Culturally sensitive senior care supports aging Japanese Americans
Mary Gima greets strangers with a warm smile as she mingles among diners enjoying lunch at Nikkei Senior Gardens. At 89, she moves among newcomers and friends with equal eagerness and cheer.
Mary Gima, 89, crochets a blanket in her room at Nikkei Senior Gardens in the Arleta area in Los Angeles. The assisted-living community is designed to attract Japanese American seniors, who live longer than most other groups, according to a U.S. Census Bureau survey.
Mary Gima gets instruction fromactivity assistant Takako Miura, center, during an arts and crafts class at the senior assisted-living center.