Sacramento Community Forums - Darrick Lam

ACC Hosts Sacramento Community Forums

by with No Comment blog

If you could wave a magic wand, what would you wish for seniors in California?

While your wish may not come true immediately, it could work its way into the California Master Plan for Aging. 

Governor Gavin Newsom is the driving force behind the Master Plan, to be delivered later this year. ACC President/CEO Darrick Lam is one of 34 professionals appointed to the Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Committee (read story). Assisted by ACC Program Director Linda Revilla and Census Coordinator Poonie Holst, Darrick has held four “Sacramento Community Forums” since January.

At the Forums, community members share their ideas on what they would like to see included in the Master Plan. More Forums are being scheduled throughout Sacramento County.

35 community members participated in the session held at ACC Greenhaven Terrace.

Audience members of each Forum have given many different suggestions for the Master Plan. Reliable, integrated, ADA accessible public transportation is a popular suggestion. Affordable assistance in the home is an item that comes up often. Participants talk about the need for someone to help them do small chores, like changing ceiling lightbulbs or taking out the trash. People caring for an elderly loved one, or grandchildren, say they need information and assistance. And affordable housing has been brought up in each Forum. The need for more community resources is another frequently mentioned comment. Multigenerational programs and community education about the aging process, age-ism, and other senior-focused topics have been discussed. 

One of the most intriguing suggestions is that there should be a “senior channel” on TV that would give information about resources and with programming geared toward senior interests.

Poonie Holst ends the presentations by addressing the need for everyone to participate in Census 2020, as much of the federal funding for social services and resources is allocated based on Census data. 

To share your ideas at the Sacramento Community Forums, call ACC at (916) 393-9026 to find out when the next Forums will take place. Or submit your suggestions on the official website www.engageca.org.

Out of Isolation: Gary Wiemer’s Story

by with No Comment blogCareers

Gary Wiemer has two PhDs from U.C. Berkeley, one in East Asian Studies and the other in Psychology. He was also the general manager of the Sheraton Hotel just outside of Chicago for 20 years. He managed 300 employees. No small job.

When presidents and other VIPs came to town, Gary was the point man. “I got to know Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter,” he says while holding up photos they signed for him. “They stayed at the Sheraton whenever they were in Chicago.”

Gary recounts the time he was asked to stand with Ted Kennedy at a wedding, in which the senator was the best man.

Gary and his wife Sue with First Lady Rosalynn Carter

It was also at the Sheraton where Gary met his wife Sue who was born in Japan. She worked in marketing. Her clients were mostly Japanese business people.

After retiring, Gary and Sue moved to the Bay Area to complete his second PhD in psychology. He performed clinical work, which he found very satisfying.

But in the mid 90s, Sue was diagnosed with cancer. She also had respiratory problems, which she felt was made worse by the salty air in the Bay Area. The couple decided to move to Sacramento.

Virginia Wieneke became good friends with Gary’s wife, Sue.

Before long, Sue discovered ACC and became good friends with Virginia Wieneke who was just starting up ACC’s transportation program, ACC Rides. Sue became a volunteer in ACC’s then day respite program. Says Gary, “Being with other people was the best medicine for Sue’s condition. Sue worked with Anna Su and the two became very close.”

Eventually, Sue passed away. Gary and Sue didn’t have children, so there was no one he could rely on for support. Gary became withdrawn and isolated. It was a very different life for someone who was in the people business his entire career.

Gary decided he was not going to live the rest of his life alone. He reached out to Virginia for help. She introduced him to ACC’s social worker Soojin Yoo and to other services in ACC Programs. Gary now participates in Senior Yoga, Easy Tai Chi, Senior Workout, and other activities at ACC.

“I live alone, but when I come here, I’m a different person,” says Gary.

ACC has changed Gary’s life. He says, “You get involved in the programs and classes and you develop a relationship with people. You’re doing something together which is for your benefit. I live alone, but when I come here, I’m a different person. The connection with others with others so fulfilling. There’s a lot of empathy and happiness here.”

