Music is often the background of many of our memories. We grow up hearing it on the radio, on TV and in concerts. We sang in school and at special events. We often associate certain songs with our relationships, happy memories, sad memories, growing up and different seasons of life. Because of its constant presence in our lives, music is deeply woven into our memories, and can offer hope and helpful tools to those whose memories are fading.
When a person has dementia, different parts of the brain deteriorate along with his or her ability to engage in daily life. Memories become more difficult to access, but according to a 2009 study by Petr Janata at UC Davis, memories attached to music are housed in the areas of the brain that deteriorate at a later stage in dementia. This offers hope to be able to connect with those living with dementia for a longer time. At some point, we may not be able to ask the person, “Do you remember when?” But by playing a favorite song, we might be able to elicit a response.
Those in later stages of Alzheimer’s may sing along with parts of their favorite song. Others may open their eyes and look around after the music is turned on. One man was brought to tears after singing God Bless America, saying, “It reminds me of my Navy days.” In another case, a woman spends most of the day waving her hands to the beat of the music and is often in a better mood.
Often, those with dementia can exhibit challenging behaviors. This is usually a response to something being “off” in their world. Listening to a familiar song that will evoke happy memories or emotions can reduce the fear that comes with confusion about where they are and what is happening. A 2017 study showed that facilities utilizing the Music and Memory program, which provides personalized music on iPod shuffles to nursing home residents, showed a decrease in antipsychotic and anti-anxiety medication use when compared with facilities that did not utilize Music and Memory.
So how do caregivers use music to enhance their loved one’s life? The first step is to determine what songs will be familiar and memorable. For the music to be effective, it must be something that person would enjoy listening to. Unknown tunes offer less benefit because they do not have memories and emotions tied to them. Singing, playing music during bathing, dancing along to a beloved song and tapping along to the beat are all great ways to engage someone with dementia.
Music can benefit both the caregiver and the individual with dementia by helping him or her to “remember” for longer, elevate mood, and provide familiarity and comfort in a world that is becoming more unfamiliar. Best of all, the caregiver can easily access all kinds of music.
Music is often the background of many of our memories. We grow up hearing it on the radio, on TV and in concerts. We sang in school and at special events. We often associate certain songs with our relationships, happy memories, sad memories, growing up and different seasons of life. Because of its constant presence…
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease requires patience, compassion, understanding and endless, unconditional love. In the following pages, Kalani Pe‘a and his mother, Pua, share the story of Lu Kahunani; Pua’s mother, Kalani’s grandmother. “I saw her slipping away. I knew I was going to lose her one day…”
She was a dynamo; a no-nonsense force of nature; a feisty fireball. She was a wise woman with a huge heart. But she did not mince words. She passed her pragmatic knowledge and deep-rooted values to her seven children. “Be good to people,” she would tell them. “And stop crying so much,” Lu Kahunani would tell her grandson, Kalani Pe‘a.
Music lovers in Hawai‘i and beyond know Kalani as a gifted, Nā Hōkū Hanohano and Grammy Award-winning singer and composer. It’s in his blood. He comes from a long line of musicians — his kūpuna. But he said he began to cry often when he saw his grandmother, who he calls “Mama.” “I love her so much and she is slipping away,” he said. He knew one day she’d be gone.
About 10 years ago, when her husband was still alive, Lu Kahunani began to lose her words. She started to misplace things. Sometimes she didn’t know where she was. Her husband noticed and asked their youngest daughter, Pua, to keep an eye on her.
Daughter Pua provided respite for her mother, caring for her father as he endured cancer and treatments. Before dying in his daughter’s arms later that year, he asked her to take care of his beloved wife. Pua then turned all of her attention to her mother, who was exhibiting signs of advancing Alzheimer’s disease.
Mama
Lu Kahunani will turn 90 in November. She was a model in her younger days, with the beauty of a queen. Later, she raised a family and worked at hotels, restaurants and at KTA Super Stores in Hilo. “My Mama never complained,” says Kalani. “She was the matriarch of the family. She was very steadfast and strong-willed; always vigilant and industrious. If ever we complained about a problem she would say, ‘Get over it. Figure it out.’” Kalani admits to being a crybaby when he visited Mama, even before Alzheimer’s started to steal her body, mind and memories.
