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LGBT Senior Newsletter April
Now with 4 more pages of programs and services for the Openhouse community!
Openhouse is proud to partner with Stepping Stone Adult Day Health and
Kaiser Permanente to bring you …
Health and Wellness Fridays
for LGBT Folks 60+
Free consultations with Nurse Susa Langdon by
appointment at Openhouse!
Fridays from 2-4PM
Meet in a confidential space to
explore questions like:
What are these
anti-depressants doing
to my sex drive?
Where can I find
LGBT and agingfriendly care?
Call (415) 347-8509
to make an appointment!
How will this medication
interact with supplements
and herbal remedies?
My fear of falling is keeping
me home. What can I do to
feel more secure when I walk?
Susan Langdon, RN began her career with the Peace Corps
where she worked in India for five years. She has worked for
over 35 years as a Family Nurse Practitioner in community
health serving diverse populations. As an older lesbian she is
sensitive to the unique issues we encounter in navigating the
health system to manage health and maintain well-being.
Looking for Housing?
Have housing and
concerns about
your ability to stay
in it as you age?
You are not alone!
Openhouse offers
housing workshops for older adults seeking resources
and information.
The workshops are held the three times a month at
12PM and provide information about senior affordable
housing, application and waitlist processes, and other
valuable housing info. RSVPs are
required. Please call Manuel at 415-347-8509 or email
him two days in advance of the workshop you wish to
attend. You will be asked to complete a brief intake. To
request an intake by mail, call Openhouse at 415-2968995 or email info@openhouse-sf.org.
Housing Resources List now available in our
Openhouse offices Monday-Friday
You can pick up housing updates, affordable and senior
housing lists, and waitlist information in our reception
area, M-F, from 12PM-4PM. You can also access info.
on our website at
www.openhouse-sf.org under Housing Resources.
It’s budget season which means it’s time for advocacy
with policymakers to secure funding for seniors!
As a member of the Coalition of Agencies Serving the
Elderly (CASE), Openhouse will be
hand-delivering postcards to
Mayor Ed Lee and the Board of
Supervisors on April 13th to increase city funding for important services for seniors
and adults with disabilities.
Please take one minute to sign a yellow postcard at
the next Openhouse program you attend to let our
policymakers know Sharing the Prosperity means sharing it with San Francisco’s senior and disability
community.
Join us to visit
Managing Pain
As We Age
E
A Free Health & Wellness Seminar
Friday April 24th from 3-4:30 PM
Openhouse
Every 2nd Friday at 2PM
Pain can be scary, frustrating and overwhelming. The aging body can present
unique challenges in
managing pain. Chronic pain can get in the way of enjoyment of
life. There are things you can do to start feeling better and take
control of pain without relying on overuse of medications.
Susan Langdon, RN will lead a group discussion on “Managing
Pain As We Age”. Items discussed will include: acute and chronic
pain; how the brain can influence our
perception of pain; and strategies to better manage pain.
This health and wellness talk is free and brought to you by Openhouse, Stepping Stone, and Kaiser. Please join us.
Japanese Culture &
History
oon!
S
Starts
Muttville’s mission is to
change the way the world
treats older dogs and to
create better lives for them
through rescue, foster, and
adoption.
We visit Muttville on the
2nd Friday of each month
at 2PM and we invite you
to join us. You’ll hang out
(“Nani” is a 12+ year-old
Muttville dog)
with a handful of sweet
dogs in a cozy living-room
like setting. You can also elect to walk with the
dogs. Either way, they’d love to see you!
To RSVP for Friday, April 10th call:
(415) 728-0193 or email:
fairley@openhouse-sf.org
This new course will be a series
of eight sessions including topics
such as:

255 Alabama (near Harrison &16th)
Drop-in Support Group
For Caregivers
of Those With Dementia
Japanese civilization and the
meaning of Japan in the
world
 Elements of medieval Japanese
culture
th
 Male/male intimacy and the world of sex from the 17 to the
19th centuries
 Japan’s pursuit of national security from 1868 to 1945
Classes will take place at Openhouse room 306 and will meet
weekly for 8 weeks; Tuesdays from 6 to 8 PM starting April
14th, except for 2 Monday meetings: the week of 4/20 and
5/18
To register or for questions, please contact Education Coordinator Armando Paone at (415)296-8995 ext. 305 or by email at:
armando@openhouse-sf.org.
