Announcement for new board-and-care home made at Keiro no Hi.
By Ellen Endo, P.C. Contributor
Keiro President and CEO Beverly Ito at the Sept. 13 Keiro no Hi event (Photo: Courtesy of Ellen Endo)
Amid a lighthearted carnival atmosphere featuring games, food and entertainment, when Keiro no Hi (Respect for the Aged Day) unfolded for the eighth year on Sept. 13, Keiro President and CEO Beverly Ito announced that the nonprofit organization is building a new board-and-care home in Torrance, Calif.
Asked about lessons learned in the years since the facility changed ownership, Ito stated that Keiro conducted two community-wide surveys to assess the community’s needs and also began to focus on memory care.
“What we realized was that people want to age in place for as long as possible near their friends and family or in their homes,” Ito said.
It has been 10 years since the sale of Keiro’s flagship Boyle Heights senior care facility to a for-profit company sparked controversy within the Japanese American community.
Recognizing the challenges of a burgeoning senior population, Ito emphasized that the possibility of becoming a caregiver to aging parents, siblings or a spouse is a reality. She pointed to the educational aspects of Keiro’s work, grant program, quality of life programs, family conferences and basically learning to be better caregivers.
“We think that this board-and-care vision is important because it offers a more homelike environment for them, while still retaining our values as Japanese … that culture and respect for the elderly,” Ito added.
The event drew more than 500 attendees to the grounds of Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo-adjacent Los Angeles and also signaled a generational shift as a growing number of baby boomers joined the ranks of senior citizenship. The Motown sounds provided a fitting musical backdrop for this Keiro no Hi as the oldest among the boomer cohort redefines its generation.
Performers included the Asian Persuasion band, Hidesomi Bando, Ukeleles of Little Tokyo, Orange County Friendship Choir, Nishi Hongwanji Childhood Development Center, magician Bill Yamane, L.A. Taiko Ichiza and Michael Murata. Brian Kito and Korey Kito of Fugetsudo provided a demonstration of traditional wagashi, or mochi-making.
Presenting sponsor was the Kawaguchi-Kihara Memorial Foundation. F.E.G. Investment Advisors, Troutman Pepper Locke and US Bank were bronze sponsors.
