Mayor Derek Kawakami said the celebrations are for the kupuna Friday as he presented a proclamation declaring the week of Sept. 19 through 25 as National Adult Day Services Week as first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983.
The presentation was done at the Kaua‘i Adult Day Health facility at Lihu‘e Christian Church on Kress Street that combined both the celebration and acknowledgment of Adult Day Services with a Grandparents/Kupuna Day celebration that was observed earlier in September.
“Now, more than ever, it is a critical time for adult-day-service professionals to provide safe, engaging and quality programs for seniors,” said Kaulana Mossman, program director for Kaua‘i Adult Day Health.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the way in which we serve seniors as we adjust and modify approaches to health and safety measures while continuing to provide engaging and quality experiences,” she said.
Kawakami took time to have a photograph taken with each client and center staff as part of his visit, concluding with a video message.
“The hardest part of this COVID-19 is talking to the kupuna,” Kawakami said. “When I was a youngster, I was always getting scolded by kupuna. Now, they ask me, ‘Derek, I want to go to Vegas,’ and I have to tell them ‘Not right now.’”
National Adult Day Services Week is set aside to raise awareness of the important service provided by adult-day-health centers for older adults and persons with disabilities that provide caregivers respite from the demanding responsibilities of caregiving.
Adult-day-health centers provide a coordinated program of professional and compassionate service for adults in a community-based, group setting and some health services to adults who need supervised care in a safe place outside the home during the day.
National Adult Day Services Week, celebrated in the third week of September, is an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact, availability and accessibility of adult day programs nationwide by highlighting programs and services that are positively impacting and enhancing the lives of seniors.
Kawakami said that during some of the darker times of the pandemic, he used to visit the Regency at Puakea and its population of kupuna, crediting their joy, wisdom, love and guidance with helping him get through the dark times.
“Adult Day Services, Kupuna Day, we need to have this every day,” Kawakami said.
Kaua‘i Adult Day Health added the fun and meaningful experiences component by combining the observance with Grandparents/Kupuna Day, themed “You Make Life Grand,” filling the week with activities including “Back to the ‘80s,” therapeutic dance exercises, Spam musubi making, and wild, wild West games.
“We are grateful to the team, caregivers, families, volunteers and our partners in the community,” Mossman said. “We are privileged to spend our time with kupuna every day.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
What about the majority of independant Kupuna still being punished by the pandemic (rules) and not allowed to gather in Community centers as we had daily before?
Asking for a few dozen friends.