She would ask, “Why are you such a crybaby?” Kalani replied, “‘Because I love you so much.’ But in my head, I knew time was flying. I knew time was precious. I knew I would not have her forever. I saw her small hands become more frail and thin. I cried not just because I was a crybaby; I cried because I knew I was going to lose her one day.”
However, Kalani seldom saw his stoic Mama shed a tear. The first time was when he was 18, when his mother and grandmother took him to get settled in college in Colorado. It was their first time leaving the islands. “She cried because she said she was going to miss me.” But through her tears, she said a prayer that her grandson would do well in his college endeavors.
The second time he saw Mama cry was after Kalani’s mom, Pua, became her caretaker. “She realized she was forgetting things,” says Kalani. “She became aware of the state that she was in and how her condition might affect her family.” Kalani shed more tears as he witnessed his Mama break down.
During the first stages of her dementia, Mama was asked to retire from her job at KTA. She did not want to retire, but she had to.
“It was in 2009 that she started wandering; forgetting her place; forgetting where she left things,” said Pua.
“She started to catch herself. She was aware of what was happening to her. She began to experience what is called sundowners… dementia, agitation, forgetting where she was,” says Pua. She was assessed for Alzheimer’s in 2010.
For those with dementia, sunset can be a time of increased confusion, frustration and agitation. Sundowning is a symptom of mid-stage to advanced Alzheimer’s.
Pua says, “She asked me to do three things: ‘When I forget to speak for myself, be my voice. When I forget to think for myself, will you think for me? Will you please be me?’ So I became her.” Pua learned to put herself in her mother’ place in order to understand her and her needs and mālama her. Social workers would frequently call on her for advice, because, they said, “You know your mother.”
Because of her mother’s Alzheimer’s assessment, Pua was able to educate herself about the disease in order to best understand what was happening to her mother and how she could help her most effectively.
“I had to understand this disease,” Pua said. “It’s not curable. It worsens as time goes by. And you see that. I saw all that. So you really have to understand this disease so you can help. This was my job now.”
Parent as Child, Child as Parent
“When you’re a child, your parents think for you, speak for you, guide you, teach you and protect you. So now, she was like my child,” says Pua. “She looked at me as her mother. There were times when she called me mama. They went through difficulties raising us. Now it is our turn to care for them.”
Pua is the youngest of seven. While trying to provide the best care and create the optimal treatment plan for her mother, family discord erupted at an already stressful time. Pua’s “perfect, no-brainer plan” to involve her six siblings in her mother’s care (seven siblings, each caretaking one day a week) did not come to fruition as she had hoped, leaving her as the sole caregiver for her ailing mother. Full-time caregiving takes an emotional toll, as she learned firsthand.
“My mother became the sole caretaker,” says Kalani. “She put her marriage on hold. She literally put her life on hold.” Caregiving tasks also took a physical toll. “My grandmother is a short, petite little lady, but the effects of Alzheimer’s took away her mobility. I watched her deteriorate. She cannot stand on her own or talk any longer.” She was dead weight as Pua tried to take care of her physical needs of daily living and support her mother in every way possible, as she promised her father she would.
Pua and Kalani at one of their many visits with Mama. “She loves every minute of it, whether she remembers who we are… or not. She knows she is loved.”
Long-Distance Caregiving
Lu now lives at the Life Care Center in Hilo. Pua and Kalani visited her often in person before the COVID-19 pandemic exerted its overpowering grip on the world. Now, the families of those in long-term medical facilities must comply with health mandates for the safety of all concerned. Families now provide long-distance caregiving by communicating with their loved ones through internet meeting programs on tablets, computers and smartphones.
“We used to bring her flowers and candy and chocolate ice cream,” says Kalani. “Oh how that tiny Filipino- Hawaiian woman loves her sweets! My mom also dropped off my albums. Caregivers at the center play them for her and I could see in the videos they sent us that she would wander. Since she can not articulate, her eyes tell the story. As she connects with the music, her eyes tell me that she loves me and she is proud of me.”
