IOA in the News

SPECIAL REPORT: Elderly made the targets of donation solicitations by mail
KTVU, April 28, 2013

IOA's Talitha Guinn, director of the Elder Abuse Prevention Program, was interviewed on KTVU's special report on political groups bilking the elderly for donations through mailers.

Scholarships for admission to Legal Assistance to Seniors Elder Abuse Conference (PDF)
LAS Conference on Elder Abuse, May 21, 2013

The Institute on Aging’s Elder Abuse Prevention Program with support from the SF Department on the Status of Women is sponsoring full scholarships for this conference on elder abuse for persons working in the field of domestic violence.

An app for elder abuse cases (PDF)
By Carole Moore
Law Enforcement Technology, February 2013

"The spread of elder fraud and abuse cases has also prompted educational institutions and nonprofits to make their own contributions toward criminal investigation and prosecution of these cases. The University of California at Irvine, together with the Institute on Aging, has come up with a unique and modern aid for California law enforcement officers. The Center of Excellence on Elder

IOA recognized in Statement by the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women (PDF)
February 28, 2013

In a statement on the passage of the Violence Against Women Act Reathorization, The Institute on Aging was recognized by the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women as one of 24 partner agencies who deliver direct services to women victims of violence and their families.

IOA's Dr. Karyn Skultety featured on KQED Radio's "Forum, with Michael Krasny"
June 19, 2012

"Loneliness can cause emotional suffering to people of all ages. But a new study by UCSF researchers, which focused on the question of loneliness and its effects, suggests it is especially harmful to the elderly and raises the risk of health problems and even premature death. We'll talk with the lead researcher about the findings." Listen to the complete program here.

First Presidential Proclamation Recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
June 14, 2012

The White House issued a Presidential proclamation recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Procolamation came during the White House Symposium on Elder Abuse on Thursday, June 14, 2012. During the Symposium, IOA's elder abuse awareness ad campaign (devloped in partnership with the San Francisco District Attorney's office) was highlighted as an example of the good work being done nationally to draw attention to elder abuse. Read the proclamation.

Stanley J. Herzstein, Former IOA President Dies
SFGate, May 3, 2012

"Stanley J. Herzstein died at the age of 91 on April 24, 2012 in San Francisco. Stanley was extremely generous and caring. He spent years leading the cause for the elderly having served as President of the Commission on Aging and President of Institute on Aging. His approach was always how can we get this problem solved to protect and benefit the elderly. Stanley was the model citizen."

'Silent Crime' - Defrauding Elders Grows in Ethnic Communities
By Paul Kleyman
New America Media, May 18, 2012

"The sentencing of Edwin Parada in San Francisco this past April for 24 counts of mortgage fraud against Spanish-speaking homeowners spotlighted the growing incidence of "affinity" crimes — those perpetrated by crooks against their own communities. Parada — who promoted himself as a pastor — got 15 years for his mortgage schemes, which preyed on Latinos in San Francisco, including numerous elders, often with limited English proficiency. Nationally, fraud against seniors is on the rise, according to the 2011 "MetLife Study of Financial Elder Abuse." In only three years such crimes grew by 12 percent, becoming a $2.9 billion problem. In California, such financial scams hitting seniors rose by 33 percent from 2006-2011, according to Erika P. Falk, director of Geriatric Assessment Services at San Francisco’s Institute on Aging."

Bay Area program helps seniors, disabled live independently
By Matt Perry, HealthyCal.org
California Watch, April 17, 2012

""I don’t know how any senior can handle all of this stuff," sighs Mary Anne Humphrey, 68, who suffers from limited mobility due to a spinal cord injury. Humphrey is explaining the endless paperwork, social services, doctor appointments, benefit plans and medications she juggles as a disabled senior. Fortunately, Humphrey is one of 1,200 San Francisco County residents who have received help over the past five years from a unique Bay Area program that keeps older adults and the disabled living independently: the Community Living Fund....the fund is a collaboration with the city of San Francisco and the local Institute on Aging with a single focus: help San Franciscans survive independently outside the four walls of institutional living."

Here's Your Chance to Meet Willie Mays
By Keith Bowers
SFWeekly.com, Wednesday, April 18, 2012

"Not that long ago, it was common for Major League Baseball players - All-Stars and minor leaguers alike - to hold day-jobs in the off-season so they could pay the bills...Baseball did have heroes and celebrities, but they were paid abysmal wages most of the time. And when players' careers were done, they were on their own in terms of health care.

