Elder Decision-Making in Action

Eden Alternative Principle 8 states that an Elder-centered community seeks to place the maximum decision-making authority into the hands of the Elders or those closest to them. 

With this principle in mind, Elders participated in the interview process for an Activities Director and a Dietitian at Hale Makua Wailuku. Care Partner Connie Miller said that having a resident present in the interview was helpful, as she was able to watch their interaction, and the residents had some interesting and meaningful questions to ask the applicants. It’s a good way to determine if the new employee will be a good fit with the residents.

Alan Camara, Faye Massey and Peter Kaina, pictured above, are just three of several residents who have been participating in interviewing job applicants.

Meaning Found in Simple Tasks

Lanai Neighborhood resident Dolores Villarimo, who prefers to be called Auntie Dolly, likes to keep busy and active and will often tell you “I like to work!” She recently approached CNA Rene Komoda and told her she was very bored.  Rene asked her what she would like to do, and she answered “I like to clean.”  Rene was just starting to wash tables and carts, so Auntie Dolly joined in and they accomplished the task together. When Nursing Supervisor Chris Casio walked by, she recognized Eden Alternative Principle 6 in action and took a photo. Principle 6 states that “meaningless activity corrodes the human spirit. The opportunity to do things that we find meaningful is essential to human health.” Thanks to Rene for recognizing this need and helping Auntie Dolly add meaning to her day.

Guest post by Connie Miller, Administrator & Eden Educator

Finding Meaning in Music

On May 11th Phil Smith of local jazz band, Phil Smith & the Gentlemen of Jazz, performed for the residents of Hale Makua Wailuku. Phil agreed to donate his time and talents because of the inspiring experience he previously had playing for individuals with Alzheimer's. Care partner Connie Miller shared that she witnessed one resident who has lived at Hale Makua for four years and rarely ever speaks, singing to the music and praising God. Truly amazing to witness the power of music!

The effect that music can have on people is profound, and has the potential to bring back the spark into the peoples lives. This is also an example of Eden Alternative Principle 5: An Elder-centered community imbues daily life with variety and spontaneity by creating an environment in which unexpected and unpredictable interactions and happenings can take place. This is the antidote to boredom, and Principle 6: Meaningless activity corrodes the human spirit. The opportunity to do things that we find meaningful is essential to human health.

We're looking forward to Phil's next performance on Friday, June 8th at 1:30pm.

Easter Egg Coloring, an Antidote to Helplessness

Nancy Kawamura brightens up white eggs with pink and yellow

Some of the lovely ladies of Hale Makua Kahului gathered to color eggs in celebration of the Easter holiday. These brightly colored and festive eggs were included on each residents' breakfast tray on Easter morning. This is an example of the Eden Alternative Principle 4: An Elder-centered community creates opportunity to give as well as receive care. This 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.

Hisako Tamori waits for the dye to set on her yellow Easter egg

Vilma Sanchez helps care partner May Cordero pack up the colored eggs

Congratulations to Our Newest Certified Eden Associates!

 Congratulations to our recent Certified Eden Associate graduates: Julie Hoy, Lily Paet, Beth Poe, Cathlyn Sarian, Mone’t Gardanier, Steven Nakashima, Edie Kapoi, Will Castillo, Leonora Morales, Donna Gamurot, Liz Ball, Lolita Guerrero, Gail Raikes, Patty Nakooka, Cathy Guillermo, Bety Idica, Manny Agcolicol, Naomi Oyama, Sofia Cabias, Veronica Tanner, Gemma Orque and Mariam Somera!

What We Look Like Now. How We Want It to Be.

On April 11th, 12th and 13th, 22 care partners from various areas of the organization attended an intensive three day training to become Certified Eden Associates. This training session was lead by our very own Eden Educator, Connie Miller. Here are photos of the Red, Gold, Green and Blue teams on the first day with their posters of what each team thinks our nursing homes currently look like, and what they would ideally want our nursing homes to look like.