In 2013, Kalani and his partner moved to Maui. Pua came to live with them years later. Kalani transferred from the Big Island as a teacher and Hawaiian resource coordinator at Kamehameha Schools. He left that position after 10 years to pursue his dreams full-time as a musician and educator. He conducts workshops on Hawaiian music composition and songwriting while he is touring. He donates a portion of his concert proceeds to the Alzheimer’s Association to honor his grandmother.
After years of solo caregiving, fighting feelings of failure and defeat, Pua moved to beautiful Maui to live with Kalani and his partner. Mama was moved to the Life Care Center.
“I want to emphasize that caregivers should take care of themselves,” says Kalani. “Mālama their piko — all of their temples — and spiritually heal. Ask for help for a good hour or two a day so you can take care of yourself and find time to heal so you can take care of others, as well. You can’t do it all.”
“Mom didn’t get that,” says Kalani. So he told his mother, “Come holomua in Maui. Come and heal. I will take care of you. If you are not going to take care of yourself, I’m going to lose you first before I lose my grandma.”
“It was a fight for me with my siblings,” Pua says. “But my mother taught me the meaning of the word forgiveness. With that, you allow reopening of a new chapter in your life. You allow acceptance because God is going to take care of you. My mother is a woman of faith. She is my light. She lights the way when I feel I am in darkness.”
“So I kissed Mama goodbye, telling her I have to leave,” says Pua. “And although she could not articulate her thoughts and feelings, the look in her eyes told me ‘All is well.’”
“Mama continues to shine even over this distance that separates us,” says Pua. They often connect through internet video. “As soon as she is able to tell where the voices are coming from, she looks right at the screen — right at us.” Pua also sends regular care packages. The social workers at the center are very helpful maintaining whatever connection is possible with her mother. “God is ensuring I connect with her no matter what.”
“I just came back from visiting her before the quarantine. Hurricane Douglas had just passed. I told myself I just had to go,” says Pua. “Mama is on the third floor of the facility. They sit her next to the window and I talk to her outside from the ground floor. She hears my voice and looks right at me. Our spirits connect.”
“I think Mama wants us to accept the fact that she is going to go,” says Kalani. “We are okay with her going to leave, but she is such a strong woman… to have this horrendous disease for 10 years when many last only five or six years before they succumb to the disease.”
“She is fighting it, but I think she wants our family to ho‘oponopono,” the Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness, “and holomua” [improve],” says Kalani.
“Values play such an important role in our ‘ohana, …understanding the values of forgiveness and having the trait of being a good person who is good to people,” says Kalani.
The Alzheimer’s Stigma
Kalani spoke of friends who were very secretive and ashamed regarding their loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Kalani’s advice: “Don’t be ashamed to talk about it. People will talk about their loved ones with cancer or diabetes or whatever, but this particular disease — Alzheimer’s — is also something to talk about. It’s okay to talk about your mom forgetting things. It’s okay to talk about your mom forgetting your name. It’s okay to talk about her hitting you during sundowners because she can’t control her anger. Just don’t be hard on her or him… Love them, hold them, tell them it’s okay. Just understand that they can’t control their behavior. They can’t control their delusions.”
He reports that those friends who took his advice are very grateful that he shared his own experiences with them.
“There is a stigma,” says Kalani. “People are afraid and ashamed. So it is helpful for us to create and share this dialogue and diary with other people who are new to this. It’s okay to talk about the issues to help educate other caregivers and to let them know they are not alone.”
Music Sparks a Connection
Before COVID, Kalani would whisper in his Mama’s ear, continually reminding her of how much he loves her. He would also sing to her. “I brought her flowers and chocolates on her birthday,” says Kalani. “She did not recognize me for a while until I sang to her and told her who I was. I was able to connect with her through my music for a split second. I sang her favorite song, Blue Darling. My grandfather would sing that song to her when they would argue. She sang along with me. And then she kissed me. ‘I love you, Ara,’” she said. “She calls me Ara for short.”
A video of this bittersweet exchange went viral last November.
“She always supported my educational endeavors,” says Kalani. “She was always in the front row watching me perform. She was at the forefront of all my performances.” Now she rarely recognizes Ara. “That breaks my heart,” he says.
