Highlights from Our Eden Alternative Reregistration Interview

In order to retain our status as an Eden Alternative Registered Home, we had to submit several letters from residents, family members and care partners in support of our Luana Journey, and take part in an interview with Eden Alternative Community Builder, Denise Hyde, and Eden Registry & Community Liaison, Suzette Molina. Several care partners from Hale Makua Kahului and Wailuku participated in the interview, in addition to two residents: Alan Camora and Laura Waiohu. One of the questions that we were asked was "What are you excited about?". There were so many wonderful things that we're currently doing that I wanted to share them here:

•  At Hale Makua Wailuku's Eden Alternative Path to Mastery Milestone 1 celebration, a vote was taken to see what  types of things residents, families and care partners would like to focus on in the future, and the one with the most votes was memorializing residents. A team of residents and care partners came together to brainstorm, and what the residents came up with was that they would like to know when one of their neighbors has passed and the way that they would like to be informed was by an overhead paging announcement to be made, asking for a moment of silence in remembrance of the person who passed. The residents also wanted to create a Memorial Bulletin Board where letters, photos, etc. could be posted in memory of residents.
• Hale Makua Wailuku's Dining Committee, consisting of residents and care partners, is currently creating a new buffet-like dining process where food temperatures are better maintained, since all meals must be transported from Hale Makua Kahului.
• A gardening club has started at Hale Makua Wailuku, where residents are growing a wide array of vegetables, including cauliflower, broccoli, beans, beats, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and herbs. The residents choose whether they want to eat the vegetables or sell them so that they can buy more seeds for their garden.
• At Hale Makua Kahului a resident who used to grow roses at home now grows her own roses in her Pikake Neighborhood and shares them with her neighbors.
• Another resident from the East Neighborhood is growing eggplant in the neighborhood garden and shares them with the care partners, who in turn sometimes make a dish with the eggplant and bring it in to share with him.
• There's a Mens' Club starting at Hale Makua Kahului where Mark Souza, our Director of Maintenance & Engineering, is working with interested male residents to work with tools on projects of their choice.
• On the Ilima Neighborhood, a resident's family member has brought in a bird and is caring for it. Residents in this Neighborhood have also asked for a two person swing to be hung outside so that they can sit and talk story with family members or care partners while enjoying being outside.
• The Resident Council at Hale Makua Kahului has met with a veterinarian to talk about how a dog might potentially be trained to live at Hale Makua. They are interested in having a dog around permanently, but have reservations about how it would work and who would care for the pet.
• Hale Makua Kahului celebrated achieving the Path to Mastery Milestone 1 by hosting a Luana Carnival for residents, families and care partners. Each neighborhood and department team highlighted one of the Ten Eden Alternative Principles and featured a fun game. Residents selected the type of games that would be played at the Carnival and mailed out the invitations to their family members.
• Both homes are working toward shared dining and creating opportunities for care partners and residents to dine together. So far learning circles have been held to gather feedback and input.
• The Nursing team in Wailuku has begun including the Eden Alternative concepts in interview questions for new nursing care partners, and has also included a resident in the new hire interview process.
• One care partner at Hale Makua Wailuku asked the residents in her neighborhood who they would like to replace her while she was on extended leave.
• Administrator, Connie Miller, and Activities Director, Lynsey Capone, are going to become Certified Eden Associate trainers this Fall so that they can come back and begin training additional care partners.
• Connie is also taking ideas from the book "Seed Packets" and putting them into action.
• A resident a Hale Makua Kahului has volunteered to take over feeding the koi and fishes in the community fish pond.
• Residents in Wailuku are starting up a music group again.
• The care partners in Kahului Activities have each selected one resident that they are getting to know better outside of their regular work duties.
• Residents have often complained about how loud the gas powered lawn mower can be, so now we use a battery powered one.