Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 10, 1 October 2011 — Molokaʻi kūpuna, and caregivers, take advantage of day care [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Molokaʻi kūpuna, and caregivers, take advantage of day care

By Cheryl Corbiell II A ging is not lost youth * * / \ but a new stage of ^^\ opportunity," said /^^^ American writer / \Betty Friedan. For the past year, Nā Pu'uwai's Senior Enrichment Adult Day Care Center on Moloka'i has offered kūpuna opportunities to learn in an enriching and friendly environment for up to 10 hours a day, Monday through Friday. Margaret "Maka" Joao, 90, enjoys making people happy using her robust, singing voice. "If I wasn't here, I would be a solo singer at home during the day, but here I have people to sing with all week," said Joao. The center is also concerned about easing the load on caregivers. "The center is a daily partner by ensuring family members ean remain employed versus leaving employment to care for their kūpuna," said Billy Akutagawa, Nā Pu'uwai Executive Director. More than 70 percent of the center's kūpuna are Native Hawaiian. The majority was born on Moloka'i while others moved to Moloka'i to be closer to family members. "Yes, it was a big change to move here from O'ahu, but I have new friends and enjoy the daily arts and crafts," said kūpuna Mattie Lester. The center's Program and Activity Director and three Certified Nurse Aides interact with a maximum of 12 participants. "We have been averaging eight participants because attendance varies due to sick days, and sometimes participants are relocated to a higher level of care off-island, or sadly depart this life," said Jossette Mollena, Program and Activity Director. Nā Pu'uwai, assisted by an Office of Hawaiian Affairs grant,

conducted community forums and surveys to determine what Moloka'i's kūpuna and caregivers desired. Community feedback requested a eonhnuum of services from independent living to a longterm care facility. Kūpuna wanted overwhelmingly to remain in their own homes to "age in plaee," with health-care personnel providing home services. The Adult Day Care Center is the first step in Moloka'i's care continuum. "OHA continues to help with a grant this year to subsidize kūpuna who are struggling with the program's cost," said Akutagawa, the Executive Director. Located at Moloka'i's only senior-housing facility, Home Pumehana, the center's airconditioned, well-lit remodeled conference room resembles a comfortable, combination dining room and living room. Soothing music provides a relaxed amhienee. Naps are taken in cozy La-Z-Boy chairs. Center participants eat breakfast, hot luneh and moming and afternoon snacks. During breaks, kūpuna are encouraged to take strolls before sitting on the lānai's furniture. A decorative 6-foot wrought iron fence defines the grass yard. Guests are surprised by the center's locked gate. While some participants live independently at Home Pumehana and others are driven in by family members, a reality of aging is some participants have varying stages of Alzheimer's or age-related dementia, and the locked gate protects participants from wandering away. Using varied cognitive and sensory activities to stimulate clients, the schedule includes singing, individual activities, and exercise, such as Tai Chi. For example, one activity was about compliments in a heart-warming lesson called "Glasses, Glasses, What do I See; Glasses, Glasses,

What is Special About Me?" The lesson's underlying message was that a kupuna's daily voyage of discovery consisted not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes, so to speak, eaeh day. "I learn new information in the daily activities and enjoy the fellowship at the center," said Chieko Mikami, 91. The center strives to be an intergenerational program and conducts weekly field trips to places such as Kumu Farms' papaya fields or the Native Hawaiian Library. In addition, outside programs visit the center, such as the Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool Program, the middle school's HawaiianLanguage Immersion Program and a robotics afterschool program at

Kaunakakai Elementary School. Nurse aide Kari Kikukawa said her job was fulfilling. "Working here is the best job because the kūpuna are happy, cooperative and we celebrate their individual accomplishments every day," she said. "I hope when I'm the kūpuna

age, I ean go to a plaee like this center." ■ Cheryl Corbiell is an Instructor at the University ofHawai'i Maui College-Moloka'i anel an ACE Reading tutor at Kaunakakai Elementary School.

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Doing word-search activities eaeh day strengthen kupuna Mattie Lester's problem-solving skills. - Photo: Chervl Corhiel!