“But that moment, at that time… I had her… for less that a minute, but I had her,” he said. “She knew exactly who I was. That was a moment I had her, vividly, looking at me in my eye. I could see in her eyes how much she loved me.” Kalani touched his heart and inhaled deeply at the recollection of that precious moment.
“I didn’t know she would totally remember a song and remember me through song,” says Kalani. “And I realized how music brings healing to the heart and the soul and to the mind. Music is so essential; it plays such an important role. I think music is among our antidotes and medicines for the elderly. Whether there are workshops through the Alzheimer’s Association or through caregivers out there, music and dance should be imbedded in a system for our kūpuna. Music allows you reflect on the past and allows our elderly to really connect with their loved ones.”
“I still cry every time I visit her because I know she is deteriorating,” says Kalani. “I know I am losing her verbally, mentally… all of that. But the music allows me to link with her spiritually. I knew that was the strongest medicine I could have given her. And at that specific time and place of deep connection, you can’t replace that moment.”
Kalani also said that despite her forgetfulness, Lu was able to recite her prayers without hesitation, underscoring her strong spiritual connection.
While there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, music has been shown to have emotional and behavioral benefits for those living with the disease. Kalani and Mama continue to have rare instances of connection through his music, but the frequency has dissipated over time as the disease progresses.
A Musical Heritage
“My whole family sings,” says Kalani. “My paternal grandfather, John Pe‘a, who passed away from Alzheimer’s, was an opera singer. My dad plays the bass. My mom’s family were musicians, too. I come from a line of musicians but I was the first to record an actual album that talks about people I love, places I love in Hawai‘i, people who have affected me my whole life… and that is all through songwriting and personal experiences. I didn’t win accolades overnight… I prepared and trained. The accolades do not define who I am. It is my parents — my mom — who taught me to be proud of who I am as a kanaka and to be good to people. My grandmother always taught us that being good to people is the best trait you could have.
Kalani says he owes his musical career to his mother and his ancestors. He shared that he stuttered as a keiki and what helped him overcome the impediment was music. “My parents put me in choirs, music theory classes, ear training, and piano and guitar lessons.”
He said his mom put him in oversized suits and encouraged him to sing at weddings and charity events. “But I never thought I would do music full-time because full-time musicians don’t make any money at all,” Kalani says. “I’m not becoming a teacher either, flying chalk at kids. But I became a teacher, creating Hawaiian culture curriculum, and using my music skills and proficiencies, I have created STEM curricula.”
Music Curriculum for Kūpuna
“I have talked to Alzheimer’s Association Executive Director LJ Duenas and the team at the Aloha Chapter about building a curriculum for our kūpuna,” says Kalani. “I want to contribute that because I believe that music plays a role with our kūpuna. I believe that music should be implemented in their care programs and I am there to assist. The Alzheimer’s Association is my number one charity because of my kūpuna.”
Kalani’s late paternal grandparents also suffered from this disease. “This disease truly runs through he veins of my family.”
The Water of Life
Waiwai means value, wealth or knowledge. Wai means water; water is wealth. “Water is a medicine that keeps us alive and well,” says Kalani.
Na Wai Eha in West Maui — The Four Great Waters, a place of Nā Akua — is a system of fresh water streams that sustained thriving Hawaiian communities since time immemorial. Part of the system includes Wailuku Stream (‘Īao Stream).
(L–R) An Alzheimer’s Association volunteer, Kalani and Dr. Poki‘i Balaz, DNP. Follow Kalani’s musical journey and his work with the AAAC at kalanipeamusic.com and @kalanipeamusic
“The stream symbolizes the cycle of energy and life,” Kalani says. “Similarly, our kūpuna and those before them had this wealth of knowledge and wisdom that they bestowed upon us to continue their legacies and our heritage, whether we speak the language, dance hula, or learn our history and genealogy. They teach us to be comfortable with our identity and ourselves and remember who we are and where we come from.”
“That stream talks about the connectivity of life,” says Kalani. “If we are going through trials and tribulations, we are rejuvenating ourselves with water given by God so we grow and be strong and be good people. And we all need to be good people of compassion, especially now.”
It is one of the places we have a spiritual connection with our ancestors,” says Kalani. “The water of life flows through us from our kūpuna. The stream that flows consistently from mountain to ocean is symbolic and metaphoric of this human cycle. As water is our waiwai, our kūpuna are our waiwai.”