2
Every 4th Wednesday
from 6 - 7:30 PM at Openhouse
Share your experiences and
stories with other LGBT
community members caring for a loved one with dementia. Gain strength and support in sharing
your challenges, your strategies, and your resilience with other
caregivers. Questions?
Contact: Fairley Parson, ASW, at:
(415)728-0193
This group is co-sponsored by Openhouse, the
Alzheimer’s Association and the Institute on Aging.
View the art, meet the artist, and join the discussion at
Celebrate National Poetry Month at
Men’s Second Sunday
Women’s Second Sunday
Sunday, April 12th from 12PM-2PM
For
145 Guerrero (near Market) Free!
Grahame Perry is a
photographer
especially drawn to
urban, travel, and
night photography.
This Second Sunday
he will join us to
discuss his body of
work about HIV and
survival. Perry uses
the drugs and other
paraphernalia that HIV positive people need to
create his images.
From Perry’s new body of work The Materials Of Survival:
“The effects of years of struggle, uncertainty and survival has
created unexpected symbols and unforeseen
reactions. Visual images capturing different aspects of being
positive. How the antiviral cocktails achieve a larger meaning
and a grander design. Memories of a test changing everything.
Understanding communications typed in a foreign syntax necessary to live, How the old practices of safe sex have opened
up with new horizons.”
Questions? Call Matthew (415) 659-8116 or email:
matthew@openhouse-sf.org
INTENTIONS, DEADLINES, COLLABORATION &
COMMUNITY
Sunday, April 12th from 3-5PM
145 Guerrero St. (near Market)
Join us for an afternoon with poet Kit Kennedy reading
poems inspired by deadlines, intentions, collaboration
and community. The reading will be followed by conversation about writing, and, if the group wishes, a writing
exercise. Bring your journal; Materials will also
be available.
Kit Kennedy is Poet in Residence at SF
Bay Times and at Poet in Residence
at herchurch Ebenezer Lutheran. Kit
has published five poetry collections.
For five years Kit hosted a poetry series at Gallery Café. She lives in Bernal where she is rediscovering
gardening and the tenacity of weeds.
Kit blogs at:
http://poetrybites.blogspot.com.
She favors the short poem, food of
vibrant colors, and red shoes.
Questions? Call Fairley (415) 728-0193 or email:
fairley@openhouse-sf.org
Key to Locations
30th Street Senior Center 225 30th St., between Dolores & Church; J Line, 24 bus, 3 blocks to
14 Mission & 49
The San Francisco LGBT Community Center “The Center” 1800Market St.; F line, 4 blocks to Church
Station, J line, 22 line, 2 blocks from bus lines 6, 71
Castro Senior Center 110 Diamond St., two blocks from Castro Muni Station & 24 and 33 buses
Curry Senior Center “Curry”: 315 Turk St. at Hyde, Buses 31 and 19, 4 blocks from
Muni/Civic Center BART
Francis of Assisi 145 Guerrero, 2 blocks from “F” Line, 3 blocks from J Church, Church Station
Laguna Honda Hospital “LH” New Building, Entry at 375 Laguna Honda Blvd; Muni Forest Hill Station,
lines KLM
Muttville 255 Alabama, off 16th, lines 22, 27, 12 and 9
Openhouse “OH” Openhouse Community Room # 306, at the SF LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market St., 3rd Floor; F line, 4 blocks to Church and Van Ness Muni Stations, 22 bus, 2 blocks from buses
6 and 71
The Sequoias “Redwood Room” 1400 Geary Blvd; buses 38, 38L, 2, 3
3
ASK THE NURSE
slow the progress of osteoarthritis. Building strong leg muscles
can also help reduce osteoarthritis of the knee.
Ask the nurse is a new
monthly column
featuring nurse Susan
Langdon. Susan is a
nurse with Stepping
Stone Adult Day
Health. She is at
Openhouse on Friday
afternoons starting
March 6th for free
health & wellness consultations from 2-4PM.