Donna Yee and Doris Matsui

Donna Yee Attends State of the Union Address

by with No Comment blog

“Dr. Donna Yee has consistently fought for our region’s seniors and has a longtime track record of service, advocacy, and care within our community. I am pleased to have her join me as my guest to this year’s State of the Union address,” said Congresswoman Doris Matsui in January. 

Donna Yee, PhD, is the former CEO of ACC Senior Services who served for 17 years.

Each year, Members of Congress can invite one guest of their choosing to attend the State of the Union address with them. These guests are often used to highlight key community members, their contributions, and issues of importance to the Member and their work in Congress. 

President Donald Trump delivered his address on February 4, 2020. “It was my honor to join Congresswoman Matsui at the State of the Union tonight,” said Donna. “Her voice and leadership in Congress clearly reflect her tireless dedication to our country’s seniors and their families. I am happy to share this time together to discuss solutions moving forward.”

Congresswoman Matsui has been a leader on key issues including the passing of the Affordable Care Act and mental healthcare reform. She says that the Trump Administration, despite vowing to strengthen and protect Medicare and Social Security, has continuously attacked these essential programs by cutting spending, shifting costs onto beneficiaries, and limiting choices for seniors and their families. 

Congresswoman Matsui is a champion of H.R.3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. The bill gives Medicare the power to negotiate prices directly with drug companies.

In the first six months of 2019, the prices of more than 3,400 drugs increased in the U.S. The average increase was 17%. From 2012 to 2016, the annual cost of insulin for a single patient increased from $2,864 to $5,075.

In October 2019, Congresswoman Matsui tapped on ACC President/CEO Darrick Lam to appear with her at a press conference in Sacramento where she announced H.R. 3 to her district. Darrick gave his perspectives on how much this bill is needed for seniors. The bill passed the House on December 19 and is now in the Senate.

Congresswoman Matsui introduced H.R. 3 at a press conference in Sacramento on October 2, 2019. ACC President/CEO Darrick Lam followed with his remarks.

Congresswoman Matsui invited Donna to the State of the Union Address not just to attend the speech, but also to advocate with her. “I was given a chance to speak about the bill’s impact on not only those with low incomes and in poverty, but more so for the majority of seniors who have moderate incomes and who are not wealthy,” says Donna. “I was asked to participate in an interview in a huge hall jammed with reporters, cameras, and all manner of networks and independent news outlets.” 

ACC is proud to have current and past CEOs who are shaping national healthcare legislation. Darrick is also a member of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Committee.

When asked about what she thought about her trip to Washington, Donna replied, “It was fun and I thoroughly enjoyed ‘hanging out’ with the Congresswoman.”

DOE Study

U.S. Department of Energy Shines Light on ACC

by with No Comment blog

Congratulations to ACC Care Center for being featured in a 42-page report entitled “Measuring Light Exposure and its Effects on Sleep and Behavior in Care Center Residents” issued by the U.S. Department of Energy.

View and download the report.

This study examined the effects of the tunable lighting system implemented at ACC Care Center. The objective was to test a strategy for measuring and documenting light exposure for typical residents and to evaluate the collected data in terms of multiple metrics for human circadian responses over the course of a day.

Three corridors at the ACC Care Center showing three of the programmed settings for the tunable lighting system.

The research team hypothesized that residents were more likely to be affected by the nighttime tuned lighting than by the daytime tuned lighting, because the tunable lighting system was effective at dropping light levels and the blue-cyan content of the lights in corridors at night.

A BIG KUDOS to the Care Center Team and Dr. Scott Stringer, Medical Director, for their involvement with the ACC Tunable Lighting Project that was completed by the Brown University and the U.S. Department of Energy .

ACC would also like to give special recognition to SMUD for getting us involved with this project more than 5 years ago. Dave Bisbee and Connie Samla were key to getting us involved in Human Centric Lighting and providing us with grants funding from SMUD to do the lighting.

