Avenidas

Re-Inventing Aging

Avenidas in the News

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See the latest coverage and and read our press releases about Avenidas and our senior services in the Palo Alto and Mountain View area.

Palo Alto Weekly Announces New Avenidas CEO

Originally published by Chris Kenrick in the Palo Alto Weekly, June 4, 2021.

Amy Yotopoulos, who returns to Avenidas as President and CEO on September 1, 2021

Avenidas’ new CEO set to take helm of senior services nonprofit this fall

Amy Yotopolous, a Palo Alto resident whose career has focused on aging, longevity and caregiving, will become president and CEO of the senior services agency Avenidas.

Read the complete article »

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Click the images to download the PDF files.

The announcement appears on page 27 of this week’s print edition, along with three Avenidas events in the “Senior Focus” section.

Our weekly calendar of activities also appears on page 26.

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Avenidas Appoints New President & CEO to Run Social Services Agency for Seniors

(Palo Alto, CA, June 4, 2021)—Avenidas Board Chair Henry (“Hank”) Massey announced today, on behalf of the full Board of Directors and the Senior Leadership Team, that after a thorough search process conducted by m/Oppenheim, Amy Yotopoulos will become its new President and CEO on September 1, 2021. 
John Sink, Avenidas VP of Programs and Interim President, was a valuable contributor to the search process and will continue to lead Avenidas until Amy’s arrival. 

We believe that Amy Yotopoulos’ years of multi-faceted senior management experience leading strategic development, long range planning, and guiding organizations through periods of growth and transition will greatly benefit Avenidas. In addition, she understands our mission on a very personal level, having 10 years of experience as a family caregiver for a loved one with dementia.

Hank Massey, Avenidas Board Chair

Yotopoulos attended Stanford University, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with Honors, and started working as a Program Manager for the Stanford WorkLife Office. Then she moved to the Stanford Center on Longevity as Director of the Mind Division in a nationally recognized center focused on improving seniors’ well-being, and most recently, worked at Stanford Health Care as a Co-Founder and Manager of the Caregiving Center in the new Stanford Hospital (one of the first in the nation in academic medical centers).

Yotopoulos also worked for Avenidas as a weekend program assistant in the mid-’90s when it was called the Senior Coordinating Council of the Palo Alto Area. After earning a Master’s Degree in Gerontology from the University of Southern California, Yotopoulos was hired at the Avenidas Adult Day Health Center (now called Avenidas Rose Kleiner Center) where she served as Director for four years.

I’m so excited to come full circle in my career, as Avenidas has been an important part of my life for decades. I have a great sense of gratitude and respect for the work that they do every day, and I can’t wait to join this team of devoted and passionate professionals.

Amy Yotopoulos, incoming Avenidas President and CEO

Avenidas operates an adult enrichment center and a Chinese Community Center, both in Palo Alto, and an adult day health care center in Mountain View. Avenidas is a 501c3 organization. For more information, please visit www.avenidas.org.

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Contact

Kari Martell
Avenidas VP of Marketing
(650) 289-5247

Senior Planet’s Ryan Kawamoto Interviewed by iPondr

Published in iPondr on April 19th, 2021. Written by Alisha Green.

Empowering senior citizens with technology skills – iPondr

Older adults in the U.S. are looking to stay independent and in their homes. Technology can help them connect with loved ones, continue learning, and take care of basic needs, from telehealth visits to grocery deliveries.

Read the complete article »

The article profiles three organizations that provide technology training and support for older adults: Candoo Tech, Senior Planet from AARP, and GetSetUp. Avenidas’ Ryan Kawamoto acted as the spokesperson for Senior Planet from AARP.

To see the change that we’re able to make with our older adult participants, even after one session, has been just really wonderful.

Ryan Kawamoto, regional director for Senior Planet from AARP@Avenidas

Announcing the 2021 Care Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kari Martell (650) 289-5427

Avenidas Collaborates with Top Experts to Provide New Series of Free Caregiving Workshops for Families

(March 22, 2021, Palo Alto, CA) Avenidas is launching a new series of its free monthly Care Forum workshops in collaboration with two local elder care experts, Dr. Ellen Brown and Dr. Rita Ghatak, who will address important topics that the pandemic brought to the forefront, such as how to navigate health care systems, deal with dementia care and isolation, and tips on handling advance care planning, all critical issues families should discuss.

“At the center of all this are the caregivers who are now shouldering the added burden of isolation and separation while dealing with their own health and life circumstances. Avenidas is pleased to provide this helpful resource free of charge to the community.”

Kristina Lugo, Avenidas VP of Individual and Family Services

Dr. Ellen Brown is a pioneer in developing the role of the hospice physician in the Bay Area. She has served the community by providing care in the home to thousands of hospice patients and their families in her 20 years at Pathways Hospice. She has trained countless Stanford Palliative Medicine and Geriatrics fellows who now provide care throughout the United States. 

Dr. Rita Ghatak has been working extensively for two and a half decades in the field of aging with direct care, research, and education. Most recently the Founder/Director of Aging Adult Services at Stanford University Medical Center, she is now the CEO/Founder of Aging 101, an entity providing multiple services to older adults. Dr. Ghatak teaches extensively and is active in research and policy.

To register, people can visit www.avenidas.org or call (650) 289-5400. Once registered, a Zoom link will be emailed to each participant.

The 2021 Avenidas Care Forum Schedule

SESSION 1

April 28 11-12:30pm

Navigating Your Health During the Pandemic

Practical tips for routine care and illness.

SESSION 2 

May 26 11-12:30pm 

Patients and Caregivers–The New Unit of Care

Supporting caregivers and guiding the conversation with providers.

SESSION 3 

June 23 11-12:30pm

Caring for Someone with Dementia & Preserving Brain Health

How to best take care of yourself and your loved one with dementia.

SESSION 4 

July 28 11-12:30pm

It’s Time for Discharge from the Hospital

Learn how to plan during discharge and setting up care at home.

SESSION 5

August 25 11-12:30pm

How The Pandemic Changed Advance Care Planning

Why it is more important now than ever to have those crucial conversations with loved ones?

SESSION 6

September 22 11-12:30pm

What’s New in Palliative Care and End of Life Care

How to get the care you want and need both during serious illness and at the end of life.

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PAW Features Rainbow Collective

This story was published in Palo Alto Weekly on February 5, 2021.

Brighter days: LGBTQ seniors find support through Rainbow Collective

To be older and alone is a challenge. For LGBTQ seniors, who are far more likely to be childless and estranged from family, the experience can be even more challenging.

Read the complete article »

Download the PDF below to read the print edition.

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