Please call to schedule
an appointment.
Q. What does it mean that my doctor says I have early stage
of a cataract?
A. A cataract is a gradual clouding of the eye’s natural lens. It
will eventually limit the light passing through to the retina
causing vision to become hazy or blurred with greater sensitivity to light and glare. Cataracts may stay small, not causing any
vision problems and you may not notice them. More than 90%
of Americans over 65 years have some evidence of cataracts.
Risk for cataracts is increased by diabetes, exposure to sunlight, smoking, and alcohol. Not all cataracts develop to the
point where removal is necessary. You’ll want to discuss the
pros and cons of cataract surgery with your eye doctor when
you experience vision loss that seriously limits your activities,
like driving and reading. Cataract surgery is a very common
and is a short surgery performed as an outpatient. For people
who decide to have surgery there is usually a very good outcome.
Q. Do I need to have a test for colon
cancer if I have no symptoms?
A. Colon cancer (also called colorectal cancer) is the second
most dangerous cancer in the United States. It usually doesn't
cause symptoms until after it has started to spread. Though it
is very common, 90% of cases can be cured if found early since
most types of bowel cancer are very slow growing. Experts
recommend routine colon cancer testing for everyone age 5075 who has a normal risk for colon cancer. There are three
common screening tests. The least invasive is a simple stool
test that can be done in the privacy of your own home and is
done annually. Another test is a sigmoidoscopy where a doctor uses a lighted scope to see the lower portion of intestine.
This is usually repeated in five years. Another option is a colonoscopy where a doctor puts a long, flexible tube into your
rectum and colon to view entire large intestine. If precancerous polyps are seen they can be removed during this
procedure. Everyone age 50 and older should discuss with
their health care provider which test would be best. For most
people over 75, these screening tests will no longer be necessary.
Q. Is osteoarthritis a part of aging, and is there a way to reduce risks after age 50+?
A. Osteoarthritis is a breakdown of the cartilage
between our joints mostly in the knees, hips, hands, and the
neck. It affects over 20 million Americans. Symptoms, including pain and stiffness, usually start after age 40 and become
more apparent as we age.
Aging definitely increases osteoarthritis, but
heredity and nutrition also play a role. The degree to which
you are affected will often be determined by how much you
abused your joints in your younger years, particularly if you
had a bone or joint injury. Your weight also makes a big difference, particularly for osteoarthritis in your hips and knees. For
every extra pound you gain, you add three pounds of pressure
to your knees and increase pressure on your hips six-fold. Losing even a little weight, can greatly reduce symptoms and
4
Q. I am an avid gardener I am always climbing around on a
steep area in the back yard. I have a tendency to trip and fall
on my knee or land wrong on my foot and my arthritic hands
take a beating when I'm planting. Can you tell me whether
it's ice or heat that is the best treatment for pain? And what
is the most effective pain medicine to take?
A. That's a good question. For injuries that may produce swelling, or bruising or bleeding under the skin, immediate application of ice is good. Put an ice pack, bag of peas, or whatever
you have in the freezer on the affected area for 20 min. and
may be repeated every 1-2 hours for the first 24 hours. This
reduces inflammation and bleeding. If soreness persists after
24 hours, you might switch to heat which increases the blood
flow to the injury and helps take away the inflammation so
your body can heal. For pain or discomfort you might try an
over the counter anti-inflammatory medication, (i.e. ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin). If you've not had a conversation
with your health care provider about the use of antiinflammatories then you might check which one would be
best for you given your other medications. As for that arthritis
flare up, for most people heat helps the most. Stay active and
watch your step!
You can ask questions for future “Ask The Nurse”
columns by emailing: fairley@openhouse-sf.org
(Please include “Ask the Nurse” in the email subject line).
You can also send your questions, via U.S. postal service, to:
Fairley Parson at Openhouse,
Attn. Ask the Nurse, 1800 Market St. PMB 93, San
Francisco, CA 94102
Questions may be edited for clarity and length. We cannot
guarantee publication of all submissions.
