Resident Families Help with Gardening

We are so fortunate to have residents with family members who take an active part in life at Hale Makua. The residents of the West Neighborhood take great pride in their vegetable and herb garden. Above Turio Nishida, husband of resident Yuriko Nishida, helps nursing clerk, Ella Rosetes, with planting. Below Ed Tsuji, son of resident Betty Tsuji, waters the vegetable garden.

A Lovely Day for a Walk

This afternoon was a beautiful with light tradewinds and clear blue skies. Residents took the opportunity to enjoy the weather and went outside for a walk around the neighborhood. Getting some fresh air and sun off-campus!

Residents Reign Over the Barrio Fiesta

Residents Damien Gonsalves and Dominga Asuncion were named king and queen of this year's Barrio Fiesta. Pictured below is Dominga with her family.

Eden Alternative Tip of the Week

From an Interview with Dr. Al Power by Beyond the Myth, a blog website located at www.themythofalzheimers.com.

Question: As many of our readers either care for loved ones with dementia, or are in the caregiving field, it would be helpful if you could provide some insight into the "humanistic" and "enlightened" practices you discuss in the book.

Dr. Power: There are many examples, as I apply the framework of my model to a variety of care scenarios. But a central humanistic tenet follows Tom Kitwood's charge that we acknowledge of the personhood of each individual and their capacity for growth and engagement through all stages of life, and all stages of dementia.

Here's an example of how we can be more enlightened: When people in the nursing home "wander", we used to restrain them, but now we use wander alerts, create circular pathways, use signs on doors and better lighting to create a safer place. We think we have become more enlightened. We haven't.

I encourage care partners to replace the term "wandering" (suggesting purposeless activity) with "searching", and then ask, "What are they searching for?" Often it's some connection, some relationship, something that has personal meaning in an environment that offers none. So by providing the stop signs, circular paths, fenced-in courtyards and alarmed doors, we have merely created a safe place for the person to be lost and searching for the rest of their lives. We've missed the larger need.

Barrio Fiesta!

Today Hale Makua Wailuku residents enjoyed a second day of Barrio Fiesta festivities, which included a talent show and onolicious Filipino food! Stay tuned next week for more photos of this fun-filled event...

Cooking with Bruno

This afternoon resident Bruno Wong shared the fruits of his labor with fellow residents. After doing his grocery shopping at Ah Fook's yesterday, cleaning two whole chickens, and cooking all morning, Bruno was exhausted by the time the food was served.

Holo Holo to Whole Foods

Residents enjoyed an outing to go shopping at Whole Foods Kahului yesterday. Their enjoyed checking out all of the food bar options and making thier lunch selections.

Visiting with Pets

Wally thoroughly enjoyed his visit with Bella from the Haku Baldwin Center this morning.

Making Prizes for B-I-N-G-O

This afternoon, several of ladies lounged in the Aloha Cafe and strung together beaded necklaces that would be used for bingo prizes.

Residents Choose Their New Furniture

If you've been following last week's posts, you're aware that we've enlisted the help of residents and Day Health clients to choose the fabrics that will be used to upholster the chairs that will be ordered for Hale Makua Kahului's Tuxedo Junction area. While the votes were very closely split, fabric option B (pictured above) is the winner! (Option A is shown below.) A sampling of 25% of Hale Makua Kahului residents and Adult Day Health clients were surveyed. Mahalo to all those who participated!

Jammin' to the Sweet Sound of Music

Yesterday morning residents enjoyed the music and hula of the Akahi Jammers and sang along to their Hawaiian favorites.

Resident Portrait Series

Juanita beats the Summer heat with a favorite local treat... SHAVED ICE!

Artist at Work

Elayna Kaplan was kind enough to let me take a quick photo of her sketching the waterfall near our front entrance this afternoon. She shared that she used to specialize in print making (lithographics), but also enjoys drawing and painting. While at Adult Day Health by Hale Makua she tries to do at least one drawing a day. She even shared one of her stunning portrait drawings with me. I'm looking forward to sharing more photos of her and her artwork in future posts.

Resident Portrait Series

Resident Joe Thomas will be featured in the Summer issue of our Pulama newsletter telling his story about how over the course of a year and a half Hale Makua has helped him to regain his independence. So much so that he will be moving out of Hale Makua on July 1st to live in his own apartment. I'm looking forward to share his exciting story with everyone. Here's a preview of the photo I'm thinking about using to accompany his story.

Residents Surveyed on Their Choices

Today I continued my informal survey of residents and clients for their choice of fabrics to be used on the new Tuxedo Junction chairs. Option A now has a five point lead with 16 votes! Jodi Horton in Activities is helping to survey some additional residents today and tomorrow, and then we should have the winning fabrics.