Blog Banner

Thank You for Sponsoring ACC’s 12th Annual Crab Feed!

by with No Comment blog

The ACC 12th Annual Crab Feed is this Saturday! Thank you Co-Chairs Debbie Seid and Lori Lee and all the sponsors who are making this awesome event possible. This includes an anonymous sponsor who gave $10,000!

EVENT SPONSOR – $10,000
Anonymous

PLATINUM SPONSOR – $5,000
Edge Electrical Consulting | Watch their sponsor video)

GOLD SPONSOR -$2,500
Maria Chin

SILVER SPONSORS – $1,000
CA State Senator Richard Pan, M.D.
Walmart
Mas Hatano
Rodney Ryugo

BRONZE SPONSORS – $500
CA State Assemblymember Jim Cooper
Klumpp’s Funeral Home

Proceeds will be used to fund ACC services for older adults including skilled nursing, memory care, home visits, transportation, and lifelong learning. Click here to make an online gift.

Thank you Donny Lee and Edge Electrical Consulting for your $5,000 Platinum Sponsorship.

Rides for Life with ACC Rides Driver Loren Peters

by with No Comment blog

Loren Peters is an Associate Pastor at Southside Community Church. He is also a driver for ACC Rides.

Meet the people that he serves and has come to know and love. They rely on Loren to get to doctor appointments, dialysis treatments, grocery stores, and cafe sites operated by Meals on Wheels by ACC.

Loren is personable and compassionate. He is also careful. Getting his riders on and off the shuttle safely using the lift requires skill. Many of his passengers use walkers, some are in wheelchairs.

Loren says, “ACC riders are always happy when I pulled up, and they are so grateful.”

ACC Rides Transportation Services provides more than 4,000 one-way trips each month for seniors in ten zip codes in Sacramento and parts of the Delta region.

For additional information, please contact the ACC Rides Team at (916) 393-9026 ext. 333, or at rides@accsv.org.

SOTU

Donna Yee Attends State of the Union Address

by with No Comment blog

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-6), Co-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging and Families, announced that her guest to the State of the Union will be Dr. Donna Yee, former CEO of ACC Senior Services and policy director of the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging. Dr. Yee has spent her career advocating for Sacramento’s seniors.

“Dr. Yee has consistently fought for our region’s seniors and has a longtime track record of service, advocacy, and care within our community. Her story is truly inspiring, and I am pleased to have her join me as my guest to this year’s State of the Union address,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “America’s seniors have spent a lifetime contributing to our society and economy. Despite vowing to strengthen and protect Medicare and Social Security, the Trump Administration has continuously attacked these essential programs by cutting spending, shifting costs onto beneficiaries, and limiting choices for seniors and their families. It is now more important than ever that we lift up the voices of those in our communities who are advocating for real improvements and solutions. I am proud that in Sacramento we have those like Dr. Yee who have the knowledge, experience, and personal stories that we can amplify as an example to the rest of the country.”

“It is my honor to join Congresswoman Matsui at the State of the Union tonight,” said Dr. Yee. “Her voice and leadership in Congress clearly reflect her tireless dedication to our country’s seniors and their families. I am happy to share this time together to discuss solutions moving forward.”

Each year, Members of Congress can invite one guest of their choosing to attend the State of the Union address with them. These guests are often used to highlight important community members, contributions, and issues of importance to the member and their work in Congress.

The House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging and Families (formerly known as the Seniors Task Force), focuses on the needs of our nation’s older Americans, their families and future generations looking ahead to retirement. Their work reflects an inclusive focus on the needs of caregivers and will also focus on how aging impacts an entire household.

Senior Dining Gathering

ACC Bingo Volunteer Reunion Brings Back Flood of Memories

by with No Comment blogCareers

Eighty five former volunteers of ACC Bingo met at ACC Greenhaven Terrace for a reunion. The attendees traded stories, shared memorabilia, and played five games of bingo to rekindle the memory of days gone by. Pictures of the young Glenn Watanabe and George Kashiwagi were set out on a table with other great photos of that era.