“I often wake up and wish this was just a terrible nightmare and I could just pick up my phone and call her and tell her how much I love her,” says Kalani. “I wish I could fly to the house she once owned and see her purple orchids… I wish I could just grab her and tell her how much I love her. It is really hard to understand this disease. I wish I could be in the shoes of a person with Alzheimer’s and feel what they feel… what is holding them back, what they are thinking.” Kalani sighs. “I miss her so much. I do.”
The Color Purple
When Kalani would perform Kahunani No ‘Ō la‘a, the song he wrote for his grandmother that was recorded on his Grammy Award-winning sophomore album, No ‘Ane‘i, some audience members would make the connection to their loved ones who have faced Alzheimer’s or who have passed away from the disease. Kalani and his mother, Pua, were honored to share their experiences. And ultimately after his performances, they would ask him about his signature purple clothing. He expresses his deep connection to his ancestors through symbolism in both song and color. Kalani means “the heavenly skies.” He is named after his father, Arthur Kalani Pe‘a. “The sky is blue. The koko, the blood of God, Jesus Christ, is red. When you combine both colors, you have purple! It is my connection to the spiritual world and reconnecting with my kūpuna. It is they who paved the path for me. They have nurtured me and raised me to be the man I am today.” Kalani Pe‘a embodies the understated confidence of one who knows he is much loved. He is very good to people.
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease requires patience, compassion, understanding and endless, unconditional love. In the following pages, Kalani Pe‘a and his mother, Pua, share the story of Lu Kahunani; Pua’s mother, Kalani’s grandmother. “I saw her slipping away. I knew I was going to lose her one day…”
MoveMeHawai‘i is a joint effort of the Beta Beta Gamma Foundation and the Hawaii State Bar Foundation with the objectives of educating the public about social justice issues, promoting community unity, and supporting organizations that provide legal or social services to the underserved. This October, MoveMeHawai‘i is presenting a free, online community education program, Move US to Racial Justice, which will include an award-winning film and a lively panel discussion about racial discrimination during World War II and how we can move together to combat systemic racism that continues today.
A Documentary: ALTERNATIVE FACTS
Throughout October, participants can view Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066, a compelling documentary about the false information and political influences that led to the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. This film, an Honorable Mention for the 2020 American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award, sheds light on the people, prejudice, and politics behind the lies and deliberate withholding of critical information that influenced the signing of the infamous Executive Order 9066 and US Supreme Court reviews of that order.
Panel Discussion
On Oct. 25 at 2 p.m., MoveMeHawai‘i will present a live, online panel discussion of the film and how it relates to the ongoing social injustices faced by US minority groups. The Black Lives Matter movement, Hawai‘i’s own racial issues, and alliances of people of all ethnicities in support of racial equality will be discussed by Jon Ozaki, the filmmaker and visionary of Alternative Facts; Camille Nelson, the new dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law and a leading scholar on critical race theory; and Avi Soifer, the immediate past dean of the law school and a constitutional law expert.
Submit questions for the panelists in advance via the online registration form or use the online chatbox during the live panel. The discussion and the film will both be available through Oct. 31.
MOVE ME HAWAI‘I (501(c) 3 nonprofit)
For details, film and panel discussion registrations: MoveMeHawaii@gmail.com | www.MoveMeHawaii.org. Access links will be sent for the film, the live panel discussion and the recorded panel discussion.
This October, MoveMeHawai‘i is presenting a free, online community education program, Move US to Racial Justice, which will include an award-winning film and a lively panel discussion about racial discrimination during World War II and how we can move together to combat systemic racism that continues today.
As we age, staying organized and living in an uncluttered space can help reduce the stress of transitioning into different phases of life. Many seniors find themselves needing or wanting to downsize from a family home to a smaller space, such as an apartment, retirement community or multigenerational family space. Taking the time to sort through possessions accumulated over the years will make downsizing or aging in place less stressful and improve your overall health. Here are tips to help you create an organized living space:
• Keep only those belongings most precious to you. Share other items with family and friends who will treasure them or donate items to your favorite charity for someone else to enjoy.
• Create large, open areas for easy mobility and cleaning. Remove any unused furniture and keep steps and hallways clear of clutter.