Giants legend Willie Mays played during this era, and we're sure he knows players who had to struggle to get by. Mays is scheduled to appear this spring at a tavern near AT&T Park to help raise money for older people with lower incomes. Entry to the event isn't cheap - tickets start at $120 - but it benefits Institute on Aging, and it's a rare chance to meet a Giants legend face to face and have him autograph your cap, jersey, ball, or baseball card..."

Briody making move to West Coast nonprofit
by Tracey Drury
Buffalo Business First, Tuesday, March 6, 2012

"A former Catholic Health executive has been selected to lead a California nonprofit organization. J. Thomas Briody was named president and CEO at Institute on Aging in San Francisco, a community-based nonprofit that provides supportive health and social services to older adults and their families. In San Francisco, Briody will use his 25 years’ experience to grow programs and services at IOA. With revenues of $31 million, the organization has a workforce of 540. Services include a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE), similar to a program Briody helped develop here in the Buffalo region."

Leah Garchik writes about IOA's Dinner à la Heart
By Leah Garchik
SF Gate, Friday, February 10, 2012

"Bob and Audrey Sockolov, stalwart supporters of Institute on Aging, were mama and papa of our table at Dinner à la Heart at Tommy Toy's on Tuesday night. The event is a series of dinners around town to raise money for the institute, which provides needed services to the elderly in San Francisco. The Sockolovs, passionate about that cause, are also passionate Giants fans (and owners of a piece of the team), have combined those two interests - honoring the past and taking care of the present - neatly: Come June, Willie Mays will be doing a signing at Pete's Tavern to raise money for the institute. More information about it to come later."

100 residents of an assisted living facility evacuated due to fire
KTVU News, Thursday, December 22, 2011

Institute on Aging joined other senior agencies in helping to evacuate a senior residence when a neighborhood fire threatened the building. Watch the video.

Care for Older Adults
By David Werdegar, MD, PMH
San Francisco Medicine, Journal of the San Francisco Medical Society, November 2011

"The last thirty years have witnessed significant development of home- and community-based services for older adults - in which San Francisco has led the way in many respects. Institute on Aging (IOA) is a good example. These developments reflect a transformation in attitudes about aging and a greater understanding of the responsibilities entailed in provision of "long-term" health care."

Institute on Aging helps elders maintain independent living status
By Elizabeth Benefiel
The Western Edition San Francisco, Tuesday, November 1, 2011

"San Francisco’s Institute on Aging – IOA – works with older adults to help them live independently. A wide range of services, including home care, clinical assessments, support groups and day programs, makes the IOA an ideal starting point for anyone looking to stay independent as they get older.

The complexities of aging may seem daunting without help. They can be especially daunting to caregivers. "People have lives. They have to work. But they want to take care of their loved ones," said Janet Howell, communications director for IOA. Too often, when encountering difficulties with aging, people don’t know where to turn. That’s where IOA can come in and direct people to the resources they need."

Institute on Aging: Getting Old Doesn’t Mean Giving Up
Northern California Community Loan Fund Newsletter, Fall, 2011

Janna Mancini, a Development Associate at NCCLF, wrote the following impression of IOA: Touring Institute of Aging, I was struck by how unlike my past experiences it was. It didn’t feel like a hospital or a place of last resort for people who had no one to care for them and nowhere else to go. It felt like a home. Even the areas where the daytime programs took place had a welcoming and comforting feeling to them. I don’t think we encountered one person – patient or staff – who wasn’t smiling and that feeling is infectious the moment you walk through the doors.

ABC News — Beyond the Headlines
Sunday,October 2, 2011- 10:00am - 10:30am

Institute on Aging was invited to offer insight on issues individuals face when they age, mainly driving. Dr. Patrick Arbore represented IOA at the taping. Watch the video.

International Council on Active Aging Developers Guide 2011
Age Wave — Article Published in September 2011

As with any long-anticipated event, the "age wave" — that demographic phenomenon set to transform society — often seemed slightly unreal and distant over the years. Perhaps that accounts for the late, and in many cases inadequate, planning...IOA's Senior Campus is answering the call...Click here to read the 6-page article.

KCBS Radio
Thursday, August 25, 2011

Dr. Karyn Skultety provided her expertise on the independent baby boomer trend and the new role these grandparents have taken on in the last decade. Click here to listen to the clip.

Pelosi Tours, Holds Medicare Forum at Institute on Aging

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi toured Institute on Aging and held a forum on Medicare Monday, June 20, 2011. Other elder care leaders present included David Werdegar, President and CEO, Institute on Aging, Carroll Estes, Ph.D., Chair, Board of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and Anni Chung, President and CEO, Self-Help for Elderly. Congresswoman Pelosi’s passion for the topic was evident and the attendees left feeling informed and confident that the Leader will continue to fight to preserve Medicare. Watch the video.

