We envision a society in which all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders age with dignity and well-being
Our Core Values
Teamwork and Collaboration
A commitment to common goals based on open and honest communication while showing concern, support, and encouragement for one another. This includes working together to resolve conflict and lend a hand to whomever or wherever help is needed.
Advocacy
Identifying, fully considering, and appropriately advancing NAPCA’s mission to preserve and promote the dignity, well-being, and quality of life of AAPIs and other diverse populations as they age.
Diversity
Commitment to building an environment comprised of a variety of different cultures, backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, values, and beliefs. NAPCA celebrates this diversity to foster creativity and innovation, and maximize individual potential.
Empowerment
Supports a culture and environment of enabling individual development and independence through the advancement of skills, authority, opportunity, and motivation.
Commitment to Excellence
Striving for the highest quality in the delivery of our programs, services, and products. This means being accountable for our actions, delivering on commitments, thinking creatively, and improving continuously.
Embracing Employee Culture…
…showcasing that we enjoy working hard and playing hard!
Describe your image
Our History
With over 40 years of working on behalf of AAPI older adults, NAPCA is more committed than ever to promoting their dignity, well-being, and quality of life.
What motivates us? Respect. Honor. Love.
We want to ensure that AAPI elders have the programs and services they need wherever they live in the U.S. That’s why we’re building the capacity of mainstream service providers to be culturally competent and linguistically appropriate. And that’s why we’re adamant that the input of our older adults are taken into account in all decisions that affect them.
There are over 50 AAPI ethnicities that speak over 100 languages. As diverse as we are as AAPIs, the common thread that ties us together is our families. Our parents, and grandparents before them, have instilled the value of family above all things, and that’s what makes our AAPI elders so special.
Over the generations, AAPI families who have immigrated to the U.S. have given us gifts from their host cultures, including language, cuisines, arts, religion, talents, customs, music, and courtesies. As a result, our lives are richer because of the elders who have come before us.
Our Timeline
1976 – Research grant from the Administration on Aging
The grant funded creation of the National Pacific/Asian Elderly Research Project (NP/AERP). The Project, based in Los Angeles, engaged in research to help in the development of new “service delivery models” for AAPI elderly, gathering empirical data in Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
1979 - NAPCA is started
The Pacific Asian Coalition, a national AAPI advocacy group, sponsored a proposal to the Administration on Aging to create a permanent national resource center as a successor to NP/AERP. The Administration provided funding for a “Pacific/Asian Elderly Resource Center Development Project” in Chicago, New York, Honolulu, and San Francisco to bridge the gap between AAPI elderly and the services to which they were entitled. On November 1, 1979, NAPCA was born.
1989 - NAPCA adds direct training and employment services for AAPI seniors
Nothing did more to boost the visibility and impact of NAPCA than its establishment as a provider of direct training and employment services for AAPI seniors. In July of 1989, NAPCA started to administer Title V of the Older Americans Act, also known as the Senior Community Services Employment Program (SCSEP). NAPCA SCSEP targets limited- and non-English speaking seniors 55 and older, helping them get on-the-job training in nonprofit organizations and government agencies and find permanent jobs.
2004 - NAPCA creates a National Multilingual Helpline
NAPCA created a National Multilingual Helpline where limited-English-speaking seniors can call to get help about Medicare, low-income subsidies, and other federal benefits. The multilingual Helpline is staffed by counselors fluent in Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese.
2016 – New strategic direction
In November of 2016, the Board of Directors ratified new strategic goals around national leadership, advocacy, expertise, accurate information and data, and strengthening the organization.
2017 - Helpline temporarily discontinued
2019 - CARE Registry launched to address health and medical disparities for AAPI
NAPCA partners with the University of California San Francisco to develop the nation's first AAPI medical research registry.
2020 - Multi-language HELPLINE relaunched to support elders during the pandemic
In response to COVID-19, NAPCA relaunches improved version of its nationwide multilingual Helpline to provide emergency support for AAPI older adults.
Our Achievements
Chronic
Disease Self-Management
Implemented the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program in AAPI older adult communities.
Preventing Medicare Fraud
Disseminated information about Medicare fraud and assisted AAPI elders in resolving billing errors.
Medicare Part D Enrollment Assistance
Assisted AAPI elders with reviewing prescription drug plans and enrolling them in new plans during the Medicare Part D Open Enrollment period.
"Ask NAPCA" Columns
Addressed AAPI elders’ benefits eligibility issues in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese language newspapers across the United States.
Brain Health Messaging Project
Tested culturally appropriate messages to improve early identification of dementia by engaging adult children and their families.
Community Based Capacity Building Initiative
Developed community action plans for the unique social and health service needs of AAPI elders.
"Healthy Eating, Healthy Aging" Nutrition Intervention
Promoted heart health through nutrition education in a culturally competent and linguistically appropriate manner among AAPI older adults.
Dual Eligible Video Project
Promoted Medicare savings programs for low-income AAPI elders, focusing on immigrant applicants.