Pictured above is resident Rose Ah Sam with her fabric selections.

Resident Shares His Green Thumb

Pictured above is Joyce Tengan, our CFO in Training with the chili pepper plant given to her by resident Ron Irimata. Ron declined having his photo taken, but he took joy in growing the chili pepper plant from a seedling specifically so that he could give it to Joyce.

Residents Help Select Fabric for Their Furniture

Today I did my first round of resident and client surveying to see which fabrics they would like to see for the Tuxedo Junction area of Hale Makua Kahului. Tuxedo Junction received it's name decades ago when the area was used for events and performances. Today the area is used by residents, clients and visitors to eat and talk story.

I approached a total of 11 residents with three different options. Currently option A has five votes, option B has six votes, and option C has zero votes. With the votes almost evenly split, I'll continue my informal survey again tomorrow. Stay tuned for the winning fabrics!

Pictured above is resident Joe Thomas, the first person to participate in my survey.

Pineapple Grill 5th Anniversary Celebration Raises $22,400 for Luana

Pineapple Grill at Kapalua, a member of the Cohn Restaurant Group, along with hosts Roy and Betty Sakamoto and Mitch Mitchell of Sakamoto Properties, helped to make the Pineapple Grill Fifth Anniversary gala event benefiting Hale Makua Health Services a tremendous success. This year’s event, held on May 8th, raised $22,400. Proceeds from this event are being used to promote Luana at both Hale Makua campuses.

Guests walked down the red carpet and enjoyed delicious food prepared by award-winning Executive Chef Ryan Luckey and the Pineapple Grill culinary team, including black truffle, Kula corn & rock shrimp risotto fritters; seared Hawaiian Shutome; and Asian braised short ribs with a kalbi demi glaze and truffle mashed potatoes. In true Pineapple Grill-style, attendees were treated to fabulous libations from a Grey Goose martini luge, Bubble Lounge, Lahaina Rum Mai Tais, and Maui Brewing Company’s Beer Bar.

Kamehameha Day Singalong

This morning residents started their Kamehameha Day off with a singalong with Elsie Kimura's Ukulele group. The granddaughter of one of the group members lead the residents in the song "God Bless America".

Wii Go Boxing

Residents and staff partnered up in teams to go a few rounds of boxing Wii-style. Pictured here are the women versus the men, with resident Rose Ah Sam and Activities Assistant May Cordero on the left and Social Services Assistant Brian Nagami and resident Wally Oshiro on the right.

BOH Mike Lyons Award Received for Luana Video

Bank of Hawaii has named four Maui County nonprofits as recipients of this year's Bank of Hawaii Mike Lyons Maui Community Award. The total donation of $20,000 was equally shared among Fun Day Foundation, a Keiki's Dream; Hale Makua Health Services; Maui County Salvation Army; and Maui Economic Concerns of the Community.

Our CEO, Tony Krieg, stated: "Hale Makua Health Services is very fortunate to be a recipient of the Mike Lyons Community Service Award, and is grateful for Bank of Hawaii's continued support of our organization and Maui's community. This grant will tremendously help our efforts in educating future employees, residents, their families and the community about the principles of the Eden Alternative, the foundation of our Luana (to live in comfort and ease) initiative. Through Luana, staff are learning to move away from the traditional, medical model of care to a resident-directed model of care where residents make choices about their daily activities themselves, and the environment in which they live in is more like a home, not an institution."

American Flag Flown in Our Honor

This past Memorial Day Marine Sergeant Guy Ishii, son of resident George Ishii, presented Hale Makua with an American flag that was flown for Hale Makua in Iraq on behalf of Marine Sergeant Guy Ishii.

The certificate accompanying the flag and two medallions states: “This flag which flew over the 506th Expeditionary Communications Squadron during Operation Iraqi Freedom, stood as a symbol to the strength and courage of the men and women serving there. It also stood as a symbol to the sacrifice and support made by our friends and loved ones at home. This flag now stands as a symbol of our undying thanks and gratitude. This is to certify that the accompanying American Flag was proudly flown above Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on the 4th Day of July and the 11th Day of September 2009."

George Ishii asked that the flag be proudly displayed in the neighborhood in which he resides. Visitors, staff, residents and families can view the flag with certificate and medallions on the Ilima Neighborhood.

Getting Back to Our Japanese Roots

Residents enjoy singing beautiful Japanese songs with Julia!

Resident Portrait Series

This photo was taken one Saturday afternoon of Ms. Mitsue Suzuki and her daughter's dog, Misha.