ACC Fund Development is now located in the Meals and Wheels building at 7375 Park City Drive. Watch the highlights of our Open House with Rod Malloy, Director of Development. A big thanks and a Happy New Year to our donors, staff, and volunteers!
ACC Maple Tree Village – December Update
December saw a flurry of construction activity at ACC Maple Tree Village. Framing for Memory Care Center and the second floor of Assisted Living were completed and now their roofs will go on. Phase 2, the middle section of the 102-unit complex, will have its concrete slab poured by the end of the month.
“We’re putting a lot of building on this land,” said Mark Williams, ACC’s Director of Plant Operations. Local residents who never noticed the empty parcel of land where I-5 meets Pocket Road, can’t miss the remarkable structure that is rising out of the ground. It’s visible from the freeway. “When the people move in, it’s going to feel like home,” said Mark.
ACC Maple Tree Village was conceived ten years ago, but due to the recession, the project was put on hold. It serves a long-standing need in the South Sacramento community to add more capacity for assisted living and memory care. It fulfills ACC’s mission to provide a continuum of care to older adults.
Get more information on ACC Maple Tree Village
.
Lack of transportation is a barrier for seniors seeking employment
ACC is the Sacramento County office for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), a federally-funded program specifically targeting older adults who seek employment assistance and job training.
Operating under the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA), SCSEP assists program participants who receive on-the-job training and career development at host agencies, which include other nonprofits and government offices. SCSEP Program Manager Dave Lin said, “We have had a very steady interest in SCSEP,” he said. “We usually have about 100 people on our waiting list at any given time.”
While there are currently over 50 host agencies that work with SCSEP participants, Lin states that there are unique challenges that affect older adults finding successful employment. Among these barriers is the lack of transportation. For many seniors, simply getting to a job site or interview is a hurdle that can hinder finding work.
According to a 2009 report released by the National Coalition for the Homeless, 25 percent of homeless people cite lack of transportation as a major barrier to finding employment. A similar 2015 AARP study determined that even in metropolitan cities with populations of 250,000 to 1 million people, 61 percent of seniors have poor access to reliable transportation.
ACC Program Director David Lin conducts quarterly training for SCSEP participants.
SCSEP hopes that providing bus passes for program participants will help them get to their respective host agencies or interviews, and reduce the stress that often comes with job hunting. Lin also hopes that the program will continue to help older adults develop valuable work skills. “What I would like to see is an increase in the number of participants we are able to serve,” he said.
How to help: A $50 donation would provide one monthly bus pass to a SCSEP participant and help him or her get to a job training site or interview. To donate, please make checks payable to ACC Senior Services and write “SCSEP donation” on the check memo or mailing envelope. You can mail your donation to ACC or donate online at www.accsv.org, where you can also find more information about the SCSEP program.
Carol Ichiho recognized at the 2018 Heroes of Human Services Awards
On Nov. 6, 2018, ACC volunteer Carol Ichiho was recognized at the 2018 Heroes of Human Services Awards, a ceremony honoring those who have shown outstanding commitment to the community through advocacy and service. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and Human Services Coordinating Council hosted this event, and Board Supervisor Patrick Kennedy (District 2) personally presented the award to Ms. Ichiho.
As a volunteer at ACC for over 12 years, Ms. Ichiho credits ACC’s positive environment and fellow volunteers and staff as reasons for her ongoing dedication to ACC. She said, “I’m surrounded by friendly and happy people and that’s what keeps me coming back.”
ACC’s screening of Glen Campbell film raises important issues for family caregivers
November was National Family Caregivers Month, a time celebrating the contributions of family members who support their loved ones in their medical needs and conditions. Since ACC provides year-round support and resources for caregivers, ACC Programs celebrated National Family Caregivers Month by hosting events that recognized the importance of family caregivers and their commitment to providing care and support for aging or ill loved ones.
Among these events was a free film screening co-sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association and granted in part by the APIs Rise fund. Viewers watched “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me,” a documentary following late country singer Glen Campbell and his struggles with Alzheimer’s disease. Following the film screening, ACC Program Director Linda Revilla, Ph.D., moderated a panel that featured medical and social professionals, as well as a family caregiver who shared her personal experiences.
The panel discussed the unique issues family caregivers often face in assisting their loved ones with day-to-day living or medical tasks. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, about 65.7 million people in America regularly provide unpaid care to an aging or ill family member. This number is expected to rise with the aging population in America and a projected increase in Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses.
Panelists: ACC Social Worker Soojin Yoo, MSW; ACC Program Director Linda Revilla, PhD (moderator); Judie Higashi, RN; family caregiver Kathleen Yee; and Bonnie Rea, MSW, Alzheimer’s Association
Soojin Yoo, MSW, is the Care Coordinator of ACC’s Bridge to Healthy Families program, which provides caregiving support services for family caregivers and their care receivers. As one of the panelists, she said, “One thing I think of is how lonely it can be to care for someone with this disease. In this culture, independence is highly regarded, and many people feel like their life is just going to go downhill, so they suffer in loneliness.”
