Japanese Americans are oldest ethnic group in U.S.
May 23, 2011
Of the 1.3 million Japanese Americans who are currently living in the country, a whopping 21.5 percent are 65 and older, making the demographic the oldest ethnic group in the United States, according to The Rafu Shimpo.
This has presented a problem when it comes to taking care of older adults, because sometimes there are two or three generations who are all depending on one another for support. Sometimes, there’s very little support at all.
Take Kikuyo Utsumi, who is 99 and has come to depend on her 77-year-old daughter, Maggi Yaguchi, for assistance with her day-to-day living. Yaguchi’s responsibilities have made her think about her own future. She maintains a rigorous fitness regimen, but knows that she, too, may require help in the coming years.
“I don’t think about age a lot, but [the fact is] I’m old,” Yaguchi told the news source.
Older adults who find themselves in a similar situation may want to consider installing a medical alert system in their home. This device enables users to immediately send a personal emergency response message to a call center if they require assistance.
