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Health

All Dolled Up

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

All Dolled Up

Sometimes all it takes is a bit of eye shadow and lip gloss for a girl to feel her best. Just ask the young women who attended Manawahine’s “Happy to Be Me” workshop last Friday at Lanikeha Community Center.

“I feel like a princess,” said Tatiana McGuire, 12, after getting spruced up at the makeup and hair booths.

Dozens of Molokai girls, ages 13 to 18, gathered at the workshop to celebrate a day of beauty while learning about makeup application, skincare, women’s health and safety. They also received massages, and hair and nail makeovers.



Manawahine is a community-based nonprofit that strives to empower young women to be successful leaders and role models. The purpose of the conference, said Vicki Boswell, organizer and social worker, was to empower young girls who are at their prime for risks such as teen pregnancy, drug abuse and domestic violence.

“We’re not trying to make the girls glamorous,” Boswell explained. “We want to help them build confidence and self-esteem.”

While some girls patiently waited to get their hair curled or learn the latest makeup tricks, others participated in the sweat-dripping Zumba class, drank ono smoothies from Na Pu`uwai, and learned about money-saving tips from American Savings Bank.

“I learned about college stuff and to get good grades,” from the Maui Community College booth, McGuire said.

“The goal is to build a positive teen culture,” Boswell said. “We want to provide a safe place for them to openly discuss issues they are encountering as young adults.”

Positive teen culture was something already seen by the day’s end.

“It was fun hanging out with all the girls,” said 17-year-old Chelsea Sakamoto. “I learned you just have to be happy with yourself.”

Mahina Lorenzo, 17, agreed. “Yeah, you should never change who you are,” she said.

This workshop was a kick-off for more exciting things to come, according to Boswell. Manwahine has a lineup of activities starting at the beginning of the school year. Boswell said future events will include movie nights, presentations on teen-related issues, service projects and various off-island trips.

Manawahine is made up of various members from Na Pu`uwai, Na Lei Mamo, Molokai Community Health Center, Department of Human Services, Hale Ho`omalu, Molokai Youth Center and Molokai Community Service Center. They welcome community involvement in future activities. For more information, contact Helen Kekalia at 553-8119.



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Hope For Health

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Hope For Health

Robert Takeuchi was in denial of his diabetes for 20 years. It wasn’t until two of his friends, who were also diabetic, had their limbs amputated within the same week that he decided to do something about it.

“That was my wake-up call,” he recounts.

Those sobering images prompted the Molokai resident to seek the information he needed to help prolong his life and better manage his disease. He found help in the form of several diabetic programs – the latest proved to be most effective.

Takeuchi, along with about 15 others, recently graduated from Molokai’s first-ever Diabetes Self Management program hosted by Alu Like, Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps Native Hawaiians achieve social and economic self-sufficiency.

“There is a great need on Molokai for a program like this,” said Leslie Tanoue, Alu Like interim director. “Especially with diabetes predominance in native Hawaiians.”

Like Takeuchi, many lack basic knowledge about the potentially life-threatening disease. In the U.S., diabetes is responsible for more deaths each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Hawaii’s numbers alone have jumped to 79,000 diabetics in 2008 from the 29,000 estimated in 1994, according to the National Diabetes Surveillance System. Among these numbers, native Hawaiians, Filipinos and Japanese have the highest rate of diabetes than any other ethnicity.

Luckily, this six-week program, based on Stanford University research, focuses on caring for your body, lowering blood sugar levels and improving overall health to help reverse the statistics. Every week, participants and facilitators would meet for two and a half hours to cover various topics. The graduates created action plans that would further help them accomplish both short-term and long-term goals.

Takeuchi’s action plan incorporated walking and exercising into his daily routine, something he had never done before.

“I learned when you walk down the street, you get to meet your neighbors,” Takeuchi joked.

While some saw improvements with their diet and exercise routines, others witnessed critical changes in their blood sugar levels.

“My blood sugar was really high, but it’s dropped since the program,” said Dorothy Quintua, another program graduate.

Quintua has had diabetes for 24 years and at one point, went into a diabetic coma.

“It was very scary,” she said. “I’m getting older and need to be aware of how to take care of myself.”

During the program, Quintua set goals to exercise, eat better, quit drinking soda and avoid eating dinners late. So far, she has accomplished all of them, and shows no sign of slowing down.

“I just have to stay on course,” she added.

The Diabetes Self Management Program, a subdivision of Stanford’s Chronic Disease Self Management Program, will hold continuous class sessions throughout the year. The workshop costs $10 for seniors and caregivers, and $35 for participants under 60 years old. Scholarships are also available.

For more information about upcoming classes or to register, call Kaui Manera or Debbie Benjamin from the Office of Aging at 553-5393.

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Discuss Health

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Hawaii Health Information Exchange News Release

This week, members of the Hawaii Health Information Exchange (Hawaii HIE) will be visiting Molokai to meet with health care providers and community members to present an update on the development of the State HIE Strategic and Operational Plans. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, June 29, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Old Pauhana Inn. Following the presentation there will be an open discussion, during which time the Hawaii HIE will be gathering input from the audience. Molokai is one of several locations around the state they will be visiting.

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Hawaii HIE to visit Molokai

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Hawaii Health Information Exchange News Release

On June 29, members of the Hawaii Health Information Exchange (Hawaii HIE) will be visiting the old Pau Hana Inn on Molokai from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to meet with health care providers and community members to present an update on the development of the State HIE Strategic and Operational Plans. Following the presentation there will be an open discussion to gather input from the audience.

The trips were scheduled in order to inform the health care community on the latest efforts of the Hawaii  HIE to develop a strategy that will enable health care stakeholders, such as providers and patients, to securely and safely share relevant patient information in a timely manner.

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In Good Hands

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

In Good Hands

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.


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Superwomen

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Superwomen

Imagine you’ve just found out that you have cancer – the news itself could cause enough shock to send your immune system into a downward spiral. Throw in the stress of finding appropriate health care, as well as the finances to pay for it, and you have a potential recipe for disaster.

. He said he was glad to hear the impact our program has made at Molokai General.”

Molokai’s program has been running strong since 2006 – and has no plans of slowing down. With Native Hawaiian and Filipino populations having the highest incidence of cancer deaths in Hawaii, the need for patient services has never been greater.

“Our ultimate goal is to lower the number of cancer fatalities,” Napoleon said. “No one should be left behind – this experience reaffirmed that.”

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Molokai Middle School Cares about Health & Wellness

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Molokai Middle Schools Caring about Health & Wellness

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Wellness Circle

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Wellness Circle

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

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Finding Beauty Inside and Out

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Finding Beauty Inside and Out

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.

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Health Center Gets Facelift

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

One permit down, one to go. The Molokai Community Health Center (MCHC) got an OK from the Molokai Planning Commission last week to start renovations in June. Executive Director Desiree Puhi said the move is a good step forward to offering their core services as soon as possible.

“[MCHC] is a very important resource for our community, we are fortunate to have [the center], providing for our community,” said acting chairperson Steve Chaikin after the commission passed their permit unanimously.

The new health center, located at the old Pau Hana Inn, moved in July of 2009. Of the original 10 buildings built in 1971, this application would renovate three of the buildings. A Special Management Area major permit is required for the rest of the campus.

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