• Make frequently used items accessible. Store items between waist- and upper thigh-level to prevent bending over or reaching overhead.
• Label drawers and cabinets to make it easier for you and/or caregivers to find items.
• Use clear or translucent boxes for storage.
• Store important documents in a secure location.
Living in a clean and organized home is beneficial at any phase of life. Just set aside a little time each day to declutter. Remember, don’t be afraid to ask family and friends for help!
As we age, staying organized and living in an uncluttered space can help reduce the stress of transitioning into different phases of life. Many seniors find themselves needing or wanting to downsize from a family home to a smaller space, such as an apartment, retirement community or multigenerational family space. Taking the time to sort…
To help relieve their families from stress at an already stressful time, an increasing number of people are planning their own funerals and designating their funeral preferences — sometimes paying for them in advance.
It does not have to be a complicated process. In fact, many funeral providers have created preplanning guides that allow clients to document important details and wishes. Some providers offer online webinars to inform viewers of the options they have to preplan arrangements from the comfort of their homes.
Preplanning will provide comfort to your loved ones and give them the confidence that comes from knowing they are honoring your wishes and following through with your plans exactly as you wanted.
Be sure to tell your family about the plans you’ve made, including if you have prepaid. Preplanning your cemetery and funeral needs will make a difficult time just a bit easier for your family. Do it for yourself; do it for your family.
We will all face the inevitable some day. No one likes to think about their eventual passing, but loved ones can be spared anxiety and uncertainty about your final wishes if you take time now to preplan your cemetery and funeral arrangements.
Currently, more than 29,000 people in Hawai‘i are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and over 65,000 family members and friends are providing their care, according the the Alzheimer’s Association website (www.alz.org/hawaii).
Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing offers Living with Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias: 101 Stories of Caregiving, Coping, and Compassion, a collection of personal stories of love and lessons written by caregivers especially for caregivers. This joint project with the Alzheimer’s Association aims to provide support, advice, encouragement and comfort for caregivers, as well as those living with Alzheimer’s. Chapters includes stories that touch on topics such as, what it’s like to have Alzheimer’s, advice from other families, keeping marriages strong and loving, the role of laughter, and powerful music and art therapies. The book is full of heartfelt reflections and heart wrenching truths told by those who have endured seeing a loved one in the clutches of a cruel thief.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias: 101 Stories of Caregiving, Coping, and Compassion by Amy Newmark and Angela Geiger All royalties go to the Alzheimer’s Association. The book is available at most bookstores and online.
If you are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, know that you are not alone. Know that you are not the only one who has experienced the wrath of these diseases or felt the roller coaster of emotions that accompanies watching a loved one disappear.
Pomai has become worried as she sees Papa, her grandfather, become more forgetful. She wants Papa to play with her, but he is losing his memory and is no longer able to make poi with her or take her to the beach. In Pomai and Her Papa: Growing Up with Memory Loss and Holding On to What Matters Most, a short, illustrated storybook, Pomai sets off on her journey to learn how to help Papa and her family. She receives guidance from a teacher, social worker and doctor, who help her understand what is happening to Papa. The story educates young caregivers about dementia, including the most common form, Alzheimer’s disease, and offers age-appropriate ways to help.
“People in Hawai‘i are especially affected by Alzheimer’s disease, in part because of the high rate of multigenerational homes here,” said Professor Colette Browne, one of the book’s co-authors.
“Children are deeply affected by dementia in their families, and yet often they are not viewed as caregivers who need education and support.”
This free booklet includes information on local and national resources where youth and families can seek answers and find support. It was written by Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. It is published and distributed through Hā Kūpuna project, a resource center for Native Hawaiian elders and their families.
Pomai has become worried as she sees Papa, her grandfather, become more forgetful. She wants Papa to play with her, but he is losing his memory and is no longer able to make poi with her or take her to the beach. In Pomai and Her Papa: Growing Up with Memory Loss and Holding On…
The Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society, organized in 1979, is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life of Hawai‘i’s kūpuna. One of the missions of HPGS is to raise funds and award scholarships to college students interested in careers involving aging and older people. The society just awarded three scholarships for the 2020 fall classes.
