Aegis Living is focused on helping seniors find meaning and purpose, and maintain cognitive function for a happier, healthier life. We also focus on giving back to the employees that help make that possible. This is precisely why Aegis Living runs the Potato Soup Foundation – to help staff members who find themselves in times of need.
Chief executive officer and founder of Aegis Living, Dwayne Clark, had a difficult life as a child. Raised largely by a single mother struggling to get by, there were times when he and his mom went without food or money. In fact, as Clark divulged in a moving interview, they once went an entire week surviving on nothing more than potatoes.
“When I was probably about 16 years old, there’s about a week in my life where my mom and I didn’t have a lot to eat,” Clark said. “And so she actually stole some potatoes from her place of employment and we lived on potato soup for about eight or nine days. During that time, she would say, ‘Now I don’t want you to forget, employees have needs just like we’re having this need right now and, you always need to be there for their employees and they’ll always be there for you.’”
Clark never forgot his mother’s words. As conditions got better for him and his mother and he grew into a young man, he would keep the sentiment close to heart. And when he went on to found Aegis Living, he began looking for ways that he could help his own employees during their time of extreme need. That’s when, in 2005, he began the Potato Soup Foundation.
“We’re an organization of people helping people,” Clark said. “When we can do that for our staff, that’s really a great thing and I think that’s the message my mom was trying to convey. There are just so many opportunities to help, and this is such an important cause for us.”
This non-profit organization works to benefit employees going through crises or dealing with emergencies. Its reach extends to Aegis Living staff at its 32 communities in the U.S. Donations are collected both within those communities – for example, employees can choose to give 25 cents out of each paycheck to the foundation – as well as from outside organizations and donors. The amounts may be small, but every little bit counts and adds up quickly.
As Clark explained to Seattle Business Magazine in October 2013, it’s all based on the principle of empathy.
“If you [an employee] can’t eat, we’ll feed you,” Clark told the source. “If someone needs emergency dental surgery and can’t afford it, we’ll pay for it. Employees making $11 to $13 an hour will give 25 cents a week from their paychecks because we’ve created a culture of caring for each other. I also tell all my senior executives to ask everyone [we do business with] what they can do for our employees.”
Each year, about two dozen Aegis workers in need of financial assistance receive help from the Potato Soup Foundation. One such employee is Griselda Galvan, who works at Aegis of Aptos. She explained during an interview that she had been going through a rough time. Her husband had just been laid off from work began to experience heart problems and was in need of an urgent triple bypass surgery. Meanwhile, her young daughter was going to the University of California, Santa Cruz, and needed her tuition payments made.
“Everything was going wrong. Everything was bad,” Galvan said. “When we received that help from the Potato Soup Foundation, it was like a light at the end of the tunnel. Everything started changing after that. Our daughter graduated last month from UCSC with a double major. My husband got a job and he’s healthy now – he looks much better. And I was promoted. … This is a company that we can count on whenever we need help.”
The Potato Soup Foundation is just one of the many ways that Aegis Living gives back to its dedicated employees and the communities in which they’re located. The company also presents the Charlie Clause program, which allows each community to nominate one employee to receive food, clothes, toys and other items during the holiday season. Also during the holidays, Aegis hosts Winterfest, which lets employees shop from items that were purchased by the company for them. Other initiatives include a competitive compensation plan and benefits package, extensive education and training and financial assistance programs during the holidays. It’s all a part of the company culture of Aegis Living, which is based around compassion and support.
Respite Stays & Day Stays give family caregivers a real break—hours, days, or a few weeks—while your loved one enjoys a safe, enriching short‑term home at Aegis Living. Guests settle into a beautifully furnished private apartment and have 24/7 care staff and onsite nurses, medication management, and discreet safety technology (motion sensors, medical‑alert pendants, visitor check‑in) for peace of mind. Each day feels purposeful with chef‑prepared, all‑day dining and 200+ monthly activities—from book clubs and fitness classes to movie nights—plus full use of the community. We coordinate with your loved one’s physicians to mirror their routines and care, so the stay feels familiar. It’s also a smart trial run for senior living: meet neighbors, test services, and see what supported independence looks like—without a long‑term commitment. Choose a Respite Stay when you’re traveling or need time to recharge, when your loved one would benefit from structure, social connection, and great meals, or when you both want peace of mind while keeping options open.
Hospice & End‑of‑Life Care at Aegis Living is comfort‑first support for the final stage of life, delivered in your loved one’s private apartment by our 24/7 care team in coordination with a trusted local hospice provider you choose (or we can recommend). Together, we create a coordinated care plan that manages pain and other symptoms, oversees medications, and provides calm, dignified help with daily needs, while offering compassionate emotional support for both resident and family. Discreet safety measures and a reliable medical‑alert system bring help quickly; chef‑prepared, in‑apartment meals adapt to changing appetites. Families are guided through decisions and moments of closure so they can focus on being present in a peaceful, home‑like setting. If your loved one already lives at Aegis, they can remain in the comfort of their home, avoiding disruptive moves. Choose this level of care when curative treatment is no longer the goal and you want expert symptom control, hands‑on daily support, and a setting that protects dignity and prioritizes comfort, meaning, and time together.
Memory Care is specialized, secure support for people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias who benefit from a calm, structured environment and round‑the‑clock expertise. At Aegis Living, that care happens in Life’s Neighborhood—an intimate, thoughtfully designed setting where 24/7 dementia‑trained caregivers and a nursing team on site seven days a week deliver personalized help with daily living, medication management, and mobility (including Hoyer lifts and two‑person transfers), while gently redirecting agitation and confusion. Days are purpose‑filled with science‑based cognitive programming, certified music therapy, and social activities; chef‑prepared meals are easy to enjoy and dining spaces and cues are designed for memory support. Discreet safety features like secured entrances, emergency pendants with fall detection, and optional motion sensors, prevent wandering and bring peace of mind, and visiting physicians and wellness professionals reduce trips off‑site. Families receive education and ongoing support. If your loved one is unsafe alone, missing medications, wandering, needs frequent cueing or hands‑on help with bathing or dressing, or thrives with a predictable routine, Memory Care offers the right level of care. For milder needs, our transitional Assisted Living can be a first step; for advancing symptoms, secured Memory Care provides the specialized, heartfelt support to help them feel calm, connected, and at home.