In the United States, it is common for the elderly to spend their later years in nursing homes or for patients to receive short-term or long-term care and rehabilitation in these facilities. For Chinese immigrants, aging also involves adapting to local customs and selecting a suitable place for their golden years early on, which has become an important issue.
On July 30th, Yu Jinshan, the head of the Chinese-American Association in New York, and Tian Limei, a director of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, led a team to visit the Norwegian Christian Home located in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. The motivation behind this field trip was straightforward: nursing home resources in Manhattan are scarce.
“Nowadays, the shortage in Manhattan is mainly nursing homes,” Yu Jinshan pointed out. “Especially after several nursing homes closed down, there is only one left, the Gouverneur Hospital, but applications are extremely difficult.” He further explained that one of the main reasons is the upscale real estate market— one hospital that used to be in the Lower East Side earned eighty million dollars from selling land, leaving the elderly with nowhere to go. Even though the New York State Attorney General requested businesses to find alternative locations, the reality is that there is almost no available land around Chinatown.
Faced with resource constraints, many Chinese elderly people, like Mrs. Zhou, have started to choose the Brooklyn area away from Chinatown. Mrs. Zhou currently resides in the Norwegian Christian Home, where she is in good health, can take care of herself, and lives in an “independent living” apartment type, which includes a bedroom and a bathroom. The rooms are cleaned daily and the linens are changed, and there are facilities such as a restaurant, library, activity room, meeting room, gym, and a large garden downstairs, providing comprehensive amenities.
She mentioned that most residents here are Caucasian, so Western cuisine, such as steak, pork chops, fish, vegetables, pasta, and noodles, is predominantly served for three meals a day, while there is only one style of Chinese meal, shrimp fried rice. However, the overall taste is mild and balanced in nutrition; she is used to the Western cuisine as well.
“The environment here is good, quiet, and from the window, I can see the large garden in the backyard. Most importantly, I can go out freely, take the subway to Manhattan for tea, or visit friends at the Brooklyn community center,” she said. For her, convenient transportation and the ability to “move around freely and socialize” are essential aspects of elderly life.
The nursing home also organizes various activities, with the schedule posted on the bulletin board, allowing residents to participate freely according to their interests. Although there are occasional language barriers, Mrs. Zhou communicates with her daughter living in another city through the phone for translation, so daily life is not a problem.
It can be said that the nursing homes in Brooklyn also reflect a historical epitome of the changing ethnic composition in New York’s communities.
“Before, all of Eighth Avenue was populated by Northern Europeans,” Yu Jinshan said. Eighth Avenue in Brooklyn was once an area where Northern European immigrants lived, so there were several nursing homes run by Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian communities. He has visited a Danish nursing home and institutions run by Italians, most of which are organized by ethnic communities themselves to take care of the cultural, linguistic, and religious needs of their elderly.
However, as the population of Northern European immigrants gradually decreased and the community’s demographic changed, the institutions that previously “only served their own people” had to open their doors to welcome elderly individuals from different ethnic groups. Inside the nursing homes, multilingual services are now provided, even considering the needs of different cultural backgrounds in meal arrangements and holiday planning. Yu Jinshan stated, “In some nursing homes now, the number of Chinese residents is increasing, and the services are becoming more tailored to the Chinese population.”
The Norwegian Christian Home is one such facility transitioning from tradition, founded in 1903, and currently offering three main types of services: Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Short-Term Rehabilitation.
The “Independent Living” type is suitable for healthy elderly individuals who can take care of themselves, similar to senior apartments with freedom in living and comprehensive facilities. Assisted Living is designed for those who need assistance with daily living.
Short-Term Rehabilitation mainly caters to patients who have just undergone surgery and need temporary rehabilitation, such as those who have had hip or knee joint surgery, allowing them to rest and recover here. In addition, there are services like 24/7 emergency professional nursing care and short-term care.
Victoria Chin, a consultant at the nursing home, emphasized that the facility has convenient transportation access and ample parking spaces, making it more convenient for family members to visit. “Family members can come to see their parents every day, and if they have to worry about parking, the time spent visiting will be very limited. This allows us to spend more time with our family,” she said.
As for costs and fees, they vary depending on individual income, eligibility, and the choice of room type. Those who meet the low-income criteria can receive Medicaid benefits, not only avoiding personal expenses every month but also receiving some pocket money. On the other hand, for private paying residents, for example, the daily accommodation cost for a one-bedroom independent living type is about $100, and with meal and medical care added, the monthly cost could reach $4000. If the elderly person has Medicare or Social Security income, the financial burden can also be alleviated.
Yu Jinshan concluded by stating that the importance of this visit is to ensure that the Chinese community is aware of more viable aging resources.