizza coupons) for reading a certain number of books. For me, the reading lists were incentive enough because I knew that as soon as I registered for the program, I’d have in my hands a thoughtful collection of the best, most creative works of literature to hit the shelves in recent years.

Creative and Crafty Things to Do with Grandchildren in the Bay Area This Summer

These days, grandparents often have to compete with smartphones and other screens just to get some quality time with their grandkids. The games and programs available to kids are virtually endless, so they can easily get caught in the digital web. There comes a point when they really need some outside perspective to help them detach and remember what real-life adventures are waiting for them beyond those two-dimensional playgrounds. As a grandparent, you can help to not only wake them up from their screen fixation but also engage them with their creativity and their evolving role in the wider world.

The Benefits of Tai Chi for Older Adults and the Bay Area's Commitment to Sharing Them

Our language has a lot of metaphors for being calm: “A port in a storm,” and, “The still point of the turning world,” are just two examples. They all engagingly invoke a common image: There is tumult, and somewhere in that tumult, there is peace. You just have to find it. The reason these metaphors are so prevalent is because life often feels like a raging swirl, a chaotic mess of stress, emotional entanglements, and uncertainty.

Overcoming Housing Challenges for LGBT Older Adults in the San Francisco Bay Area

It wasn’t that long ago that housing specifically for the LGBT community was, at best, unthinkable, and at worst, very dangerous. There might have been some instances when apartment owners turned a blind eye and rented to “spinsters” or “confirmed bachelors,” but larger groups of LGBT members living together could be turned on in an instant by authorities or by the community.

Celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month in June with Institute on Aging

Everyone deserves to grow older with dignity and pride, and without having to hide who they are. At Institute on Aging (IOA), we strongly support LGBTQ rights and feel that older adults, who had to spend much of their life hiding, deserve to celebrate who they are. These aren’t special rights: These are basic human needs that are just, fair, and moral. That’s why we are honored to celebrate Pride Month with our amazing LGBTQ community and everyone else who wants to join in.