All posts by : Ted Fong

ACC is pleased to announce that Brittany Yamada is the new Life Enrichment Manager for ACC Greenhaven Terrace. She will be responsible for activities of daily living including recreational and social activities. Prior to this, Brittany was the Activities Coordinator for Assisted Living.

Also joining ACC Greenhaven Terrace is Cynthia Burmeister, LVN, Resident Care Manager for Assisted Living. She takes over for Allison Rogers who is headed to ACC Maple Tree Village in the same position.

Cynthia has a background in both clinical and supervisory roles in a variety of long term care settings.  Her previous experience includes home healthcare, 12 years at ACC Care Center, and most recently, assisted living.

To contact Brittany Yamada, email byamada@accsv.org. To contact Cynthia Burmeister, email cburmeister@accsv.org.

ACC held its Strategic Planning Retreat on Saturday, August 17. More than 45 ACC volunteers and staff met to chart the direction of ACC for the next five years. 

“We’ve had these types of retreats since our founding,” says ACC President and CEO Darrick Lam. “They ensure that we have the input to  remain one of the most dynamic and responsive organizations for seniors in our region.” 

Leadership consultant June Otow was the moderator for the day. The group learned about the history of ACC and how the rapid graying of America will affect ACC’s future for years to come. They went through ACC’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats from the viewpoint of our Board and senior leaders and what the Executive Team viewed as important for ACC’s continued growth.

Ms. Otow led a process called World Cafe, which helped the group explore and refine four strategic goals for the next five years.

In one exercise, Ms. Otow explored how people felt about change and how we can make it easier for stakeholders at ACC to accept the changes that will occur as we adapt to the future needs of seniors.

The overall feedback of the retreat was positive. “Thank you for the great and inspirational day,” said one person. “It was great getting staff, volunteers, and Board members together to work towards the same goals,” said another.

By Rev. Patti Oshita and Rev. Bob Oshita

We are grateful to have our Uncle, Toshio Fukuda, an ACC Greenhaven Terrace resident, as one of the Centenarians being honored by ACC Senior Services.

It is amazing to consider what our Centenarians have lived through.  Born 100 or more years ago, each one of them is like a “Living Time Capsule.”  We can talk with them and be transported back decades.  We can ask questions about how things were, and they become our direct, living links to the past.  The “current events” of their childhood and early adulthood are now considered events of world history:  World War I, The Roaring Twenties, The Great Depression, World War II; and for our Uncle, the forced incarceration into internment camps along with 120,000 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry.   

Our Centenarians can remember a time when there were no paved roads. Henry Ford rolled the first Model T off the Assembly Line in 1908, and they have lived to see the entire nation paved coast to coast.   How the world has transformed in their lifetimes; the things that their eyes have seen.

In 1903, the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk.  During the early childhood of our Centenarians, human flight was a “barn storming” novelty and they have lived to see men walk on the moon and flying as a routine part of life.  

They have lived through nine decades of the last century and into the new millennium.  And whatever difficulties life brought their way, whatever adversities they were made to face, they survived and somehow endured.  What is their secret?  Most would say, “I don’t really know.”  But their longevity can certainly be attributed, in part, to good genes, good fortune and good family.

It is impossible to think of the Centenarians in our Asian community without a sense of amazement.  They overcame obstacles of language and prejudice with grace and dignity.  We often hear of their generation’s phenomenal work ethic.  When we have talked with our Super Seniors over the 32 years we served the Buddhist Church of Sacramento (The Betsuin), it is clear that they worked hard with the hope that perhaps someday their children and their grandchildren might have more opportunities to seek a better life.  And in this they certainly did succeed.  We, the generations that have followed, inherit the legacy of their efforts and sacrifices.  

In the Buddhist Tradition, we would say that they are an essential part of our Karma (the countless causes and conditions / people and events that allow us to be here today).  It is an honor to recognize our Community Centenarians, for they represent a generation that will always remain a part of our collective heritage. 

Each year at the Care Center Fundraiser, ACC recognizes individuals and partners who have made exceptional contributions to the ACC Care Center. The recipients this year are Janet Sakata, Wayne Shimizu, and Medline.

Janet Sakata

ACC owes much of its success to the large corps of dedicated volunteers who are passionate about serving the community.  One person who epitomizes that spirit of volunteerism is Janet Sakata.  Whenever ACC holds a fundraiser or community event, you can count on finding Janet there – preparing food, organizing other volunteers, serving, and cleaning up – all done without special thanks or recognition. Janet is no longer the unsung hero – we are recognizing Janet and her many contributions to ACC.

Janet first started volunteering for ACC in the early 1980s at its Bingo games.  Prompted by her grandmother’s experience in a nursing home, where her grandmother was the only Asian and neither spoke nor understood English, Janet fully embraced the mission and spirit of ACC.  She served on the Board of Directors for six years, while also co-chairing ACC’s first and only yard sale and volunteering at Bingo, nursing home fundraisers, crab feed dinners, and ACC Rides.  More recently, she co-chaired the 2018 gala honoring retiring CEO Donna Yee, and continues to volunteer for the annual crab feed and Big Day of Giving, as well as staffing the Welcome Desk every Thursday.  And, of course, she still plays a major role in the Annual Care Center Fundraiser!

Janet is proud that ACC has developed into a well-recognized health care organization.  She continues to volunteer because, in her words, “I have the time to give and enjoy helping folks as I can.”  

Please join us in thanking Janet for her decades of exceptional volunteer service to ACC!

Wayne Shimizu

How can we encourage seniors to exercise and improve their social, mental, and physical well-being?  Wayne Shimizu has been addressing this question by encouraging seniors to exercise their brains and their bodies to enhance their well-being and everyday lives.  Wayne has touched the lives of countless seniors in the community.

When Wayne first began volunteering at ACC in 1990, his purpose was to contribute whatever service he could to the nursing home, which at the time was ACC’s largest community project. The majority of volunteers, including Wayne, worked at weekly Bingo sessions until it closed in 2007. “Life after Bingo” shifted many volunteers to help in other programs at ACC.  Wayne went on to become a volunteer instructor at ACC Community Center.  After researching numerous studies, Wayne developed and taught a six-week long “Memory Training” workshop that helped seniors increase their memory power by learning and using entertaining exercises, which they could do in their own home. Wayne also taught Brain Fitness at the Sutter stroke support group, Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church, CSUS Renaissance Club, and ACC’s Greenhaven Terrace. He has also been part of the ACC Matter of Balance team. 

In addition to his volunteer work as an instructor, Wayne served as an ACC Board member and President in 1999-2001.  In 2010, he was recognized by ACC for 20 years of continuous service, and in 2013, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors named him Senior Volunteer of the Year. 

Wayne finds joy in volunteering because of the results that his teachings yield. He sees an improvement in the seniors and encourages them to champion their own health.  For his many years of service to improve the lives of seniors, we are pleased to present a Special Recognition Award to Wayne.

Medline

We are thrilled to honor Medline as our corporate partner this year at the ACC Care Center Annual Fundraiser.  

Medline is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of medical supplies. Through Medline, our staff and residents are able to receive high quality products and support while integrating best practices through a continuum of care.

Since 2012, ACC Care Center and Medline have worked together to deliver and provide nursing and patient care supplies to meet the needs of our residents. Through Medline, our staff are able to access free online resources with a special focus on safety, quality and industry best practices. Additionally, through our partnership, we have implemented robust testing practices that produce timely results to determine courses of treatment.  This rapid informed decision-making is of great benefit to our residents.

Please join us in appreciating the fine people at Medline for their excellent partnership with ACC Care Center!