Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:57:00
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| Article by:
Conor Gallagher
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 Delois at Ruth Ann Rosenberg Adult Day Health Center - Photo courtesy of Institute on Aging. |
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By Conor Gallagher
For a quarter of a century, the 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 3375 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.
“It’s so important to keep the mind active,” said institute employee Janet Howell. “Our primary goal is to prevent early placement into facilities. If [the elderly] can live in their homes, we assist them.”
The Institute on Aging, or IOA, helps seniors maintain their own living arrangements, activities and relationships. Programs such as the Ruth Ann Rosenberg Adult Day Health Center also are available for qualifying seniors, and fun activities like a senior prom, pajama parties and live, era band music keep the seniors feeling young.
In San Francisco, which has the largest proportion of older adults of any city in California and with the 85 and older segment of the population growing the fastest, there have already been 3,500 inquiries for housing at the new IOA Senior Campus. However, with the need for programs like IOA’s increasing, California state budget cuts could mean the closure of several hundred centers, said Howell.
“Seniors would lose care and camaraderie, and relatives could lose respite and possibly a paycheck,” Howell said.
At Irene Swindell’s Center for Adult Day Service, which was developed by the California Pacific Medical Center and Institute on Aging, individuals with mild to moderate memory loss can go for the day and participate in activities that are designed to provide mental stimulation and contribute to physical health. Linda De Palma’s husband, Rich, has attended the day program everyday for more than three years. De Palma said she is thankful for IOA’s positive influence on her husband’s life.
“Even on Saturday or Sunday, he will ask if it is a center day,” De Palma said. “He enjoys the other participants and all of the activities, but his great love is the center staff. Each person on this staff helps create an atmosphere of welcome ... they are caring, respectful and always aware of the ‘special needs’ that each person may have.”
IOA staff’s goal is to enhance the quality of life for the elderly and at the Rosenberg day health center, they sometimes even have “dancing with the staff” events based on the television program “Dancing with the Stars.
In addition to facilities like the Ruth Ann Rosenberg and Irene Swindell centers, IOA provides home care for clients who are unable to leave the house. Home care aides help with personal care, errands, making meals and medication reminders. And through IOA’s Community Living Fund, seniors who have lived for an extended period of time in hospitals or care facilities, are assisted in returning to the community.
“The staff members are so dedicated,” Howell said, adding that IOA strives to help seniors regardless of their social or economic background. And as a nonprofit benefitting from donations and grants, IOA is able to keep costs affordable or free of charge.
Institute on Aging also offers many opportunities to volunteer. One such way is with IOA’s Friendship Line for the Elderly, which is the only 24-hour toll-free hotline in the United States that offers support, crisis intervention, medication reminders and more for the elderly. Volunteers also can participate at IOA centers socializing, learning and being creative with the elderly. Kristine Gable took IOA up on this offer six years ago.
“Because the program is small, it allows me time to spend with the clients and also help out the staff,” Gable said of the Irene Swindell Center. “In the nearly six years I have spent at the center, I have become very attached to everyone there. I truly look forward to my weekly volunteer day.”
For more information about the history of the Institute on Aging and its work in the community, visit www.ioaging.org. For information about volunteer opportunities, visit www.IOAging.org/get_involved.
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