A Presidential appointment for SFS President John Goldman
By Stephen Smoliar
San Francisco Examiner, May 28, 2011
Among the latest round of Administration appointments by President Barack Obama announced by The White House Office of the Press Secretary this past Thursday was one of both local and national interest in the world of the performing arts. John D. Goldman, President of the San Francisco Symphony, has been named as a Member of the Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts... [Goldman] is a past President of the Board of Jewish Family and Children’s Services, having served as a Board Member of the agency from 1984 to 1996, and is a former Board Member of Institute on Aging.

IOA's Rosa Estrada interviewed on Univision
Univision, May 14, 2011
Institute on Aging's Rosa Estrada shares the story of services and programs offered to the public by the IOA. In Spanish. Watch the video.

San Franciscans A Lot Older Than You Think, Which Could Cause Real Problems
By April Siese
SF Appeal, May 12, 2011

"Though many say that San Francisco is a young person's playground, recent census data suggest that older people have more of a foothold in San Francisco than you might think. Thanks to the 2010 Census, we now know that the median age of Californians went from 33.3 in 2000 to 35.2. In SF, however, it's even older: the City went from 36.5 in 2000 to 38.5 now. San Francisco's 55- to 64-year-old residents make up 12 percent of the population, or 96,596 people. Speaking with the Chron, Valorie Villela, director of SF's 30th St. Senior Center refers to the current wave of older SFians as "the silver tsunami." According to Villela, studies show that by 2025, 1 in 5 people will be older than 65 in SF. The number of people older than 85 will also have doubled. San Francisco "has the highest percentage of older adults in an urban area in the state," Dr. Erika Falk, the director of geriatric assessment for the Institute on Aging told Nevius. "It is very easy to age in place here."..."

California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) Awards Suicide Prevention Contracts
May 10, 2011

"The California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), a joint powers authority (JPA) of counties focused on the efficient delivery of California mental health projects and programs, announced today it took action to begin contract negotiations for the fulfillment of suicide prevention services. Recommended providers approved on May 6, 2011 are Didi Hirsch Psychiatric Services, Transitions Mental Health Association, North Bay Suicide Prevention Project, Family Services Agency of Marin, San Francisco Suicide Prevention, Family Services Central Coast, Kings View Suicide Prevention Program, Institute on Aging Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention (CESP), AdEase, Inc, and LivingWorks Education, LP.

Awardees will provide prevention services to clients throughout California including serving as the focal point for statewide suicide prevention activities, working to reduce service gaps, creating a social marketing campaign, expanding the number and capacity of accredited local suicide prevention hot lines and warm lines, and developing program curricula that will address professionals across systems and disciplines.

Senior's death amid filth key to larger problem
By C.W. Nevius
San Francisco Chronicle, May 7, 2011

It sounds like a no-brainer. Myrna Kaiser, a 78-year-old woman living alone in a San Francisco apartment, began to have mental and physical problems. She started hoarding junk, let her personal hygiene go, and found it hard to follow conversations. She clearly needed help. "To our surprise," [building manager] Chris Dressel said, "APS informed us that since Myrna could answer a few questions and she had her own financial ability to pay for assistance, they were not able to force Myrna into any type of assisted care."

"Because Adult Protective Services is a voluntary service, it cannot move an adult from a dangerous home without their consent," said Dr. Erika Falk, the director of geriatric assessment for the Institute on Aging. "And those who tend to be self-neglectors don't think they have a problem." The unexpected twist is that Kaiser's story is a snapshot of a larger problem in San Francisco. It begins with the sheer number of seniors.

Jewish benefactors help build new Institute on Aging
By Joseph Amster
JWeekly, April 21, 2011

"With the opening this month of its new campus in San Francisco, the Institute on Aging has achieved a longtime goal: bringing many of its programs, services and offices together under one roof, and having all of that right next to senior housing.

Also under that roof: facilities and rooms dotted with names such as Osher, Rosenberg, Sockolov and Goldman. IOA has a large part of its roots in the Jewish community. The nonprofit started in 1975 as a program of Mount Zion Hospital that was spearheaded by Dr. Lawrence Feigenbaum, and "Richard and Rhoda Goldman were the early philanthropists who helped get it started," said Dr. David Werdegar, IOA’s president and CEO...."