Julie Hoy, Lily Paet, Beth Poe, Cathlyn Sarian, Mone’t Gardanier

Steven Nakashima, Edie Kapoi, Will Castillo, Leonora Morales, Donna Gamurot, Liz Ball

Lolita Guerrero, Gail Raikes, Patty Nakooka, Cathy Guillermo, Bety Idica, Manny Agcolicol

Naomi Oyama, Sofia Cabias, Veronica Tanner, Gemma Orque, Mariam Somera

New Addition to Our 'Human Habitat'

 We are very happy to welcome Ginger to the Hale Makua Kahului family as our first ‘day dog’, which means that you can find her at Hale Makua Kahului Monday through Friday (except holidays). Ginger is the 14 week old Australian Sheppard puppy of care partner Julie LaCroix.

Julie was researching dog breeds that would be helpful with herding sheep. In reading more about Australian Sheppards, she found that the breed makes for excellent therapy dogs and had the idea of bringing in her dog to provide companionship for the residents.

Ginger happily accompanies Julie to work every weekday where she is greeted by the Adult Day Health clients, many of whom eagerly await her arrival. Jean Kenar (pictured right with Ginger on her lap) is one such person. She enjoys petting and holding Ginger. She shares that she used to have a Cocker Spaniel with the same name.

In the afternoons Ginger can be found in the Admissions office where she greets and gets to know new residents and their families. She brings a smile to everyone’s face. 

Ginger is enrolled in puppy kindergarten and has learned to sit whenever someone passes by, so please feel free to stop and introduce yourself if you see her. 

This is an example of Eden Alternative Principle 2: An Elder-centered community commits to creating a Human Habitat where life revolves around close and continuing contact with plants, animals and children. It is these relationships that provide the young and old alike with a pathway to a life worth living.

Companionship Cures Loneliness

 

Charlotte Keegan, who lives in the Molokai Neighborhood, was having a conversation with Director of Nursing Janinne Grimes. She was telling Janinne that she felt lonely. When Janinne asked how we could help her with her loneliness, Mrs. Keegan responded that she used to have birds when she was younger, and wished she could have a canary of her own again.

Mrs. Keegan’s daughter was approached with the idea of getting a bird for her mom, and she agreed. She picked up a cage and some supplies. Administrative Secretary Temmie Faudan went with Mrs. Keegan to the Maui Pet Shop in Kahului where she chose a beautiful orange canary and named him Peri. After getting a clean bill of health from a local veterinarian, the canary joined our family at Hale Makua Wailuku.

This story is a heartwarming example of how companionship can cure loneliness. The Eden Alternative Principle 3 states that "Loving companionship is the antidote to loneliness. Elders deserve easy access to human and animal companionship.”

New Faces at Hale Makua Kahului

We're excited to introduce the newest care partners of our Kahului Nursing team, LPNs Ashley Naone (top) and Jaynnel Agrade. Aloha and welcome to the ohana!

Eden Alternative Tip of the Week: Deepening the Leadership Bench for the Organization

In following Eden Alternative Principle 10: "Wise leadership is the lifeblood of any struggle against the three plagues. Fir it, there can be no substitute." The Denali Center in Fairbanks, AK has a plan. They want to make sure they have a strong leadership legacy to keep their journey going. They will tell you that leadership succession planning is “just what they do and who they are.” The story began when they were noticing that their leaders were getting close to retiring.

 
They began thinking about who could fill these positions with a goal to help employee care partners grow and not just stifle in their positions. Each leader in the organization writes out what they do in their jobs, and a description of what they did to secure their position. They have created a bulletin board with all of these positions posted. In the center, they feature a leadership position each month. If an employee care partner finds a position they are interested in, they can job shadow the person who holds the position and see if it is a good fit. Then, the organization helps them acquire the education they need, e.g. growing from CNA to an RN or from a dietary aide to a dietary manager. Together, they develop a growth plan.

 
Another leadership growth tool they use is something called neighborhood book clubs. They began because of a communication challenge in an area for Elders living with dementia. The book club started with a title about Alzheimer’s disease. They handed out the books and asked for volunteers to read a chapter and then bring it to the following week’s meeting and present what they read. The team then discussed how the chapter related to what they do and how they can do better. It made a tremendous difference. It has since expanded to include journal articles, conference information, and other books that get shared with the team. Since then, other neighborhoods have adopted this practice too. As a result, they are doing a great job of growing informal leaders within their neighborhoods.

Submitted by Denali Center