Residents Enjoy a Concert by Founding Member of Kapena

Tivaini “Tiva” Tatofi (center), a founding member of Kapena, offered a free concert for Hale Makua residents July 23 in Wailuku. He performed with brother Sione (back row, from left), son Joshua, niece Litea and daughters Vika and Naite. Hale Makua residents Dolly Villarimo (from row, from left), Sarah Takatani and Tiva’s uncle, Faaoso Talanoa, enjoyed the music and dance.

Luana Moment Shared

Activities Director, Teresa Lopes, shares how one resident provided care and brightened her day...

On Friday afternoon when we were cleaning up I asked my staff to just toss all the carnival games and extra prizes in my office, so this morning I knew I was going to walk into a very messy office. When I got here there was a bag hanging on my door knob with a small box of candy and a card from one of our residents on the Ilima neighborhood. He wrote a very special card wishing me a Happy Birthday and Thank you for Friday’s event, but the most special part of his card was what he wrote on the envelope which I would like to share with all of you.

“God Bless”

Hale Makua

Home that I Love

Stand beside her and Guide her

Thru the night with the lights from Above.

Family Member Letter of Gratitude

To Whom It May Concern,

As the family of Harold Rawson – my Dad and a resident in the Pikake Neighborhood ---my wife and I, and my sister Linda (from Costa Rica, but who visits regularly) would like to  extend our deep thanks to all the staff at Hale Makua….from the nurses, CNA’s, social services staff, administrations people, to the food prep, and Aloha Café workers, the yard and maintenance and all the great cleaning staff, the Doctors, transporters, supervisors, therapists (yes, even the volunteer help) and anyone I may have inadvertently overlooked:  You are all the best.  Your concern and commitment to making Hale Makua Kahului the best it could possibly be is evident from day-to-day and in every neighborhood and in the attitude of every worker.

It’s hard to walk away from my Dad and leave him behind as I visit him, but knowing the care that will be given and the love shown him after our visits are pau, make the leaving easier.  It’s true for us, and for my Dad too.  He has never….not even once in the nearly 2 years that he has been a resident….ever had a nasty or negative comment about those who attend to him.  Quite a testament to the good folks at Hale Makua and the love they share amongst themselves and the folks the care for.

So, please accept our thanks and rest assured of our continued support for the facility and its staff as we all work together to implement even deeper on an ongoing basis the principles that are embodied in the Eden journey that we know as Luana.

Very Sincerely,

Ron & Izzy Rawson and Linda Lamers

Eden Alternative Tip of the Week: Practice the Art of Being

Summer provides us with many opportunities to reflect on what it means to simply "BE." The art of creating a caring community relies on our ability to embrace the moment and drink it in. Being fully present for each other is central to building relationships. Next time you are at the beach or the lake or your favorite outdoor spot, take five minutes to tune in. In those five minutes, list everything you see. What are the scents? Ocean air? Suntan lotion? What do you feel? The breeze? The sun on your face? The heat on your skin? What are you hearing? The sound of birds? The lapping of waves? Detail every part of your sensory experience. Notice what you like about what you are experiencing, and even what you don't. The important thing is that you are completely there, in the moment.

Celebrating Eden Alternative Milestone 1

We are excited to let you know that Hale Makua Kahului and Wailuku have passed the first milestone along the Eden Alternative journey which we call Luana (“living in comfort). To mark this accomplishment we cordially invite all residents and their extended family to participate in our Luana / Eden Carnival Celebration Friday, July 1st, 1 - 3 pm

Children and grandchildren are especially welcome. Each nursing neighborhood will decorate and focus on one of the ten Eden Principles. A different carnival game will take place at all of the neighborhoods, Day Health, the Business Office, Nutrition Services, and in the Aloha Café. On arrival at our Kahului community, please go to the Aloha Café (dining area in Activities) to receive your game map. Prizes will be awarded to all of the winners. There will be a clown, balloons and animals.

We will be serving carnival type food such as shave ice, cotton candy, pronto pups, etc. We hope to see you there to help us celebrate as we continue our journey to eliminate the three plagues of loneliness, helplessness and boredom.

