My mother Sue (Sumiko) Higa died in July of 2010. She was 84 years old and for nearly half of her life she suffered with rheumatoid arthritis. Mom came to live with us in our Ma¯noa home for the last two years of her life.
What was Mom’s greatest joy during the latter years of her life? It was going to church on Sunday. After her bath on Saturday afternoon my wife Judy would fix Mom’s hair up really pretty, and pick out a “nice outfit” for her to wear to church.
On Sunday mornings, Mom would get up very early and Judy would dress her in her “nice outfit.” Then, at 7 a.m., I’d help her get into our car. Once she was seated in the car, I would pull down the car visor’s mirror above her so she could take one last glimpse at how she looked. I’d tell her that she looked real good! Once we arrived at church I would help my mother into her wheelchair and move her to her favorite spot at the back of the church. There she would chat with her friends and many would come to greet her and hug her. Mom was always smiling on Sundays.
After the worship celebration Mom would be wheeled to the social hall to gather with her 30 or so friends for the Senior’s Class. There she “talked story” and had a grand time with all of her friends. Mom would always come home with gifts of cookies and candies from her friends. Sunday mornings were the highlight of my mother’s week.
What are the blessings of having a church family?
• Friends and family may be distant but you can see your friends at church every week.
• If you’re fortunate like my mother, you’ll come home with all kinds of gifts.
• A good church family will provide support and prayers for you.
• If you fall asleep during the Pastor’s sermon no one will judge you. But they may wake you if you start snoring.
• It’s a lot better than watching TV or Korean soap operas all the time.
• You will be encouraged and inspired by the spiritual lessons that you will learn.
• You’ll have a Christmas party to go to (if you attend our church)! Make Sunday mornings a delightful time of your week. Find a good church and be blessed by having a church family.
Blessings!,
Pastor Russell Higa
My interest in this field piqued while attending UH, Manoa in 1993 in pursuit of a degree in Gerontology. In a Sociology of Aging course, the professor lectured about the importance of storytelling throughout history. He talked about elders transferring valuable cultural and personal information from one generation to the next.
Hawai‘i is paradise but so are her Pacific sisters – the Islands of French Polynesia. Earlier this year, I drift snorkeled over coral reefs in the beautiful lagoon of Bora Bora, swam in shallow water with sting rays and black-tipped sharks, visited a black pearl farm and spotted spinner dolphins up close off the island of Moorea.
For our program — Heart of French Polynesia — the first two days of the trip were spent getting acquainted with Tahiti. We made ourselves comfortable at our great hotel with a beautiful, sandy beach and a coral reef just offshore that was teeming with colorful tropical reef fish. A daylong bus tour took us for a drive through the city of Papeete, to a cascading waterfall, a visit to the Paul Gauguin Museum and a stop at a carefully restored historic temple called a marae. As part of the Road Scholar program, we had a private local guide, who shared Tahiti’s history, people and culture with us. We visited the local open market with many booths displaying the abundant tropical fruit, fresh reef fish, and various crafts and fabrics.
Then it was time to explore the Pacific! We boarded the luxurious cruise ship Paul Gauguin, which is specially designed to enter the shallow lagoons of the Islands. The crew was attentive and gracious, and the dining service was outstanding. Complimentary wine and other beverages added to the enjoyment of a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere where fellow travelers shared the events of the day’s adventures. After dinner everyone retired to comfortable cabins with a view.
Our snorkeling excursions at each island stop began with a shuttle from the ship to the pier, where we transferred to a local dive boat that was either a catamaran or large outrigger canoe. The boats accommodated us well with large outboard motors to speed us along to our next dive site. Gratefully, they also featured canvas covers to protect us from the tropical sun while underway. The boat operators were good singers with ‘ukulele and lots of fun entertainment. The dive locations offered something for everyone. On drift snorkels we entered the lagoon in about 10 feet of aqua-clear water over a coral reef and then floated effortlessly down a slow current while we “soared” past schools of fish and colorful coral mounds. If you wished to linger in one area, swimming against the current allowed you to hover over the bottom. The boat remained close by if you wished to be picked up early. Snorkeling with stingrays and black-tipped sharks may sound dangerous, but the years of boat tours have conditioned the fish to calmly swim up and wait for a handout of fish food. They were waiting for our arrival! Snorkelers were invited to either wade in chest-deep water over a soft sandy bottom, swim out to observe the feeding or remain aboard to watch.
Road Scholar is for adults who love to learn for learning’s sake. Road Scholar provides a memorable learning experience in an informal and friendly environment. If you enjoy exploring new ideas and places, and meeting interesting people who share your interests and love of learning, then Road Scholar will be perfect for you. My fellow travelers ranged in age from 45 to 85 (average age for tours is typically mid-60s to mid-70s), and the excursions, although active, are not strenuous. If you enjoy the tropics and snorkeling, a trip to the Pacific may well be the highlight of your life, too. Hope to see you in Tahiti!
Adult Water Aerobics
Senior Softball
15 Craigside is Hawai‘i’s newest not-for-profit senior living community. It welcomed its first residents on March 4, 2011. It is the first continuing care retirement community in Hawai‘i geared to moderate-income seniors who believed that a retirement community with a full continuum of care was not possible until now.
15 Craigside also offers a number of attractive lifestyle features, including a small e-café/bistro with wireless communication and technology, and a private dining area for special occasions, complete with a quality menu selection of many types of cuisines to entice the palate.
The development of the community brings life to the perception that 15 Craigside is a place where active and happy seniors want to spend the “best years” of their lives. “Imagine the possibilities!” says White with enthusiasm, “What would you be able to do if you had someone else cooking and cleaning and maintaining your home? We have seniors who engage in writing and painting, creating Websites, learning how to ‘Skype,’ volunteering and doing things that they never had time to do before. It is an exciting time providing the means for a very fulfilling life.”
Moving and transferring the elderly is a challenge for many caregivers, especially those who lack formal training. But, the process can be made easier and safer by learning some simple tips.
Last year, Neil Abercrombie proposed a vision for older adults that caused us to consider aging in a new way. He suggested that most adults over 60 are a tremendous economic and social asset. Elder care professionals, however, have been focused on the rapid growth of the aging population and the challenges that it poses to Hawai‘i’s resources to pay for more workers and services. For decades, there have been evaluation studies, financing proposals and legislative changes to promote new initiatives. Despite these efforts, we are still grappling. Where are we going? What is our statewide goal for long-term care? Do we wish to promote self-responsibility? Should we promote a state mandate to finance long-term care? Should we try to re-balance the system by emphasizing non-institutional care? Should we limit care for only the very needy?
While shrimp may be small in size, these protein-rich and low-carb crustaceans are huge in terms of nutritional value and health benefits.