Free Muni for Seniors Age 65+
and People with Disabilities
Clearing House
Drop-in Clutter Support Group
Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday
12:30PM-2PM at Openhouse
This program provides low and
moderate income seniors and people with disabilities in San Francisco free access to Muni.
All San Francisco seniors,
ages 65+, and people with disabilities regardless of age, with a gross
annual family income at or below 100 percent of the Bay
Area Median Income level are eligible.
Want some assistance in filling out an application? Call us!
Our information and referral specialist Manual Martinez
will be happy to answer your questions, and help you. He
can be reached at (415) 347-8509.
Assistance is also
available during
drop-in hours from
1PM-4:30PM, Monday-Friday. Please
check in at the
Openhouse main
office, 3rd floor of
the SF LGBT Center.
Openhouse and the
Mental Health Association
of San Francisco welcome
you to “Clearing House,” a
drop-in support group for
all LGBT community members age 55+ who “struggle
with stuff.”
The group is a totally non-judgmental, confidential,
and supportive space where you can share your
struggles and strategies. The group is facilitated by
Varian Pierce, a Peer Responder with MHASF’s innovative Peer Response Team. Varian has his own
experiences with the challenges of clutter and collection and shares tips and tools for dealing with
the emotional and physical aspects of stuff. For
more info., contact Fairley at (415) 728-0193 or
email: fairley@openhouse-sf.org
No need to RSVP, we welcome you to drop-in!
We Welcome YOU to the Art Group!
Every Saturday from 1-4PM
30th St. Senior Center, 3rd floor
“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly,
is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.”
Kurt Vonnegut
No experience necessary. We welcome artists of all levels and
genres. Join us each Saturday to: paint, draw, collage, and play! This is a
supportive group of LGBT folks who enjoy sharing in the creative process.
Materials are provided, or feel free to bring your own. And, let us know
what kind of art you want to do! We strive to provide supplies and instruction based on your interest.
For more info call 415-728-0193
5
April 2015
Sunday
See page 3 for key to locations.
Monday
Tuesday
Openhouse Main Line: (415) 296-8995 (extensions below)
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
Poetry Salon 10 AM Castro
Lunch Bunch 10:30 AM Curry X304
“Clearing House”: Cluttering Support
12:30–2 PM X304
Men’s HIV Support Call Greg X309
Intermediate Spanish 4:15–5:45 PM
5
Prime Timers
2–3:30 PM
The Sequoias 1400 Geary
Blvd.
Call (415) 552-6641 for info
12
Men’s Second Sunday
w/Grahame Perry12–2
Francis of Assisi
Women’s Second
Sunday w/Kit Kennedy 
3–5 PM
Francis of Assisi
19
Prime Timers
2–3:30 PM
The Sequoias 1400 Geary
Blvd.
Call (415) 552-6641 for info
26
Openhouse Spring Fling
Call Will for tix and info:
(415) 231-5871
Call Suzi to volunteer:
(415) 231-5870
6
7
Always Active 10 AM Castro
Always Active 10 AM Castro
Housing Workshop 12–1:30 PM
RSVP required: 415-347-8509
Grief Group 4–5:30 PM OH X304
New Release Movies 12:45 PM Castro
Men’s Group 2–3:30 PM OH
13
14
8
15
Poetry Salon 10 AM Castro
New Release Movies 12:45 PM
Castro
Men’s Group 2–3:30 PM OH
Women’s Writing5-6:30 OH
Laguna Honda Visit 1:50PM
X304 for info
Lunch Bunch 10:30 AM Curry X304
“Clearing House”: Cluttering Support
12:30–2 PM X304
20
Always Active 10 AM Castro
New Release Movies 12:45 PM
Castro
Men’s Group 2–3:30 PM OH
Japanese Culture and History
 6–8 PM OH
27
Always Active 10 AM Castro
21
Always Active 10 AM Castro
\
Grief Group 4–5:30 PM OH X304
Men’s HIV Support Call Greg X309
22
Poetry Salon 10 AM Castro
Rainbow Lunch with the Green Geezer
12 PM OH RSVP X310
Men’s HIV Support Call Greg X309
Drop-in Caregiver Support6–7:30PM
OH See page 11
Always Active 10 AM Castro
Opera Group 1PM OH
New Release Movies 12:45 PM
Castro
Grief Group 4–5:30 PM OH X304
Housing Resource Grp12:30–1:30 PM OH
Japanese Culture and History
Men’s Group 2–3:30 PM OH
 6–8 PM OH
Women’s Writing5–6:30 OH
16
Women’s Support 2-3:30PM
290 Dolores St. at 16th
Intake required X304
Beginning Spanish
Call X305 to RSVP 4–5:45 PM OH
Meditation 11 AM The Sequoias
Games 10 AM–1 PM
Classic Movies 12:45 PM Castro The Center
th
Health & Wellness Consultation Art Group 1–4 PM - 30 St.
