Meaningful Opportunities Flower for Valentine's Day

When resident Thomas Hubble wanted to know when Valentine’s Day was, care partner Teresa Lopes knew he had a reason for asking. Mr. Hubble wanted to get a Valentine’s Day present for his wife Millie. He did not think it would be possible because he couldn’t go shopping before February 14th.

Activities staff decided to help Mr. Hubble create his own present. Care partner Jodi Horton gathered craft supplies and they created a beautiful bouquet of fabric flowers and ribbons. Mr. Hubble dictated a note to be written to his wife. The note was written on a heart and attached to the bouquet. It was meaningful for Mr. Hubble to create a present himself to give to his wife. The staff helped him find a solution that he could carry out using his own creativity. 

This story illustrates Eden Alternative Principle 4: An Elder-centered community creates opportunity to give as well as receive care, which is the antidote to helplessness, and Principle 6: Meaningless activity corrodes the human spirit. The opportunity to do things that we find meaningful is essential to human health.

Eden Tree Decorated in Honor of Milestone 1

When Hale Makua Kahului and Wailuku became Eden Registered Homes in 2009, each received an Eden Tree plaque. The Luana Sponsor Team was excited to receive the honor, and when we reached Eden Alternative Milestone 1 they decided to decorate the Eden Tree to make it unique for Hale Makua.

Residents and care partners closest to them were asked for ideas to decorate the tree. They decided to make small ceramic leaves to glue to the branches of the tree, and will select a flower to represent each of the 10 Eden Alternative Principles to surround the Tree. The photo above shows a resident painting ceramic leaves for the tree.

This is an example of Eden Principle 4: “An Elder-centered community creates opportunity to give as well as receive care. This is the antidote to helplessness.” and Principle 8: “An Elder-centered community honors its Elders by de-emphasizing top-down bureaucratic authority, seeking instead to place the maximum possible decision-making authority into the hands of the Elders or into the hands of those closest to them.”

The Beauty of Companionship

At Hale Makua Wailuku, everyone knows Mochi, the day-time dog. Mochi belongs to Wailuku Activities Director Thaedra Aiyana-Pascarella and comes with her to work. He visits with residents and provides cheerful companionship. Mochi may be a small dog, but she is a big presence at Hale Makua Wailuku, making friends wherever she goes.

In the photo above, a holiday performance on Christmas Eve was an opportunity for residents, community members, and animals to come together for a moment of friendship in the Hale Makua Wailuku dining room. Residents Dolly Villarimo, and Annie Quitan held hands while Mochi watched the entertainers closely.

Having Mochi at the Wailuku campus on a regular basis allows residents to form a relationship with her and feel that they have participation in his care. This connects residents to Mochi and to each other, and is an example of Eden Alternative Principle 3, which states “Loving companionship is the antidote to loneliness. Elders deserve easy access to human and animal companionship.”

Residents Select Coffee Blend

Did you know that residents are served the “Hale Makua” blend of Maui Oma coffee? Several years ago, the Nutrition Services team gathered residents together and asked them to participate in a “taste test” to select the coffee that they would like to be served everyday. A variety of samples were shared with the residents and the coffee that they selected was named the “Hale Makua Blend”.

Many Hale Makua residents still drink that coffee blend everyday at breakfast, lunch, or during the social hour in the Aloha Café. Maui Oma roasts 85 pounds of coffee for Hale Makua every week and they do it just a short distance away at their warehouse on Alamaha Street in Kahului.

This is an example of Eden Alternative Principle 8: An Elder-centered community honors its Elders by de-emphasizing top-down bureaucratic authority, seeking instead to place the maximum possible decision-making authority into the hands of Elders or into the hands of those closest to them.