Senior Socialization

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.

Fun Things for Older Couples to Do Together in San Francisco to Rekindle That Spark

Think back to the very start of your relationship. Those early months—sometimes years—are an intense time of excitement and expansion. This person you’re developing strong feelings for is helping you to see the world with fresh eyes and enter new experiences in each moment simply because you get to experience these moments with them. This period of newness motivates self-expansion, which in itself is a happy and fulfilling experience. In time, the newness wears off and makes way for knowing your partner even more deeply and intimately.

Age Out Loud: Activities and Ideas to Celebrate Older Americans Month in May 2017

Cultural expectations have a funny way of forming without anyone actually giving thought to it. Take getting older. As a society, we have this notion that it is a time of slowing down, withdrawing, and isolating yourself from new experiences, regardless of what your health allows. We’ve treated aging as a time to step aside and to be quiet.

Gardening Activities for Older Adults in San Francisco Fill Pantries—and Hearts—with Natural Goodness

These days, the grocery store shelf is about as close as most of us come to the source of our fruits and veggies. There are some surprising disadvantages to this rather sterile exchange. Exposure to the rich, living dirt in which our produce grows leads to a stronger immune system, thanks to the harmless microbes and bacteria that teach our bodies to build up their defenses. Certain microbes in the soil have even been shown to stimulate serotonin production in the brain, lifting your mood and easing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Spending time in a garden also feeds you with Vitamin D from the sunshine and healthy exercise from digging, pulling, searching, and watering.

Rewarding Arts and Crafts for Seniors with Arthritis that Offer Explorations into Creativity

There is a central paradox of time that has been explored in a million different songs and poems. It’s that hours can seem so long, but the years go by so quickly. On a practical level, it can be expressed as a question: How do we fill these hours while also being fulfilled? That is, how do we make this short and precious time worthwhile by filling it with expressions of love, joy, and self?

Date Night Ideas for Older Couples in San Francisco, from the Adventurous Foodies to the Casual Diners

What does the concept of “date night” really come down to? It’s about interrupting your usual routines, so you and your partner can be together in a new way, in a new environment, and reconnect with renewed perspective. For a long time, my spouse and I would go out to dinner and a movie, and it really felt like “going out”—especially when we would hire a babysitter and take an evening away from the kids. Now, with the kids long out of the house, we still do this every few weeks, but it no longer feels special; it has become part of our regular fun routine. What we really need once in awhile is a change of pace and a fresh way of experiencing each other.