2-4PM OH X313 for appointment Sr. Center
Photography Series  4–5:30PM
OH
10
11
Meditation 11 AM The Sequoias
Games 10 AM–1 PM
Housing Workshop 12–1:30 PM The Center
Art Group 1–4 PM - 30th St.
RSVP required: 415-347-8509
Classic Movies 12:45 PM Castro Sr. Center
Outing to Muttville! 2 PM Join us
to visit senior dogs X304 to RSVP
Health & Wellness Consultation
2–4PM OH X313 for appointment
17
18
Meditation 11 AM The Sequoias
Games 10 AM–1 PM
Housing Workshop 12–1:30 PM The Center
th
Classic Movies 12:45 PM Castro Art Group 1–4 PM - 30 St.
Sr. Center
Health & Wellness Consultation
2-4PM OH X313 for appointment
Intermediate Spanish 4:15–5:45 PM
Intermediate Spanish 4:15–5:45 PM
28
9
Women’s Support 2-3:30PM
Rainbow Lunch 12 PM OH RSVP X310 290 Dolores St. at 16th
Film Matinee : Love!Valour!Compassion! Intake required X304
Beginning Spanish
 2PM 30th St.
Men’s HIV Support Call Greg X309
Call X305 to RSVP 4–5:45 PM OH
Intermediate Spanish 4:15–5:45 PM
Friendly Visitor Volunteer Support
6–7:30 PM OH
Always Active 10 AM Castro
Japanese Culture and History
 6–8 PM OH
Beginning Spanish
Call X305 to RSVP 4–5:45 PM OH
Poetry Salon 10 AM Castro
Always Active 10 AM Castro
Grief Group 4–5:30 PM OH X304
Women’s Support 2-3:30PM
290 Dolores St. at 16th
Intake required X304
29
Poetry Salon 10 AM Castro
Lunch Bunch 10:30 AM Curry X304
Men’s HIV Support Call Greg X309
Intermediate Spanish 4:15–5:45 PM
23
OH Book Club “Dykes to Watch Out For”
1 PM OH See back page
Women’s Support 2-3:30PM
290 Dolores St. at 16th
Intake required X304
Beginning Spanish
Call X305 to RSVP 4–5:45 PM OH
30
Women’s Support 2-3:30PM
290 Dolores St. at 16th
Intake required X304
Beginning Spanish
Call X305 to RSVP 4–5:45 PM OH
24
Meditation 11 AM The Sequoias
25
Games 10 AM–1 PM
Classic Movies 12:45 PM Castro The Center
Fourth Friday Health &
Wellness: “Chronic Pain”
with Susan Langdon, RN
3-4:30PM OH
Art Group 1–4 PM - 30th St. Sr.
Center
NEW
!
Drop-in Men’s Support
And Discussion Group
One-on-One Job Seekers
Appointments
Come make new friends at our longest continuously
running group! The group meets once a week. All
male-identified community members are welcome
to come check it out!
with Francisco Salazar
Call us to reserve an
appointment at the Castro
Senior Center.
Have you been laid off?
—On Social Security, but
need a job? Want some
personalized job seeking support that considers your
strengths, experience, and interests? We have the program
for you! Francisco Salazar, our friendly employment coach,
boasts decades of experience in the field of human resources
and will show you how to increase your chances of finding
and securing a job. Learn tools to improve interviewing skills,
create a better resume, and build your confidence.