A panelist, Kathleen Yee, shared her story of caring for her husband Ben, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2012. According to Yee, her husband simply thought he was “just getting old and forgetful,” but the stress of caregiving often felt overwhelming for her. “At first I felt totally lost about where to find help and resources and who to talk to,” Yee said.
Along with taking family caregiver informational classes, Yee also found solace in attending support groups, where she met others who had similar family situations. And as a caregiver, she quickly recognized the importance of self-care. “I realized I needed respite,” she said, “even just for a few hours a week.”
ACC’s Bridge to Healthy Families program currently offers monthly family caregiver support groups, along with other various caregiving support services that include care assessments, consultations, management, and educational programs.
Another ACC program specifically designed for caregiver respite is ACC’s Friendly Visitor/In-Home Respite Service. This program is part of Legacy Corps and is overseen by Americorps. For a few hours each week, Legacy Corps volunteers visit the care receivers while their caregivers take a break and spend some time outside the house.
ACC carefully screens and recruits Legacy Corps volunteers and provides training on caregiver respite. In addition, Legacy Corps volunteers receive a stipend and an educational award once they complete 450 service hours within a year.
While Legacy Corps volunteers cannot provide any skilled medical, health, or mobility-related services usually provided by a CNA or RN, they can offer conversation and light activities like making art, playing board games, or watching movies.
Chris Leal is currently a Legacy Corps volunteer in the Friendly Visitor program. Leal, a gerontology student at Sacramento State University, felt compelled to join because of his previous experiences in caregiving. “Caregivers face many challenges with caring for another and their personal needs may sometimes be ignored,” said Leal. “I felt it was a great opportunity for me to give back to the local community.”
Leal visits a couple of families a week, and finds joy in the service he provides. He said, “I really enjoy hearing stories about their past, and I enjoy learning as much as I can from them.”
Currently, Friendly Visitors serve the following areas: Downtown Sacramento, Land Park, South Land Park, Pocket/Greenhaven, South Sacramento, and parts of Elk Grove. To receive respite services from the Friendly Visitor program, caregiving families pay a fee of $10 an hour, usually with a 60-90 minute minimum, and are billed at the end of every month of service. Priority is given to veterans and their families.
ACC Program Director Linda Revilla emphasized the importance of caregivers practicing simple self-care. She said, “I recall working with a caregiver who said that all she wanted to do was go see a movie. Just a few hours a week so she could feel like ‘her’ again.”
How to help: Donations of just $10 would provide caregivers an hour of respite in the Friendly Visitor Program. To donate, please make checks payable to ACC Senior Services and write “Friendly Visitor Donation” on the check memo or mailing envelope. You can mail your donation to ACC or donate online at www.accsv.org, where you can also find more information about caregiver support and resources at ACC.
Walking the talk with Mas Hatano
Early childhood
Mas Hatano was born in Sacramento in 1928 and grew up near Isleton, CA, to parents who immigrated from Japan. In 1942, his family was uprooted from their home, school, and livelihood and incarcerated at Tule Lake concentration camp. “We stayed at Tule for about three years and were released around June, 1945, when I was 17,” he remembers. “I recall my older sister came home from school at camp and told me she was taking a typing class. She showed me a piece of paper with the keyboard drawn on it and told me she was supposed to practice typing on it.”
As Mas recalls the various chapters of his life, he’s grateful for family, his career, his volunteer opportunities and his health. He actively recruits ACC Greenhaven Terrace residents to participate in the Wednesday morning walking club. “It’s just a short walk, but I enjoy the camaraderie and conversations,” he commented.
Active at ACC and elsewhere
Recently Mas joined ACC’s Legacy Corps and participated in training to become a Friendly Visitor to provide companionship to other elders while giving their caregivers a respite. His impact on people of all ages reaches far and wide in Sacramento. He has volunteered for 26 years at the California State Railroad Museum, and 18 years with the California Museum. Mas has also been a docent at the State Capitol and taught the safe driving course to seniors for AARP. During the school year, he teaches children about his experiences at Tule Lake. He has developed a PowerPoint presentation that he shares with Sacramento State and local college students throughout the year.
Accomplished athlete
When Mas retired from his job as a civil engineer with the State of California, he pursued biking and travel. “In my 70s, I biked over 7,000 miles a year for a number of years and I’ve biked in France, Japan, South Korea and even Mongolia. Mongolia was not very interesting, it was like biking in Nevada,” he reflected.
ACC Volunteer Coordinator Kim Fujiwara shared said, “Mas is a phenomenal human being. He represents kindness, wisdom, curiosity and forgiveness. He challenges others to keep moving towards their dreams.”
Encouraging others
Mas is among the many older adults that have benefited from the healthy activities at ACC Senior Services. He regularly encourages others to take up walking, and other fitness classes, and to volunteer in the Legacy Corps program.