Crossing Geary is Crossing the Red Sea
By Leah Garchik
San Francisco Chronicle, April 8, 2011

"Saturday's official grand opening of the Institute on Aging on Geary Boulevard drew 500 folks, including supporters, planners, administrators and politicians aplenty. The 50,000-square-foot facility includes a contemplative garden, educational and medical facilities, arts studios, and affordable residences. But institute board Chairman Tony Wagner spoke of one need as yet unfilled: to replace the crosswalk in front with a stop sign or traffic light.

He said city officials had told him it would take three years to accomplish this. A big congratulations to all who conceived and dreamed of the facility, but perhaps writing about this can be more useful than a round of applause. Picture the number of old people crossing Geary in three years."

Institute on Aging's Dr. David Werdegar Interviewed on KOIT Radio
By Laurie Saunders
KOIT Radio, April 6, 2011
KOIT's Laurie Saunders interviewed IOA President Dr. David Werdegar on Wednesday, April 6, 2011. The 30 minute taped interview discussed the new Institute on Aging Senior Campus, a development that positions all of IOA's services for seniors under one roof. Poised to be a national model, the building's advantages for seniors and aesthetic benefits were discussed. Listen to the interview.

Institute on Aging’s new Senior Campus opens; community event this Saturday
By Susan B.
RichmondSFBlog.com

"This Saturday will mark the official grand opening of the Institute on Aging’s (IOA) new Senior Campus, located at 3575 Geary near Arguello. The project first broke ground in 2008 and includes a 3-story, 50,000 square foot building that houses offices and health and social support programs for seniors, along with a 150-unit residential housing development, also for seniors.

The IOA has been around for 25 years and its mission is to help seniors live independently, or "age in place" as some refer to it. To further that mission, the IOA offers a comprehensive array of programs and services that seniors can participate in by visiting the campus. Some participants come on their own, others via IOA transit vans that pick them up from their homes. Some are dropped off by family members or caregivers.

Once at the IOA Senior Campus, clients have access to a myriad of programming and services including art programs, geriatric care, psychological counseling, and social day programs. I was taken on a tour of the new Senior Campus recently, which will welcome the community this Saturday, April 2 to a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony from 11:30am until 2pm. It’s unlike any senior center that I’ve ever visited. There’s plenty of natural light flooding in to the building, peaceful courtyards, lots of pleasant earth tones and other natural touches, as well as state-of-the-art facilities to facilitate the health and social support programs that IOA offers..."

San Francisco Business Times Awards IOA and Bridge Housing the Real Estate Deal of the Year
By Emily Wilson
San Francisco Business Times, March 25, 2011

"Real Estate Deals of the Year: Best Community Impact / San Francisco - The Coronet/IOA Senior Campus: Bridge Housing and the Institute on Aging’s new senior housing and services center on Geary Boulevard is helping absorb the silver rush. The project fills a huge unmet need in the Bay Area for senior housing. Testament to that is the more than 2,500 applications received for just 150 spots. But it also pushed the boundaries of development as the first large housing project developed along transit lines in the Western neighborhoods — despite fierce opposition — in many decades. The affordable senior apartment building with on-site health services includes an adult day health center, Alzheimer’s center, therapeutic rehabilitation and..."

The Coronet Complex Simply Fits in the Richmond
By John King
San Francisco Chronicle, March 22, 2011

"For those of you who don't make pilgrimages to the spot where "Star Wars" films once had their local premieres, the movie house was demolished in 2007, two years shy of its 60th birthday. Now showing in its place is the Coronet - a complex with 150 senior apartments developed by Bridge Housing atop a tall two-story base where Institute on Aging has offices as well as services for elders ranging from craft classes to medical assessments and Alzheimer's care.

What strikes me is how easily I can imagine a boulevard lined with projects of this sensitivity and scale. Heavily trafficked retail strips shouldn't be locked in the low-slung mentality of the 1950s. They can be places where neighborhoods grow up - literally - adding new services and housing types for populations that grow more diverse each year in terms of age and needs. Some locations call for Architecture with a capital A. Others are served by thoughtful urban design. The Coronet is a good example of the latter, and we need more like it..."

IOA Featured on KBLX 102.9FM (podcast)
KBLX, 102.9FM, Sunday, March 20, 2011

Institute on Aging's Director of Geriatric Assesment, Erika Falk, was interviewed by Nikki Thomas for KBLX's for "Bay View", a public affairs show that airs on Sundays at 5:30am.

