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LOS ANGELES, June 18, 2024 — Keiro Board of Directors announced plans to engage with community members on its intent to develop small-scale residential models of care, commonly referred to as “board and care homes,” to support those affected by memory loss. Building upon previous community feedback, discussions with experts in the field of Alzheimer’s research and care, as well as monitoring trends in aging services, Keiro will launch another online survey and conduct select focus group meetings as it pursues opportunities to meet the evolving needs of our older adults and their caregivers in Our Community.

“Keiro is very excited to share this new component of our strategic vision with Our Community. While we remain steadfast in our commitment to focus on the overwhelming community preference to age at home, we recognize the importance of looking into supporting the needs of those who require additional care,” commented Keiro Board Chair Jack Kurihara.

 “Knowing that one in six persons age 65 and over will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and one in five will have other types of dementia, the need for advanced memory care services cannot be overlooked,” added Keiro President & CEO Beverly Ito. “Keiro is excited to take another step forward as we seize upon opportunities to develop financially viable, self-sustaining memory care services. We invite everyone to engage with Keiro this summer as we commit to our vision to strengthen Our Community’s infrastructure by supporting those with memory loss.”

In February 2024, Keiro shared the findings from its 2023 Community Needs Survey held last summer. This survey, which was part of Keiro’s ongoing commitment to understanding the evolving aging needs of Our Community, confirmed that the majority of community members want to age in place at home, unless they experience a decline in their physical or cognitive health or the loss of essential caregiver support.

In response to the findings from the community needs survey and in its continuing efforts to strengthen the network of support for older adults and caregivers, the Keiro Board of Directors has decided to move forward with developing financially sustainable board and care homes that reflect our community’s needs for additional memory support.

In developing an accessible, self-sustaining board and care model that provides quality memory care support, Keiro invites community members to engage via an online survey. The survey will be available from June 18, 2024, through September 30, 2024.

Community members are eligible to participate in this Memory Care Survey if they meet the following criteria:

  1. Consider themselves a part of the Japanese American and Japanese community and
  2. Reside or have a close loved one living in Los Angeles, Orange, or Ventura counties.

    Note: The survey is for adults, age 18 and older. You do NOT have to be affected by memory loss or cognitive decline to participate.

Community members may access the survey at  keiro.org/survey. The online survey is available in both English and Japanese.

Paper surveys will be available upon request. Please contact 213.873.5700 or email [email protected]. The final date to request a paper survey is September 1, 2024, and completed paper surveys must be received by September 30, 2024.

Separately, an invitation to participate in small focus groups has been sent out to individuals who signed up for the 2023 Community Needs Survey. Keiro will invite individuals with diverse backgrounds to participate in these focus groups. Keiro will also continue to meet with key stakeholders to further its vision to develop accessible board and care homes for those with memory loss.

For more information, Frequently Asked Questions, and to participate in the Memory Care Survey, please visit keiro.org/survey. For any questions, please contact [email protected].


About Keiro

Founded in 1961, Keiro improves the quality of life for older adults and their caregivers in the Japanese American community of Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties. Keiro provides a range of culturally-sensitive programs and resources, in both English and Japanese, to meet the evolving needs of our aging community. In everything we do, we advance our mission through a person-centered, innovative, and collaborative approach.