How you can help older adults on Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving. More than $300,000,000 is raised annually across 150 countries. This year, Giving Tuesday is on November 27, 2018. Go to accsv.org/donate to donate to ACC Senior Services. Your donation will be used to fund three very specific needs:
1. ACC Rides. A $10 contribution will pay for a whole week of rides for one senior traveling to a Meals on Wheels meal site. A $50 contribution will pay for the transportation of five seniors for a whole week. ACC Rides provides more than 4,000 rides a month across 10 zip codes in Sacramento and Elk Grove to hot lunches, doctors appointments and to meet many other seniors’ needs.
2. ACC classes. A $150 donation will fund the operating expenses of an ACC class for older adults in our community. We’ve touched thousands of lives through our Lifelong Learning and Wellness Program. Our popular classes include yoga, line dancing, tai chi, computers, estate planning and Medicare workshops, utilities assistance and other Lifelong Learning and Wellness classes.
3. ACC received over $6,000 in donations to buy AEDs (portable defibrillators) and to train staff at all our facilities. This fund was started by an ACC donor whose life was saved by an AED after he went into cardiac arrest. A gift of any amount will help meet the additional $3,000 to reach the total cost of the AED equipment and training investments in the protection of all residents, guests, staff and volunteers at ACC Senior Services.
Go to accsv.org/donate and donate today.
Hip seniors make groovy tees
Tie dye was popular in the hippie culture of the 1960s, but did you know that the Chinese and Japanese were tie dying fabrics in the 7th and 8th Centuries?
Following this tradition, we gave residents at ACC Greenhaven Terrace a chance to make their own tie dye shirts. They twisted, tied, and compressed white T shirts and then sprinkled dyes on them like they were adding flavors to a snow cone.
This activity was part of Assisted Living week at ACC that also included hula lessons, ukulele and signing, a decorative wood project, resident portraits, a summer fiesta lunch, and an ice cream social.
ACC Resident Care Manager Allison Rogers and Activities Coordinator Brittany Yamada organized the week’s activities.
Says Allison, “It was hard to get anyone to admit they participated in the hippie movement, but from the looks of it, we could tell many of them had done tie dye before.” Others were completely surprised by the design they made as shown in the video footage.
“All the shirt designs came out beautiful and amazing,” said Brittany.
Lam Luc celebrates 100th birthday ACC style
Mr. Lam Luc, a resident at ACC Care Center, turned 100 last month! Fellow residents and staff celebrated with cake, balloons, a giant birthday card, and sparkling cider. With a big smile on his face, Mr. Luc joined the chorus singing happy birthday.
Councilmember Rick Jennings visited ACC Care Center and presented Mr. Luc with a key to the city. “This key will open any door to the city!” Mr. Jennings proclaimed. Mr. Luc asked through his translator, “Really? How is that possible?” The room filled with laughter.
Born in Vietnam, Mr. Luc grew up on a family farm with six brothers and two sisters. The work was long and difficult, preventing Mr. Luc from getting a proper education.
As a young adult, Mr. Luc had to take on many jobs just to feed his family. They escaped from Vietnam to Southern China and then moved to a refugee camp in Hong Kong. From there, he immigrated to the U.S. He and his wife have lived in Sacramento for the past 40 years.
The rest of Mr. Luc’s family is large and spread out. He has 25 grandchildren. Seven of them live in China, 12 live in Vietnam, and six live in the U.S. But wait, there’s more. Mr. Luc has 12 great grandchildren. Six live in Vietnam and six live in the U.S.
At ACC Care Center, his favorite hobbies are mahjong and balloon volleyball.
Mr. Luc is hardly alone at his age. Today, there are more than 72,000 Americans aged 100 years and older. With the aging of baby boomers and advancements in senior care, that number will continue to grow. By 2050, men’s life expectancy will increase from 80 years to 83 to 86. Women’s life expectancy will increase from 84 years to 89 to 94 years.
When asked what is his secret to a long life, Mr. Luc answered, “Work hard, be honest, and do your best.”
The walls go up at ACC Maple Tree Village in Sacramento!
Reeve-Knight Project Engineer Kody Scoble takes us on a construction tour of ACC Maple Tree Village in Sacramento. Workers from different trades are laying the plumbing, building forms for the foundation, pouring concrete, and assembling prefabricated walls. The worksite is loud and bustling with activity, but there is a prevailing sense of calm and certainly as workers do what they do best.
The first wall of the North Section went up on October 24. A crew of 15 workers will complete the framing of the ground floor by the end of November. Kody says their goal is to complete enough of the structure in December, so they can work indoors during the rainy season.
Building ACC Maple Tree Village requires the precise coordination of materials and manpower. Right now there is only one entrance to the site, which makes the movement of heavy equipment in and out a challenge. But Kody and his team make it look like a well-choreographed ballet.
For more information, visit ACC Maple Tree Village. To get on our prospective applicant list, visit http://tinyurl.com/MTV-List1.
