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ACC President and CEO Darrick Lam has been appointed to the State-level committee that will develop the roadmap that provides all Californians, regardless of race, economic status or level of support, an opportunity grow old safely, with dignity and independence. 

During his State of the State speech in on February 12, 2019, Governor Newsom said, “It is time for a new Master Plan on Aging. We’ve deferred it for far too long. It must address person-centered care, the patchwork of public services, social isolation, bed-locked seniors in need of transportation, the nursing shortage and demand for In-Home Supportive Services that far outpaces its capacity.” 

Mr. Lam joins 33 other professionals on the newly formed Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Committee. The group will help to develop components of the Master Plan, including best practices and data metrics, to guide the work of state government, local communities, private organizations and philanthropy to build environments that promote an age friendly California.

“California is the state with the most number of people who are 65 years and older, totaling 5.1 millions in 2017; this number is estimated to increase to 8.6 million by 2030,” says Mr. Lam.  “I call them the ‘Silver Tsunami.’ They are facing severe shortages in just about everything from healthcare to transportation. It’s interesting, though, that Governor Newsom’s vision for aging adults has been ACC’s vision for decades.”

As a trained social worker and holder of an MBA, Mr. Lam has over 29 years of experience in the field of aging and long-term services and support in both the public and private nonprofit sectors.

Says Board Chair Winston Ashizawa, “Darrick’s appointment makes sense not only because of his experience, but also because the ACC community is a microcosm of everything the Governor has been taking about. We provide skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, transportation, meals, social services, and health and wellness programs.”

In a related development, Governor Newsom and Former First Lady of California, Maria Shriver, announced the Alzheimer’s Prevention and Preparedness Task Force. Both had parents who died from this disease. Says Mr. Lam, “ACC’s construction of Maple Tree Village Memory Care Center could not be more timely. Beyond the physical construction of the facility, we are doing a lot of work on developing programs for residents and their family caregivers.” 

ACC is honored to bring our knowledge and experience to the Committee that will develop governor’s Master Plan on Aging,” says Mr. Ashizawa. “We feel that what has worked for our seniors will also work for other seniors across the State.”

Kaley Wong had been out of work for 10 years when she decided she wanted to make a change in her life. Tired of being at home and wanting to help support her family, Kaley enrolled in the ACC’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in order to find a regular job. When ACC started SCSEP in February of 2017, Kaley was assigned as a clerk at a Goodwill Store.

While the work there kept her busy and she learned a great deal about retail, Kaley was looking for something that was a better fit not only for her language skills (she is bilingual in English and Cantonese), but focused more on caregiving.  The ACC SCSEP staff worked with her to redefine her job career goals and found a match for Kaley at our own Care Center in Activities. 

Kaley began her assignment in April of 2018. This turned out to be a great match. The Care Center needed help with keeping their residents active and stimulated, and her ability to communicate in Cantonese really helped her bond with many of the clients there.  Kaley helps clients with entertainment, physical activities and socializing.

As the months passed, Kaley developed great relationships with the residents and they soon came to really look forward to and enjoy their time with her.  Kaley really also appreciated being able to use her native language to help as well.  Eleven months later, the ACC Care Center decided to make Kaley a permanent member of their Activities staff, and both Kaley and management could not be happier. Activity Director Debbie Williams described Kaley as an easy person to train because she was already a perfect fit for the role, especially given her language ability. Add to that the fact that the clients really love Kaley, hiring her was an easy decision to make.

Kaley is grateful for the opportunity that SCSEP offered her and would like all older people to know that even though it may be challenging, you can find work again and you just have to stay positive.

By Donna Yee

It is no surprise that the Southgate Recreation and Park District recently named a new park for Jimmie R. Yee on April 27, 2019. It is also no surprise that so many family, friends, and colleagues showed up to honor him.

What is surprising is continuing to learn more about all of the ways that Jimmie has fostered a sense of community and generated goodwill throughout the community.

 During my tenure as CEO at ACC Senior Services, I never had time to ask what Jimmie had “done for us lately” because he was constantly clearing the way for ACC’s building projects, helping families find needed care, and assuring programs that received local funds were accountable and fairly treated by officials.

Yes, he was the County Supervisor for the 2nd District (2007-2015), yes, he was the 53rd Mayor of Sacramento (1999-2000), and yes, he served on the City Council representing the 4th District (1992-1999), a longtime public official who sorted through knotty problems of local government, and (sometimes) the family and business problems of his constituents.

