In addition to LA, there are 10 centers in outlying areas such as Burbank, North Hollywood, West Covina, and the Valley, seven in Orange County, and two each in San Bernardino and San Diego counties, for a total of 52 ADHC facilities for Koreans in the entire state.
Currently, Western ADHC is located at Olympic Boulevard and Westlake, Koreatown ADHC is located at Olympic and Normandy, and Sunrise ADHC is located at Olympic and Kingsley. Lily ADHC and Kingsley Place ADHC are located across from each other near 6th and Kingsley. You’ll also find Kheir Mirae Adult Day Health Care Center at Western Avenue and 7th Street, and Daylight ADHC at Western and Washington Boulevard.
Wilshire ADHC, Mayfair ADHC, Better Life ADHC, and Beverly ADHC also serve Korean seniors.
Centers in Van Nuys, Sherman Way, and Pacific serve at least 150 Korean seniors daily. According to the state data, the number of people each center can accommodate varies depending on the size of the location, but can range from a minimum of 50 to a maximum of 180. By comparison, in the Los Angeles area alone, between 3,500 and 4,000 Korean seniors use care centers.
According to officials, the number of ADHCs for Koreans has grown significantly in the past 10 years. This is linked to the aging of the Korean American population. As the number of seniors in Koreatown continues to grow, ADHCs are opening to meet the growing demand.
For example, the location of Lily ADHC used to be a kindergarten but was converted to a senior health center in 2019 as the child population declined.
“I think the growing number of seniors in Koreatown is because Koreans who moved to the outer suburbs to educate their children have returned to Koreatown and the senior population has increased,” said an activity coordinator at the Valley Adult Day Health Care. “On average, there are about 140 seniors every day, of which about 90 seniors are Koreans.”
The ADHC, which is under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Aging, is a program designed to maintain the physical and mental health of seniors, offering a variety of activities such as exercise, music, and recreation, as well as breakfast and lunch.
Korean seniors can gain the opportunity to socialize with fellow Koreans and to have their prescription medications and health status checked by nurses and social workers at the center. This convenience leads to an increase in the number of enrollments in Adult Day Health Care Centers.
“I try to go as often as I can as they come to my door and pick me up and give me a meal,” said Mi-Young Chung (78), a resident in Sun Valley. “Most of all, it’s good to be outside and meet people and be with them, so I don’t feel lonely.”
According to state data, 90 percent of the 290 ADHCs statewide serve immigrants with limited English proficiency.
A program director at Sherman Way Adult Day Health Care, which serves Korean seniors in Los Angeles and the Valley, said, “On average, we get about 180 people a day who stay for about four hours and enjoy medical care, exercise, and recreation. They like it because the staff treats them well.”
“What’s unfortunate is that the state’s support is the same as it was 10 years ago,” he said, adding, “Managing an aging senior population requires attention and action from the authorities, including increased funding.”
BY NICOLE CHANG, JUNHAN PARK [chang.nicole@koreadaily.com]
