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San Jose Mercury News, Friday, August 6, 2004 (pages 1C & 4C) Living center's residents say cultural needs not being met By Katherine Corcoran When it opened in late 2001, Fremont's Aegis Gardens was touted as one of a kind— the Bay Area's first for-profit assisted living center designed specifically for elderly Chinese, with culturally specific food, design and gardens, as well as Chinese-speaking staff.
Tensions culminated in late June when 30 residents signed a petition protesting the naming of acting Executive Director Andrea Smith as permanent director despite her controversial leadership. No formal complaints have been filed with the state. "After living here more than a year, we come to the sad conclusion that things have not turned out (as) they were deemed to be," Pei Yang Chang, an 88-year-old retired economics professor, wrote in a letter to Aegis Regional Vice President Tom Laborde.
"When we get a complaint or concern, we address it," said Karen Lucas, vice president for strategic marketing for Aegis, a Redmond, Wash.-based company that operates 31 centers in five western states. "We reserve the right to get better." Residents contacted by the Mercury News confirmed the problems but did not want to be named. Aegis Gardens, with 64 units accommodating up to 80 people, is the company's only Chinese-oriented center, though there is one run by another company in Oakland. The upscale Aegis Gardens is designed to meet the needs of the Bay Area's aging population of Chinese immigrants and their children, as both follow more American traditions of independence and outside care of the elderly. Residents pay all costs Rents vary, but are at least $4,000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, food and assistance with bathing, dressing and taking medications. The center does not take Medi-Cal, and residents pay all costs themselves. Rosemary Chang of Piedmont said her parents want to stay at Aegis Gardens. "I can hire someone to be with them in my house, but that's not a good life. They don't have the community," she said. According to letters and petitions obtained by the Mercury News, troubles at the center went on for several months without a response, starting with the departures in March of Executive Director Ken Ho, a former San Francisco hotel manager, and Maintenance Director Louie Tsao, who speaks four languages, including Mandarin and Cantonese. Dispute on response Aegis officials say they met with residents and called Chang about his concerns. But Chang wrote on June 29 that "I did not receive an acknowledgment, nor a response to my letters," the first of which was sent in April. Ho said he is legally bound from discussing his departure. Tsao said Aegis tried to save money by taking non-Chinese workers from its other Fremont assisted living center and dividing their time between the two facilities. It also tried to cut costs by charging residents who need help opening their windows and limiting diners to two napkins per meal, residents said. Residents have also complained that the center only spent $5.25 per resident a day on food. Though management has since raised the food budget to $5.75 a day, the food budget remains an issue. The Aegis Gardens situation is a "typical business problem" among companies trying to serve ethnic communities, said Felipe Korzenny, Florida State University professor of marketing communities and a local marketing consultant. The Aegis company has no Asian-American managers or corporate executives outside of its Chinese-oriented facility, Lucas said. Aegis officials said they have made changes as a result of resident concerns and are not cutting corners or limiting napkins. Contact Katherine Corcoran at kcorcoran@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5330 http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/9334434.htm?1c ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Articles on Aegis Gardens
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But in the last few months, residents say, beloved Chinese staff members have resigned
or been released, and replaced by employees who speak only English. The new staff
members have implemented several culturally puzzling changes: buying wine for
"happy hour," moving a pingpong table into the tai chi space, and banning residents
from cooking zong zi, a special rice dumpling prepared for the Chinese Dragon
Boat Festival.
Aegis officials say they are responding to residents' concerns. After receiving phone
calls from the Mercury News this week, they issued a statement to residents outlining
recent changes: The hiring of a Chinese-speaking nurse and replacing the newly appointed
Smith with a Chinese-speaking executive director who will begin work later this month.
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