 I say we should keep piling on the accolades and recognition of Jimmie’s talents and accomplishments.  Congratulations again, Jimmie, for so many jobs well done!!

Hundreds of donations poured into ACC on May 2nd, Big Day of Giving. All the money went to ACC Programs which offers social services, classes, and transportation for older adults and their caregivers.

“We rely on donations to cover our teaching and staffing costs,” says Program Director Linda Revilla. “I want to thank all of our donor and sponsors for another successful Big Day of Giving.”

Highlights of the day included food, live entertainment, demonstrations, and a craft fair. The ACC Care Center staff dazzled with a special dance number during a segment called “ACC’s Got Talent.” Nami Berg and Darrick Lam graced the dance floor with a perfectly executed waltz. It was matched by a beautifully staged fashion show featuring employees in their native attire.

In early April, ACC undertook a change in business direction with the Fund Development Department to improve operational efficiencies and donor services. To that end, ACC has appointed Ted Fong as the Interim Director of Development.

 As the Board President and CEO for ACC, we sincerely apologize to our donors and supporters for problems you may have encountered with donation processing and related customer service activities.

Ted is focusing on improving our software configuration, reducing human errors, and getting donor acknowledgement letters out accurately and on time. He has created a bug reporting system to capture errors, omissions, and, yes, complaints. You can submit your case online at tinyurl.com/acc7070, or email Ted at tfong@accsv.org.

Ted is also meeting with the various Board, Standing Committees and Special Event Committees to discuss what we want to see as the ideal donor and volunteer experience at ACC. These findings will inform the long-term direction of Fund Development at ACC and the level of funding the Department requires.

On a lighter note, we would like to thank all the volunteers and donors for supporting our Big Day of Giving 2019 which raised over $50,000 on May 2nd and our 13th Annual Golf Tournament which raised over $30,000 on May 7th. We would thank Maeley Tom who starred in our epic music video “Rollin’ at ACC” and our sponsors who are listed on pages 4 and 16 of this issue.

ACC was also one of the recipients at the 2nd Annual Pride of the Pocket Awards Ceremony which was held on Thursday, May 30th, at the Didion School Park. Nominated by Supervisory Patrick Kennedy, ACC was joined by other awardees which included Pocket-Greenhaven Moms Group; Friends of the Robbie Waters Library; Matsuyama Principal Judy Farina and Teacher Stephanie Berry; Pocket Little League; Lieutanant Paul Freeman; Lane Shapiro; and Friends of the Sacramento River Parkway. ACC’s head of HR Tony Waterford and our Guitar Ensemble also provided entertainment.

Last but not least, the ACC Board of Directors will lead the development of a new Five-Year Strategic Plan for ACC entitled “Honoring the Past; Building for the Future.” Input will be solicited from clients, employees, volunteers, and other community stakeholders to ensure that our plan will become realistic.

Thank you again for your ongoing support to help ACC with our growth and improvement on our operational efficiencies and customer services.

Kevin McAllister has joined Meals on Wheels by ACC as its new Executive Director. Kevin was the Executive Director of Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director for California Coalition for Youth where he and his team successfully advocated for $10M to be put into the State budget to support homeless youth in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Los Angeles and San Diego.

“Our search for a new Executive Director yielded over three hundred applications,” says MOW Board President Brian Chin. “Fourteen candidates interviewed for the top position. Kevin stood out because he had been in non-profit leadership positions his entire career. It was important to find someone who had a passion for serving disadvantaged and underserved populations.”

One experience that solidified Kevin’s calling happened while he was a program coordinator at the Solano Family Justice Center. “I saw a lot of bad things happen to people including an elderly client who was a victim of financial abuse by another family member. She lost her house.”

“I’m honored to lead Meals on Wheels by ACC because it serves the most vulnerable members of our community,” says Kevin. “Many of our participants are house-bound and would be much worse off without us. They get very excited when we show up at their door.  We get to know them like family.”

Kevin replaces David Morikawa who led the organization for the past seven-plus years. Today, Meals on Wheels by ACC has 500 volunteers and serves more than 2,000 older adults in their homes and at 20 All Seasons Café sites throughout Sacramento County. Last year, MOW celebrated the delivery of its four millionth meal since taking over the program from Sacramento County in 2010.