Wailuku Home Holds Barrio Fiesta

This event in Tagalog means Neighborhood Party, which is exactly what it is! Our Molokai and Lanai neighborhood staff got together to put on our 2011 Hale Makua Wailuku Barrio Fiesta! Our Barrio has always been known to bring people together, no matter who you are or where you're from; you're invited to join in the long-time Filipino tradition and as an active part of some of the big themes that define what it means to be part of our Hale Makua Wailuku Ohana: our Food, our Friendship, and our bonds as a family.

Our Care Partners' families got involved in the Barrio Fiesta.  Here, Dana, daughter of Marissa Calubaquib, CNA (transport aide) dances the hula.  Behind her, our emcee Paul Pigao, CNA talks with Barrio Fiesta Queen Romana Nicolas (age 105!) while Activities Assistant Maile Licos, CNA takes care of the music.

Ethel Vamosi, who lives in our Molokai Neighborhood, enjoys the festivities with Sofia Cabias, RN, Staffing Supervisor.

Henry Kaina, who lives in our Lanai Neighborhood is all smiles as he dances with Administrator Connie Miller.

Elmo joins several Care Partners in the chicken dance.

Eden Alternative Tip of the Week: Check Your Care Balance

When was the last time you filled out a care balance check-up sheet for yourself?  When was the last time your care partners did the same?  A care balance check-up involves thinking about an average day of any given week in your life.  During the course of an average day, what are the ways you give to others?  How and what do you receive from your care partners?  Think out of the box when it comes to what you receive.  The gift of warm, receptive smiles is as important as the obvious, more overt gifts of care.

  

Once you've all completed your care balance check-up, share them with each other to learn more about how you each perceive the balance of care between you.  Use this information to make subtle adjustments.  Open, supportive discussion around care balance is a vital part of creating a life worth living!

Wailuku Team Receives Award

Congratulations to the Interdisciplinary Team at Hale Makua Wailuku!  The Team was presented with an Achievement of Excellence in Healthcare Quality Award for Reduction in Restraint Use from 2008-2011 from Mountain-Pacific Quality Health.  They accepted the award on behalf of all the Wailuku staff who joined forces to dramatically reduce restraint use.

Recognition from the Eden Alternative

Hale Makua Health Services was recognized for its inspiration in the May 23, 2011 issue of the Eden Alternative News & Updates with the below write-up.

Hale Makua Health Services in Kahului, HI recently completed Milestone 1 in the Path to Mastery. It was a great way to reinforce the foundation they have laid for their Eden Alternative Journey, which they have named Luana, a Hawaiian term meaning "to live in comfort." To celebrate the completion of Milestone 1, employees, Elders and volunteers in their Wailuku home enjoyed a barbeque together. They turned an artificial Christmas tree into an "Eden Tree" and decorated it with home-made ornaments. They then voted on what their next Luana project should be. The afternoon of sharing food and stories led one resident to remark that it had been a long time since she'd had a picnic like that with everyone laughing and enjoying themselves. "It reminds me of my childhood", she shared. Check out the pictures from their fun-filled celebration!

Eden Alternative Tip of the Week: It Can Be Different - Bringing Meaning to Life

The Eden Alternative Principle Six states that "Meaningless activity corrodes the human spirit. The opportunity to do things that we find meaningful is essential to human health." This Principle challenges our traditional approach to filling the Elders' daily lives. Under the influence of the medical model, we believe that being busy means being fulfilled. Those seeing through Eden Eyes understand that more is not better. We need to individually honor the events in people's lives. Events should be personalized to the home, the neighborhood, and to the individual. Everyone can play a part in finding meaning in daily life, not
just those with the word "activity" attached to their job description. Lastly, less is more when it comes to filling life with meaning. Here is a great example from the Sitka Pioneers' Home in Alaska.

Ta's New Connection: Her Computer
Let's take a look at how reinventing the activities calendar, to focus more on individual needs, has dramatically enhanced the lives of Elders. Here is one example: Ta bought herself a laptop for her birthday about 6 months ago. She knew very little about how to operate it when she first got it. She depended on us to get a wireless router, so that she could access the internet from her room and get her email set up. After some time, she even got brave enough to tackle Facebook! Without the flexibility in our schedule, her skills would not have advanced so quickly. She found a class to take at the local library about basic computer operations, and she made sure to attend as many sessions as she could. She has fallen in love with the game of FreeCell, and takes full advantage of her ability to interact with her family, who live at a distance, and some of her friends from 40 years ago.