One such awardee is University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu student Dani Waring, who wrote to HPGS. “This scholarship allows me to pay for one fall course and subsequent study books so I don’t have to rely on my income, and it will help me realize my goal of being a nursing administrator.”
The society is also excited about the next set of awardees for 2021. In this upcoming event, HPGS is doing it differently and going virtual
The fourth annual HPGS Scholarship Fundraiser will be held virtually on Nov. 6 with Gerontologist Cullen Hayashida as the honoree. He has helped develop over 50 elder care service projects in hospital, nursing home, home care, college and community settings. Entertainer-comedian Frank Delima will serve as the emcee. All proceeds will go to the scholarship fund. Sign up, register and donate to this worthy event online.
HAWAII PACIFIC GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY
P. O. Box 3714, Honolulu, HI 96812 www.hpgs.org | 808-722-8487 | sgoyallc@aol.com HPGS’s enrollment is open throughout the year for those interested in being part of an association that educates, communicates and continues to bring together its membership for the common goal of servicing Hawai‘i’s elders.
The Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society, organized in 1979, is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life of Hawai‘i’s kūpuna. One of the missions of HPGS is to raise funds and award scholarships to college students interested in careers involving aging and older people. The society just awarded three scholarships for the 2020 fall…
With the reopening of the state after shutdowns mandated by local government in recent months, kūpuna and other vulnerable people have become more fearful of venturing out into the community to shop and run errands as the coronavirus continues to spread with more people out in public. The demand for food, supplies and assistance has grown in response to unemployment. An increasing number of kūpuna say they do not have sufficient resources to feed themselves.
Help Is On The Way
To address these issues, Gregory R. Kim cofounded Help Is On The Way in March 2020, a nonprofit grassroots organization that offers free pickup and delivery service on O‘ahu to help meet the needs of kūpuna who are restricted to their homes, those who are quarantined and individuals with medical conditions in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Services are Simple to Use
Pickup and delivery items include groceries and household goods, prepared and frozen meals, farmers’ market produce, toiletries, prescriptions, appliances and other deliverables. Typically, Help Is On The Way clients order and pay for groceries, and volunteers pick them up and deliver them. (Volunteers do not shop or handle money.) The organization also guides clients to other agencies and resources that might assist them.
The organization has also stepped up to help with Hawai‘i’s food security needs with its own food drives in partnership with Central Union Church that collect nonperishable food and toiletries. Angel Food Network volunteer drivers across O‘ahu have a ready supply of bags of food for quick delivery upon request to kūpuna and others.
How to arrange a pickup and delivery
STEP 1: Place an order by calling a store, pay, get a confirmation number. STEP 2: Contact Help Is On The Way to request delivery of your order. (Delivery may take one to two days.) STEP 3: Volunteers will deliver your items to your location.
Help Is On The Way is a member of the Kupuna Food Security Coalition managed by the City and County of Honolulu, Elder Care Division; and the Aloha United Way 211 network. Contact Help Is On The Way for a delivery, to make a donation or to sign up as a volunteer, through the information provided below.
HELP IS ON THE WAY
1926 Kakela Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822
406-426-1013 | hihelpisontheway@gmail.com www.hihelpisontheway.org Help Is On The Way also connects those who cannot afford food with programs and organizations that can help.
With the reopening of the state after shutdowns mandated by local government in recent months, kūpuna and other vulnerable people have become more fearful of venturing out into the community to shop and run errands as the coronavirus continues to spread with more people out in public. The demand for food, supplies and assistance has…
An interview with Denise Soderholm of Soderholm Mobility Inc.
How has the transport business for seniors been affected by COVID-19?
Initially, I think the overall private transport business literally fell off a cliff in early March as tourism abruptly stopped and the State of Hawai‘i went into lockdown. The businesses in Hawai‘i quickly came together to provide solutions to safely transport our kūpuna. Fortunately, transport vehicles for retirement facilities and adult day programs have still operated. I was glad that was happening because transportation is vital for our seniors, even though they’ve cut back on traveling because of the lockdown mandates. But the necessary travels to the doctor are essential, as well as to the grocery store and pharmacy. Right now, a lot has fallen onto family for transportation — and that has caused an extra burden for them. However, there have been alternative solutions that businesses have adopted and included in their services, such as special senior and disabled shopping hours as well as store-to-door delivery so that the most vulnerable can still obtain their necessary medications or food.