To make an appointment, contact Suzi at:
(415)231-5870 or suzi@openhouse-sf.org
Monday’s from 2-3:30 PM
Openhouse Room 306
Meditation Every Friday
Please join us for meditation, for all experience
levels, every Friday, from 11AM –noon at the
Sequoias. Group sits for part of the hour and then
spends time to share their experiences. Sometimes
the instructor will offer a brief talk. We welcome
you to join us. See key to locations on page 3 for
address and bus line information. For more information please contact Fairley at (415) 728-0193 or
fairley@openhouse-sf.org
2nd Wednesday Matinee at 30th St. Senior Center
LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!
ONE SUMMER. EIGHT MEN. FIGURE IT OUT.
Wednesday, April 8th at 2PM
225 30th St. 3rd Floor
Free!
Film run time 1 hour 48 minutes
Starring most of the original cast from Terrence McNally's multiaward winning 1995 play, this heartfelt, funny and very human
comedy is set at a beautiful country home in Duchess County, New
York where over the course of three holiday weekends, eight gay
men gather to find refuge from their mundane lives. But despite the
considerable merrymaking and lively repartee that occurs, their holidays are shadowed by the ever present specter of AIDS.
“A touching and perceptive film.”
-Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
8
LGBT Caring Community
Online Support Group
THIS IS WHO WE ARE!
This group offers a place for
LGBT caregivers of adults
with chronic health problems to discuss the unique
issues of caring for their
partners, friends and family
members. Would you like
to talk with other caregivers? Ask for support during a difficult moment? Help someone solve a problem? The group is presented in partnership
with Family Caregiver Alliance and is facilitated by Openhouse volunteer facilitator, Mark Braverman. Join the
Caring Community Online Support Group to share
experiences, ideas and strategies.
To subscribe visit:
www.caregiver.org/online-support-groups.
For questions, contact Michelle at (415) 728-0195.
Would you like to be interviewed for
the Openhouse newsletter? —Think
you have some good stories to share? If
so, please call or email Fairley Parson. If
you email, please include a few facts
about yourself. Each month the “This is
Who We Are” interview is read by thousands of LGBT seniors across the bay.
We’ve even connected long-lost friends
through this popular feature. We’d love
to hear from even more members of
our community.
Email: fairley@openhouse-sf.org or call:
(415) 728-0193
Do You Know about “Shop-a-Round?”
Shop-a-Round is a free shuttle that makes it easier to go grocery shopping! The
service offers seniors and people with disabilities personalized assistance in getting to and
from the grocery store. The shuttle takes groups to grocery stores or supermarkets in San
Francisco where they want to shop. For 2015, all trips through the Shop-a-Round service
are FREE. The driver will help carry groceries on and off the shuttle.
Registered riders must meet at least one of these qualifications: Age 65 or older or Disabled and have a RTC Discount ID Card or Eligible for ADA Paratransit services. Applications are available online and
by calling Manuel Martinez at Openhouse (415) 347-8509. Once registration is complete, information about
scheduling Shop-a-Round trips will be mailed to you!
It’s the 2015 Spring Fling!
Don’t miss the Spring Fling, coming up on April 26th.
Call Will Roscoe at (415) 231-5871 to
buy tickets or a table, help us connect with
.
sponsors, or donate valuable
auction items.
Want to volunteer? Call Suzi at (415)231-5870
The Spring Fling is a fundraising event that provides
crucial Openhouse funding. Pictured: Chris Torno and John
Wherry accepting the 2014 Eva Lily Service Award.
9
all through my family,” he said. “My mother and
my sisters had had it and my father had Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder. I was finally diagnosed with
depression when I was 28 and have been treating
it ever since.”
This Is Who We Are: Varian Pierce
The Openhouse Interview
by Emerald O’Leary
Every first and third Wednesday Varian Pierce
facilitates the “Clearing House” drop-in support
group at Openhouse. The group is for community
members who struggle with the physical stuff of
life—the papers, the clothes, hand-me-downs, and
keepsakes that hold meaning and create
challenges in our lives. Varian is a Peer Response
team member of the Institute of Compulsive
Hoarding and Cluttering, part of the Mental Health
Association of San Francisco (MHASF). The
program addresses the problems and needs of
people with issues in these areas.
