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Korean American Senior Survey Finds New Needs

Senior support program manager June Jihyun Chung was one of the main coordinators of the survey. Left: Executive Director of KCCEB John Kim. Photo by Ji hyun Lim.

By Ethen Lieser

The Korean Community Center of the East Bay (KCCEB) figured the best way to help Korean American seniors was to first understand what they needed. And the best way to get that information is through a survey — which turned out to be one of the most comprehensive senior surveys ever done in the Bay Area.

Four hundred forty-six Korean American seniors over the age of 62 participated in the project, responding to queries regarding demographics, legal status, immigration, public benefits, health and housing problems. For the past three months, with the support of the California Department of Aging Long-Term Care Grant, KCCEB launched a new Support Program for Bay Area Korean American Seniors in Alameda, San Francisco and Contra Costa Counties.

“It’s not just important to collect the data but to also learn something from the data,” said John Kim, the executive director of KCCEB. “Now with this information, I can go to the board of directors and clearly say what the seniors and the community have said to us, and we will have statistical proof for that.”

Said June Jihyun Chung, the senior support program manager of KCCEB and one of the main coordinators of the survey: “We have been working exclusively with seniors for the last 25 years,” but now, they need to gather statistics from them.

With the survey, the KCCEB did the ultimate check-up, but the numbers and graphs gathered from the findings did not comfort KCCEB, instead, it showed how much more needs to be done.

One of the main problems the elderly Bay Area Korean Americans face today is translation. When seniors enter any public area, such as hospitals and post offices, translators are legally required to be available in case they are needed. Sarah Kim-Lee, of the Commission of Alameda County Area Agency on Aging, said what should be lawfully implemented for the elderly Korean American community, isn’t being done.

Kim-Lee told a story of a man named Mr. Kim of San Francisco, who went to a hospital and asked for a translator, but no one was available — a situation that has occured all too often. Sixty-one percent of the seniors surveyed said when choosing a personal doctor, the ability to converse in Korean is the most important requirement. “You are entitled to receive translation at these [public] places,” Kim-Lee said.

To counteract shortages of translators, many public service organizations are using under-qualified and uncertified people.

“Mainstream people think when one speaks the language, they can be used as a translator,” Kim-Lee said. “So they end up using janitors at hospitals or children.”

According to the KCCEB survey, 34.4 percent didn’t have knowledge of their legal rights to obtain a translator. Moreover, Kim-Lee said the reason why this problem hasn’t surfaced to public consciousness is because, compared to Chinese Americans, there isn’t a large Korean American population in the Bay Area.

Another finding showed a difficulty among the elderly finding and utilizing public transportation. With the average age of the seniors surveyed at 74 — most without cars — many do not have the physical capabilities to use buses or BART. Almost 43 percent of the seniors surveyed said walking is one of their modes of transportation. KCCEB is looking into purchasing a van to be used by Korean American seniors.

Other findings pointed out 29.1 percent face loneliness, 55 percent are depressed once in a while, 7 percent are depressed most of the time, 12.5 percent have been victims of mental abuse, and 8 percent have battled physical abuse.

Though the numbers might be hard to swallow, Kim said KCCEB is now able to pinpoint the exact needs of the seniors. This would allow for a stronger case for changes needed in KCCEB’s programs and funding to better help the Korean American senior community.

To expand its services and reach more seniors, KCCEB has initiated, along with Asian Health Services and UC Berkeley Center for Family and Community Health, the Virtual Village Program, in which 21 health and social service sites are placed throughout the Bay Area. Each site will have internet stations with access to KCCEB’s website, which provides information on various health and social services.

“It points KCCEB in new directions,” Kim said. “[For example], Instead of just filling out applications for housing, we can now start to advocate for development of more housing.”

Reach Ethen Lieser at elieser@asianweek.com.