During the state’s pandemic mandates, how have client services changed?
Well, the most obvious for businesses was to incorporate extra safety measures to keep staff, technicians and customers secure. Safety concerns for the more vulnerable and aged populations were paramount for everyone. COVID-19 just couldn’t take hold in those businesses. Many acquired new disinfectant products that are known to be effective for up to 30 days.
How are seniors faring with changing businesses and client services?
We’re in such a different time now. Everything around us just seems to be moving by so quickly. So I can only imagine how our seniors are viewing the world around them. I don’t expect them to keep up, but it just seems you almost have to, because technology is now playing a major part in our lives. Seniors must learn the devices we are using in our shifting business landscape.
Our business as well as many others are focusing on maintaining client communication via tablets, smartphones or what have you. FaceTime and Zoom are being widely used for one-on-one interaction and demonstrations with customers. Something that was once done in person is now an alternative norm — such as virtually examining new mobility equipment. Of course, the old phone call interaction is still always available. But definitely going virtual for businesses has dialed up the client services format.
YouTube videos are also another method businesses used as they began to think out of the box. Video demonstrations have been popular and businesses have incorporated those videos into their websites. And that’s where and how businesses are adjusting. Not only are clients able to get information about certain products, but transactions are done completely from their own home.
While online shopping may be popular, we need to recognize the importance of buying local. Warranty, service and repair for products purchased is best done on a local basis by a trusted provider. We want to recognize that as we all try to rebuild our local Hawai‘i economy.
For businesses in the senior industry, what has been the biggest challenge overall?
The biggest challenge in this COVID-19 environment was the initial shock and stress of how to do business with restrictions and constantly changing situations. Thinking out of the box was required. With that, new opportunities became available. In a way, there’s always a silver lining to every situation because it forces you to adapt and be flexible, and to change along with uncertain footing. You certainly remain light on your feet just so you’re always prepared.
In conjunction with the first question, I think the biggest challenge overall for seniors, still, is travel. Travel is such an integral part of our daily lives. We never thought twice about it before this pandemic. We’ve taken that and a lot of other things for granted; socialization stands out enormously. Seniors aren’t able to attend their daily social events, such as going to the park, a friend’s house, a senior club, etc. Travel is essential as they need to get from point A to point B.
Businesses in this industry must know the importance they play in this modality. They have stepped up and found creative ways to continue their business while keeping seniors mobile in a safe environment.
I have no doubt that the businesses that serve the disabled and aged communities in Hawai‘i will continue to evolve.
How do you think Generations Magazine has impacted our kūpuna community?
I would say Generations Magazine has made a great impact by providing a plethora of valuable information for our kūpuna and their related community. As an individual with mobility challenges, I started reading the magazine in the doctor’s office years before I dreamed of being close to the kūpuna target age group.
Generations Magazine contains so many resources and I learn something new with each issue. The Generations community of contributors is also one of compassion and understanding. To have a single, reliable source of ku¯ puna-related information is vital to our community.
We’re proud and honored to be a Generations Magazine partner!
Initially, I think the overall private transport business literally fell off a cliff in early March as tourism abruptly stopped and the State of Hawai‘i went into lockdown. The businesses in Hawai‘i quickly came together to provide solutions to safely transport our kūpuna.
When a person has dementia, different parts of the brain deteriorate along with his or her ability to engage in daily life. Memories become more difficult to access, but according to a 2009 study by Petr Janata at UC Davis, memories attached to music are housed in the areas of the brain that deteriorate at a later stage in dementia. This offers hope to be able to connect with those living with dementia for a longer time. At some point, we may not be able to ask the person, “Do you remember when?” But by playing a favorite song, we might be able to elicit a response.
So how do caregivers use music to enhance their loved one’s life? The first step is to determine what songs will be familiar and memorable. For the music to be effective, it must be something that person would enjoy listening to. Unknown tunes offer less benefit because they do not have memories and emotions tied to them. Singing, playing music during bathing, dancing along to a beloved song and tapping along to the beat are all great ways to engage someone with dementia.