Kevin graduated with B.A. in Liberal Arts from CSU Sacramento and an M.S. in Organizational Leadership from National University. He enjoys archery, hiking and kayaking.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s father, Judge William Newsom, died last year at 84 after battling dementia and other health issues. Two months later, in his first State of the State Address, the governor said that California will develop a “Master Plan on Aging.”

The governor cited three challenges for California that ACC addresses head on – the social isolation seniors experience, their transportation needs, and Alzheimer’s. “I’ve had some personal and painful experience with this recently,” he said.

ACC Rides, Meals on Wheels congregant dining, ACC Lifelong Learning are just a few programs that show how ACC has been thinking ahead on these issues. And with ACC Maple Tree Village opening later this year, we will be fully committed to helping people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Our work has another dimension to it that often gets overlooked by policy makers. We help family caregivers, not just their loved ones, through support groups, classes, workshops, and social activities. We strive to improve the quality of life for all family members, not just those 65 and older.

ACC has created an environment that promotes dynamic family interactions with seniors. Families come to our assisted living and skill nursing facilities, spending quality time with their love ones. It’s an organic experience that really defines ACC. If you attended our recent Chinese New Years celebrations, you could have seen just how intergenerational these events were.

Therefore, it appears that Governor Newsom’s approach to health policy was shaped by his father’s story. That’s what makes him like the rest of us. Anyone who has been a caregiver knows what older adults and their caregivers need. You don’t have to be the governor, but we’re glad he’s on board. Rich or poor, famous or not, we all want the same thing for our parents and others who are aging.

Read Governor Newsom’s State of the State speech delivered on February 12, 2019.

Dr. Scott Stringer is the Medical Director at ACC Care Center and an expert in keeping seniors out of the hospital. As a former emergency room physician, Dr. Stringer treated patients during the “golden hour,” the period of time following a traumatic injury when medical care has the highest likelihood of preventing expensive hospital stays and death. As such, early intervention has become a common theme in the treatment of sepsis, stroke, heart attacks, heart failure, and many other medical conditions.

This is especially true at ACC Care Center which presents a unique opportunity to treat reversible conditions before they become much worse or even fatal.

There is a cost benefit too. Hospital care accounts for a whopping 33% of all health care spending in the U.S. This number has always bothered Dr. Stringer who believes that good care can and should be delivered at a lower cost. That means treating patients early enough to prevent hospitalization or, in many cases, readmission.

Sepsis is a common diagnosis for seniors being admitted to hospitals from skilled nursing facilities. “Treating sepsis is the most expensive form of hospital care, not to mention very traumatic for families,” says Dr. Stringer. “People can be in the hospital for months.”

Sepsis is the body’s reaction to bacterial blood infection caused by pneumonia, urinary tract infections, the flu, or even a cut or a scrape. Septic shock sets in when  blood pressure drops, reducing the amount of oxygen that reaches your vital organs. Detected too late, it will often lead to death.

“I think the biggest initiative I brought to ACC was teaching the nurses about sepsis,” says Dr. Stringer.

Sepsis is treated with antibiotics given intravenously. Fluids are also given to patients to prevent blood pressure from falling and inducing septic shock. “But,” says Dr. Stringer, “there’s an old quote, ‘sepsis is hard to recognize in the beginning and easy to treat. But, as it becomes more advanced, it gets easier to recognize, but a lot harder to treat.’ Late stages of sepsis are often irreversible.”

Dr. Stringer did not want his patients at ACC Care Center to be just another statistic. “I think the biggest initiative I brought to ACC was teaching the nurses about sepsis, recognizing acute infections and being aggressive.”

He says that even subtle changes in a person’s mood, mental state, and vital signs could be early warning signs. “For that matter, every employee at ACC is in a position to notice if anything is not right about a patient.”

Dr. Stringer has given talks in the community about addressing infections in the elderly and showed how quickly people above the age of 70 can become septic.

“Unfortunately, by the time someone gets transported to the hospital, the golden hour may have already passed,” says Dr. Stringer. “Training employees in early detection and using advance antibiotic therapy at ACC Care Center give patients every opportunity to reverse the process. Patients might still go to the hospital but with a much better outlook physically and financially.”

Early Warning Signs of Sepsis

• Confusion or disorientation
• Shortness of breath
• High heart rate
• Fever, or shivering, or feeling very cold
• Extreme pain or discomfort
• Clammy or sweaty skin

Source: CDC