“Cluttering and hoarding is an anxiety disorder.
According to the MHASF’s website, “Peer responders all have
lived experience with collecting and accumulating. They use
their experience to provide non-judgmental, harm reductionbased, one-on-one peer support. They also give community
presentations that message anti-stigma, empowerment, and the
possibility of recovery.” MHASF services are free.
The people that suffer from it have an outsized
sense of responsibility and take responsibility for
things that they find on the street. It’s an
unconscious way of protecting us from the
anxiety. Hoarders are creative thinkers. We can
see the potential in everything but we are also
perfectionists and get overwhelmed with the
amount of things we have taken responsibility for,
that we never get to do anything about, we end
up feeling paralyzed. Everyone has something they collect, but
if you have the disorder it’s out of balance.”
For Varian, becoming healthy became his priority when he was
diagnosed with Cryptococci meningitis, a symptom of HIV/AIDS,
in 1995. Varian struggled through his first infection of that left a
fungus on his brain and four times the usual level in his
bloodstream. “They called me the Miracle Boy at Kaiser. I had
excruciating headaches and my spine was completely inflamed, I
Openhouse and MHASF use the title “Clearing House” and
felt like I had to hold my head in my
“clutter support” in part because the
term “hoarder” can be pathologizing Hoarders are creative thinkers. We can see the hands all the time. All together, I
and may not feel right or
had about four near-death
potential in everything but we are also
empowering for people. “Actually,”
perfectionists and get overwhelmed with the experiences with AIDS.” It took a
said Varian, “we are thinking of
amount of things we have taken responsibility year before his body was stabilized,
while his ongoing depression
changing the name of the Institute
for... we end up feeling paralyzed.
continued— aided and abetted by
because both cluttering and hoarding
the worst disease to ever hit San Francisco.
have become terms of stigmatization.”
About three years ago Varian said he had a breakdown and
realized that he was a hoarder After joining a support group at
MHASF, Varian found a new calling. He became passionate
about his recovery and joined the Peer Team Response Team.
“It really feels like a vocation to me,” said Varian. “I’m
fascinated by the peer support groups. Coming out as a hoarder
Varian was born in Carbondale, Kansas and grew up in Bellevue, was very difficult for me. It’s such a stigmatized thing, and a
Nebraska, the baby of a family with three sisters. He knew he
disabling condition that can lead people to isolation and even
was gay early on and came out to his friends at the age of 12
suicide. Most of us like to keep possessions that bring us
and to his family at 16. “Dad was okay about it but my mother comfort or appear to have value. But when one’s daily activities
had a much harder time. My sisters were great it was no big
and quality of life are compromised by an accumulation of
deal to them. Later one of my older sisters came out as a
things, it’s time to look at the underlying disorder.”
lesbian.” Varian says he recently discovered that many uncles
Currently, not in a romantic relationship, Varian says he’s like
and aunts in his father’s family were also hoarders.
Diana Ross, “You can’t hurry love. My concentration is on
Varian arrived in San Francisco in 1987. Prior to his work with
getting better and helping my peers to regain their mental
MHASF, he had worked in food service. “I started in the Haight health.”
when I first arrived. I was good at being a waiter as I liked
For questions about the Clearing House group, please call (415)
people and made a lot in tips. When I left after a shift I didn’t
728-0193 or, just drop by, every 1st and 3rd Wednesday from
have to think about the job until the next day. It was perfect. I
12:30-2PM at Openhouse.
needed to keep very busy and flit from table to table. I could
never sit and concentrate. Later I was diagnosed with Attention For more information on MHASF go to http://
mentalhealthsf.org/programs/prt/#sthash.8uN2G7wx.dpuf
Deficit Disorder.”
People’s behaviors exist on a spectrum and the group welcomes
everyone who identifies with having challenges with acquiring
and/or holding on to material possessions. The group is a nonjudgmental and confidential space to share struggles, strategies
and resources.
From the age of six, Varian knew he had depression. “It was
10
Case Management Program at Openhouse!
Opera Lovers
Case management is assistance in circumstances where a
senior, or adult with disabilities, or
their caregivers, are
experiencing a reduced capacity to
function and need services by formal or informal service providers.
