Adult care center to hold open house
The Franciscan Adult Day Care Center celebrates 10 years
The Franciscan Adult Day Care Center, located at the Manoa home of the Sisters of Francis, 2715 Pamoa Road, will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 25 to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
The center is called SMILE, an acronym for the Sister Maureen Intergenerational Learning Environment, honoring the late Sister Maureen Keleher, who headed St. Francis Medical Center for 35 years.
The Adult Day Center is a partnership between the Sisters of St. Francis-Hawaii Region and St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii. It was established in January 1996 and state-certified to provide adult day care.
The average age of participants is 84. The youngest is 79 and the oldest is 97. Most have some form of dementia and cannot live safely at home, according to the center.
It is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has an average daily attendance of 26. It is licensed for 35 participants.
The average length of stay at the center is four to five years compared with the national average of two years, which the center attributes to the long life of Hawaii residents.
Alex Au, Franciscan Adult Day Center program director for 10 years, said the facility "adheres to the Franciscan values of simplicity, charity, joy and peacemaking."
"When someone has memory problems, it is important to keep things simple and peaceful and continue to have joy," Au said.
She said it is the only adult day center located next to a school campus (St. Francis School), which provides an environment for intergenerational interaction with upper grade levels and preschool.
"Because we're located next to a campus, participants like the idea of going to a 'class' or 'club.' We avoid using the term 'day care,'" Au said.
The center features activities such as exercise, arts, crafts, music, games and learning experiences that enhance health and well-being.
St. Francis School students and University of Hawaii interns and service learning students volunteer with the program and entertain the participants.
Au said the activities use energy, which helps participants sleep better at night. "The socialization also helps, so there is less chance of feeling depressed or lonely," Au added.
The center also offers caregiver support group meetings twice a month and family caregiver training classes three times a year.
For more information, call 988-5678 or visit the Web site www.franciscanadultday.com.