Gascon Launches SF Campaign To Prevent Elder Abuse
KTVU.com, San Francisco, March 11, 2011

"San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon Tuesday launched a citywide campaign to prevent elder abuse. The campaign will feature ads and posters on San Francisco Municipal Railway buses, bus shelters, and in various locations around the city with the tagline "Our Golden Years Shouldn't Be Black and Blue," and feature statistics about elder abuse. The campaign, part of a partnership with the Institute on Aging and the San Francisco Elder Abuse Forensic Center, seeks to publicize step-by-step instructions for reporting elder abuse..."

New Programs for Seniors
Alamo Square Newsletter, February/March 2011

"Institute on Aging is offering a new program at the Western Addition Senior Center designed to assist older adults live more independently. The Older Adults Screening and Response Project was developed to help seniors who have difficulty sleeping or who are dealing with depression, loneliness or anxiety. Seniors will work together with counselors from Institute on Aging to develop coping skills..."

Calif. Adult Day Health Care on chopping block: Critics say Brown plan could wind up costing more than it would save
By Marisa Lagos
San Francisco Chronicle, February 07, 2011

"John Jones, 79, soaks in the sun outside the Ruth Ann Rosenberg Adult Day Health Center at the Institute on Aging in San Francisco. The center is one of 310 serving 37,000 Californians a year. Bessie Spears was suicidal when she arrived at an Adult Day Health Care center in San Francisco four months ago. Ben Dubinsky was slipping further into depression until he walked through the center's front doors last year. And Ernest Badger was in pain and barely walking when he started the program eight months ago after hip replacement surgery.

All three are now healthier and feeling better. But the elderly San Francisco residents are at risk of losing the four-hour-a-day program, which provides medical care, physical therapy, exercise, counseling, socialization and other support to low-income, disabled and elderly adults in California. Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed eliminating the $176 million a year program as part of his plan to close the state's $25.4 billion budget shortfall..."

LACDMH Hosts Older Adult Conference at CSUN
By Karen Zarsadiaz
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), January 2011

""Baby boomers" were the focus of this year’s Shaping the Future for Mental Health and Aging Conference at California State University Northridge (CSUN). This year marked the fifth year of the conference hosted by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) at the CSUN University Student Union on Wednesday, January 12, 2011. Besides attending break-out sessions and workshops, conference attendees listened in on two key note speakers. IOA's Patrick Arbore, Ed.D., conducted the morning key note session, discussing intervention strategies with suicidal older adults. While Susan Crimmins, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., took the podium as the afternoon key note speaker, going in-depth about trauma among the older adult population..."

Friendship Line Invites Callers: 1 (800) 971-0016
By Suzy Hopkins
Friends and Neighbors Magazine, December 15, 2010

"A 24-hour, toll-free telephone help line is now open to foothills residents. The Friendship Line provides reassuring support and help in getting to needed care for older adults who may be lonely, depressed, bereaved, or possibly suicidal. The line is open for calls at any hour, and connects callers with a staff member or trained volunteer who can provide assistance, support, links to other services or just a listening ear.

A program of the San Francisco Institute on Aging, the help line has been extended to foothill residents in partnership with Calaveras and Tuolumne county behavioral health departments and the Mother Lode Office of Catholic Charities. "Older adults can call and talk about any issue – if they're lonely, in crisis, not in crisis – any topic," says Dr. Brock Kolby, who runs a senior peer support program for Calaveras County Behavioral Health. The help line is intended for those 60 and older, their family members, or others who may be concerned about that person. It offers a range of help, says Catholic Charities' Kathi Toepel, including support, reassurance, counseling, crisis intervention, abuse prevention, medication reminders, well-being checks, and information and referral sources..."

SCAN Health Plan Grants $165,000 to Support Emergency Assistance for Seniors in Need
Business Wire, September 20, 2010

"Eleven California nonprofit organizations have each received $15,000 donations from SCAN Health Plan to establish emergency assistance funds through which they may provide one-time financial support to older adults and their caregivers faced with unexpected expenses. Such expenses may include: transportation; food assistance; respite; housing assistance; adult daycare programs; utility payment; adaptive devices, such as ramps, bath benches and grab bars; home repairs; or support for other basic necessities. The organizations that received this funding from SCAN are: Catholic Charities of San Diego, Independence at Home in Long Beach, Human Services Agency of San Joaquin County (Aging and Community Services), Institute on Aging in San Francisco, Orange County Council on Aging, Rehabilitation Services of Northern California, Riverside County Area Agency on Aging, Silicon Valley Council on Aging, Social Services Agency of Orange County (Adult Protective Services), St. Barnabas Senior Services in Los Angeles, and WISE and Healthy Aging in Santa Monica..."

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….