Case managers assess needs, develop care plans, and authorize
and coordinate services among
providers such as medical, mental
health, transportation providers.
Call our case manager if you are experiencing grief, illness,
financial challenges, housing concerns, or a decline in cognitive or mental health, and we will see how we can help.
If you're an opera lover, and want to
watch an opera DVD with other opera
lovers, this is the group for you! We
bring our DVD's, and then decide on-thespot, by a vote, which one to watch. You're free to
bring your own DVD(s), but you don't have to. If there
is a rare opera that you'd like to see, we'll try to find it
for you. Last time we saw Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots,
and for next time we're thinking of Rossini's L'italiana
in Algeri, but we haven't decided yet. Regardless, we
always have a good time.
Every 4th Tuesday from 1PM-4PM
Openhouse Room 306
Questions? Call: (415) 231-5870
A case manager may:
-Help you apply for social services like In Home Supportive
Services, Meals on Wheels or Paratransit
-Identify and coordinate access to support groups or
individual therapy
-Identify community resources tailored to your needs.
To qualify for Openhouse case management you:




Must be a resident of San Francisco
Self-identify with the LGBT community
Are age 60 and above or age 18-59 with a disability
Are not currently receiving case management services
Interested or have questions? Call Katie Outzen at X302 or
email: katie@openhouse-sf.org
Openhouse CARING CONNECTIONS:
FRIENDLY VISITOR PROGRAM
Seeking Volunteers!
Caring Connections matches
trained volunteers of all ages
with LGBT older adults 60+
who enjoy taking walks,
meeting for coffee, exchanging stories and sharing a few
laughs together!
These exceptional volunteers
are supported by staff to provide ongoing companionship,
emotional support and practical assistance to
promote wellness and connection to the community! For
more information contact Michelle:
(415)728-0195 or michelle@openhouse-sf.org.
11
Join us for Rainbow Lunch on April 22nd for
Earth Day with the Green Geezer
This earth day, green your
space (yes, we just used green
as a verb) with a gift from the
Green Geezer and Openhouse!
Those of you who know Rick
Siesky likely know something of
his love for plants. An active
Openhouse community member, Rick can also be found volunteering the the San Francisco
Botanical Gardens, and tending
the rooftop garden at Curry
Senior Center. He knows a great deal about planting
in the city and he will join us for a special Rainbow
Lunch to share some of his knowledge as well as his
plants! That’s right, join us for lunch and go home
with a small bit of flora for your urban homestead
or… tiny apartment. We supply the cuttings and baby plants as well as soil and a pot to get you started.
Wednesday, April 22nd
12PM-1:30PM
The Peace Lilly: Easy to
grow in SF and a top-rated
plant for its air purification
Openhouse Room 306
RSVP by calling Suzi at
(415) 231-5870
Space is limited so call to
secure your spot!
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SAN FRANCISCO,CA
PERMIT NO. 925
1800 Market Street, PMB 93
San Francisco, CA 94102
Housing, Services and
Community for LGBT Seniors
Return Service Requested
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1
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2
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Apri
Openhouse Book Club Invites You to Join us to Discuss…
Dykes to Watch Out For
Join us for a book club discussion of Alison Bechdel’s beloved
and seminal works. You don’t have to identify as a dyke to love
these funny, insightful and provocative stories of lesbian life
by Macarthur Genius Alison Bechdel. We invite you to take a
gander at any and all of the “Dykes to Watch Out For” books,
available widely. Then, join to discuss questions like:
Does lesbian community
like this exist anymore?
Did it ever?
Which characters
do you relate to?
by Alison Bechdel
Thursday, April 23rd at 1PM
Openhouse Room 306
Join us!
Are these characters a
part of our collective
consciousness?
Do the politics energize or annoy
you? ..Is the activism illustrated
in the book relevant to you today?
The Openhouse newsletter is produced by Fairley Parson with contributions and editorial support from Emerald O’Leary, Openhouse staff, and volunteers. These programs are made
possible through generous support from the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services, Wells Fargo, The San Francisco Foundation, Horizons Foundation, Genentech,
Corporate Sponsors, and individual donors.