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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, April 4, 2002

Niu Valley church will get senior daycare

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer

NIU VALLEY — For five years, Kilohana United Methodist Church wanted to help fill the growing demand for elderly daycare but was stymied by a lack of money.

Now, having raised half of the $500,000 needed and building on the success of its Alzheimer's respite care program, the church has announced plans to start construction in autumn on a 3,000-square-foot facility on its campus.

To raise the rest of the money, the church is seeking support from the community and charitable foundations.

"What's most important is that the Kilohana Senior Enrichment Center will help keep families together," said Richard Kato, chairman of the center's 12-member volunteer board. "Working families can carry on with their jobs or attend school during the day and be satisfied with the knowledge that their loved ones are receiving quality care in their absence."

There is such a need in the greater East Honolulu community, said Gregg Meyers, administrator of Lunalilo Home, a residential care facility for Native Hawaiians. Many families don't want to or cannot afford to put an elderly member of the family in a 24-hour care facility, Meyers said.

"There are many seniors who are well enough to live at home if the family is home," Meyers said. "But if they are alone during the day, they might need assistance with meals or companionship, which daycare programs provide."

Census figures show that 13 percent of the residents of Hawai'i Kai are 65 or older. In the area from Kalani Iki to Kuli'ou'ou, the figure is 21 percent; in Kahala, 24 percent.

The graying of East Honolulu has been noticed in recent years by developers who have built or are planning to build senior housing complexes in Hawai'i Kai and Kahala, but none of the construction is intended to provide a place for other seniors to go for the day.

The community has recognized the need for a senior center, and the city has agreed to spend $30,000 to see if it is feasible to turn the Maunalua Bay Tennis Club into a senior center.

A few other senior daycare centers on O'ahu are run by churches, including the Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center and Catholic Charities facilities in Kane'ohe, Kalihi and Pearl City, Kato said.

He said the senior daycare idea stemmed from the church's program offering Alzheimer's respite care on Saturdays, when caregivers can drop off patients for the morning to have some time for themselves.

The new facility will be added on to the church's preschool, which backs onto Kalaniana'ole Highway.

Once built, the center will accept senior citizens by the day or week during working hours, much the way pre-schoolers are, to be picked up at the end of the day.

The center will have skilled nurses on hand to issue medications and to assist the senior citizens with their lunches. The church plans to charge $40 a day, Kato said.

"When you look at East Honolulu, there is almost nothing for elderly," he said. "There's no place for seniors to go. Most families prefer to keep their elderly parents at home. But as the parent gets older, the need for additional services increases."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.