Health

In Good Hands

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

It’s not always easy to care for the elderly. It can be a demanding, stressful and sometimes overwhelming task. But now, with an adult day care center opening at Home Pumehana in August, caretakers on Molokai can breathe a sigh of relief.

Ten years after the idea was first hatched, the Na Pu`uwai Native Hawaiian Health Care System, in partnership with Acradia Elder Care Services, will be opening The Senior Enrichment Center – a potential lifeline for many Molokai families.

“There has been a great need in the community [for an adult day care center] for so long,” said Judy Mikami, Na Pu`uwai’s long-term care director.

The adult day care center, which recently received its license from the state on June 15, is intended to allow seniors the opportunity to engage in stimulating activity, make new friends and still be independent.

From 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, the center will provide its kupuna with an array of activities designed to maintain cognitive and motor skills that sometimes decline with advanced aging. Mikami said there will be hands-on crafts, hula and ukulele classes, a modified Zumba class, karaoke machine, TV and Wii game console.

William Akutagawa, executive director of Na Pu`uwai, said their staff is certified in water safety and will not only take their clients swimming, but also on field trips twice a month.

“They’ll get to go off-site, get fresh air, and visit different places on Molokai,” Akutagawa said.

The center, situated in an 800 sq. ft. room near the back of Home Pumehana, will provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks, as well as reclining chairs for clients to rest in. Three staff members will be onsite – two certified nurses and an activities director.

“It will be socially therapeutic for our kupuna,” said Activities Director Jossette Mawae-Mollena. “On Molokai, a lot of families take care of their own, but they need to get out, so it will be good for caretakers, too.”

Worth the Wait
Good things take time. Such was the case for Mikami and Akutagawa, who applied to get licensed back in September 2009.

“It went back and forth with Maui County and the state for awhile,” Mikami explained. “We would receive recommendations and then have to go back and make changes to comply with the requirements.”

After a grueling nine-month process, the license was secured. But that wasn’t their only dilemma. Finding the right site posed another setback. After spending time weighing their options, the directors settled on senior living complex Home Pumehana, which had to be inspected twice by the Department of Human Services, as a suitable host facility.

Mikami said they chose Home Pumehana because of its centralized location and existing affiliation with senior citizens.

While other entities on Molokai have failed in establishing an adult day care within the last 10 years, Mikami attributes Na Pu`uwai’s success to its long-standing relationship with Acradia Elder Care Services.

Arcadia, a senior living program in Honolulu, helped train the Na Pu`uwai staff in long-term care services, who also received hands-on practice.

“They gave us the support we needed,” Mikami said.

The 411
The Senior Enrichment Center is currently accepting applications for interested kupuna, but it does have criteria. The program requires that clients be 62 years of age or older, be able to use the bathroom without assistance, feed themselves, and administer their own medications among other things. They are currently accepting up to 12 clients.

Prices will vary based on a sliding scale, with flat rate fees starting at $66 dollars a day, according to Mawae-Mollena.

While the program may start off small, Mikami hopes to see it grow in a big way.

“Our ultimate goal is to establish long-term care,” Mikami said. “But we’re taking it one step at a time.”

For more information or to apply, call the Senior Enrichment Center at 553-5099.

Wellness Circle

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Community Contributed

Column by Dr. John Havey

Question: Positive emotions are nice, but what good are they?

Response: With each emotion comes a desired action. Consider joy, interest, and contentment. When experiencing the feeling of joy, we are more likely to play and try to something new. When experiencing a feeling of interest, we are more likely to explore and find the interconnectedness of life. When experiencing contentment, we are more likely to savor the moment and integrate experiences.

All of these positive emotions can help us enhance our life learning or problem solving.

If you have a question about promoting wellness, please email Dr. Havey, PhD at jhavey@molokaichc.org

Finding Beauty Inside and Out

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Cynthia Guterries’ beautiful locks were gone.

“My eyelashes were starting to go, same with my eyebrows,” she remembered. “I didn’t know how bad it was going to be.”

Guterries underwent bouts of chemotherapy to counteract her bilateral invasive breast cancer. Since February, she has been administered a new type of chemo – in pill form – that she will be taking for the next five years.

Women like her – some dubbed survivors, others still in treatment – gathered at the Molokai General Hospital last week – laughing and sharing stories of their mutual experiences.

All five were attending a workshop known as "Look Good...Feel Better.” The program, available across the nation, has paired cancer patients with volunteer cosmetologists to help patients cope with skin changes and hair loss associated with treatments, usually chemotherapy and radiation.

During the two-hour session, Suzette Kahana, a licensed cosmetologist on Molokai, led the small group of women through a practical, hands-on experience – teaching them about skin care, makeup application, and how to disguise hair loss with wigs, turbans and scarves.

The women received a free makeup kit – worth about $300 – to use during and after the workshop.

“It’s a very positive experience,” said Lily Napoleon, assistant director of the hospital’s Cancer Patient Navigation program. “Women walk out with smiles on their faces.”

The complimentary program evolved out of a partnership between the American Cancer Society, Personal Care Products Council Foundation and National Cosmetology Association more than 20 years ago, and has been offered on Molokai for the last three years.

The hospital’s Cancer Patient Navigation program, which helps cancer patients navigate the fragmented maze of doctors’ offices, scheduling appointments, lodging, transportation services and support organizations, puts on the intimate class session twice a year.
 
Changing Faces
As each woman sat in front of individual cosmetic mirrors, they began riffling through the red bags bursting with name-brand products like Mac, Estee Lauder, Eucerin and Chanel. Each bag was specifically coordinated to match the women’s skin tone.

The class started with the importance of cleansing and moisturizing the skin.

“Clean faces make you feel good,” Kahana said. “You need to cleanse and remove any impurities.”

“Yeah, the Molokai dirt,” joked Juanita Hulu. The room erupted in laughter.

As makeup application ensued, so did their good spirits. Napoleon said the classes offer a sense of female camaraderie, and heighten the women’s confidence and self image.

After learning how to pencil in the perfect eyebrow, the ladies turned to wigs, scarves and turbans. They found the fun in colors, and even learned a thing or two.

“I heard blondes have more fun, but maybe redheads, too,” said Hulu, a cancer survivor of almost 20 years, as she donned a red synthetic hair wig.

Guterries, who will be returning to work at the end of the month as a nurse for the hospital, was worried about being around people while having very little hair left.

“I feel good with the wig on, I feel great,” she said. “I’m so excited to go back to work and be around people. I’m now going to look forward, and not back.”

To become a volunteer or get involved with the program, contact Lily Napoleon of Molokai General Hospital at 553-3607.

A Healthy Choice

Friday, March 19th, 2010

It wasn't easy. Trading meats, caffeine and an array of sweets and fats for healthy vegetarian alternatives almost ‘seemed impossible,’ and even drastic for some. But within one month, 45 individuals defied the odds and overcame their personal dilemmas to make a complete lifestyle change.

Beginning Feb. 7, a few dozen participants of Molokai's Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP) began a health-conscious diet and exercise routine over the course of four weeks.  They underwent an 'educational experience' that offered stimulating lectures, peer discussions and cooking demonstrations four nights a week to further prevent risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, adult onset diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity.

Nalani Paleka, one program member who witnessed profound results, had seen more lows than highs in the dieting realm, but wasn't willing to give up just yet.

committed to two things – change diet and exercise," Unglaub said. "If they did this, and stuck to it, they got results."

While some found resolve in lower blood pressure, cholesterol and weight, others noticed significant improvement with their diabetes – something Shirley Nanod is quite familiar with.

Besides diabetes, Nanod also suffered from hypertension, and admitted the first week of dietary change was the hardest.

"I love coffee, and I had to give that up," she said. "I went through one week of caffeine withdrawals. I also really like meat – we couldn't eat anything with a face."

Nanod said she was always more busy than active, and added walking into her daily routine. She lost 16 pounds in one month, and noticed a significant drop in blood pressure and cholesterol, as well.

"I have so much more energy now," she said. "Before I loved food, now I eat to survive."

The Road to Change
CHIP is an internationally-recognized program developed by Dr. Hans Diehl, which aims to reduce and even reverse disease risk factors including atherosclerosis, the No. 1 silent disease killer that narrows the arteries. Through the adoption of better health habits, the program assists with the lowering of blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels by reducing excess weight, enhancing daily exercise and improving dietary choices.

Molokai’s CHIP program began with a comprehensive heart screening which detailed risk factor levels of the participants. Immediately following the program, the heart screening was conducted again, and individual results were shared at the group's graduation ceremony at the Seventh-day Adventist Church on March 11.

"We're very proud of this group," said Unglaub. "They made a big commitment and got good results. The main thing now is to stick with it, and they will."

Loke Gandeza, another program member, said she plans on keeping in touch with her fellow peers and continuing with her new healthy lifestyle.

"I got a long way to go," she said. "But at least I'm going."