Donna Toyama

ACC Bingo ran for 22 years. It funded the construction of ACC’s nursing home. It created a grass roots culture that attracted hundreds of people from all generations who were passionate about helping the nascent ACC. The operation started in 1983 at Mayhew Bingo Center while ACC still operated out of the Tambara House on 6th and V Streets.

Frances Lee was on the ACC Board at the time. She recalls, “I knew nothing about running a bingo session. Our landlord brought a bingo consultant from Los Angeles who came to get us started. He sold us supplies, gave us training and tips and attended our monthly manager meetings. It took 20-22 volunteers to fill all the positions at each session. Most of the volunteers had no bingo experience.”

Kim Fujiwara passes out bingo cards.

But it all worked out. ACC Bingo raised enough money to build a nursing home. It also gave rise to a legion of supporters who would later become ACC Board members, committee chairs, donors, and volunteer right up to today. These can-do volunteers powered ACC through decades of growth and prosperity.

Winston Ashizawa, Chewy Ito, and Donna Yee

ACC went on to purchased the Park City building for ACC operations and Meals on Wheels by ACC, Greenhaven Terrace for independent living and assisted living, and Merryhill School which houses today’s ACC Administration and ACC Programs. Maple Tree Village for assisted living and memory care will open in early 2020.

The can-do bingo volunteers powered ACC through decades of growth and prosperity

Bingo was a golden era in ACC history. Thank you Frances Lee, Gloria Imagire, and Kim Fujiwara for organizing the reunion and taking us on this fabulous walk down memory lane!

From Frances Lee’s Opening Remarks

Frances Lee

“You may have been a floor manager, caller, worked in the money room, box office cashier, worked at the sales table selling paper or supplies, pull tab bar manager, pull tab monitor, pull tab sorter or floor monitor. We needed all of you to run each session. Some of you worked once a week, twice a week, every other week or as your schedule permitted. Thanks to Mickey Yamadera who called many volunteers every day. I’m sure you remember getting a call from Mickey. She is here today.”

“Thank you for coming to the reunion today. Many of our bingo volunteers have passed away or are living in care facilities. Some you are still volunteering at ACC and I commend you for your dedication and support. Always remember that through the many volunteer hours you gave to ACC Bingo, ACC has been able to complete so many more projects for the community. Bingo was just the beginning.”

This is a caption.

Japanese Flower Arranging at ACC

by blog

Imagine being able to create a beautiful flower arrangement. At ACC you can learn the art of ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) with Chieko Hirai-Brim. Chieko says that ikebana is not just the art the Japanese flower arranging; it is also a great stress reducer. “You can really relax while you are doing it. You can put your emotions, how you feel, into your arrangement.”

Chieko, who was born in Japan, started doing Ikebana in high school. At first, she was not interested at all and only learned ikebana because it was a requirement. “But after a couple of classes, I loved it!” she says, continuing, “I got an ikebana instructor license in Japan. In 1996 I came to the US. It was my biggest dream to teach ikebana in the US.”

Chieko has to continue learning new skills and so found an instructor. Her instructor said she should contact ACC about teaching. That was back in 2015 and Chieko’s class at ACC has been steadily growing. She also teaches at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento

There are many different schools of Ikebana, each with different styles. Chieko teaches Ikenobo, the oldest school of Ikebana. In her class, she teaches shoka (based on natural styles) and freestyle.

Volunteer and ACC Board member Jean Shiomoto has been Chieko’s student since the spring of this year. Jean says, “It’s fun and relaxing, and I’m learning a lot. Before I took this class, I didn’t know anything, and now I know the forms and elements of an arrangement.”

When I spoke to her, Jean had her latest creation in front of her, a beautiful array of lavender chrysanthemums, ferns, and leaves. So, if you are thinking of getting in touch with your creative side in 2020, consider the art of ikebana. 

Piano

Chris Tomine Donates Baby Grand Piano to ACC Care Center

by blog

On November 6, piano movers delivered a Kimball baby grand piano to the lobby of ACC Care Center. Donated by Chris Tomine, the vintage model had been in his family for decades and is in excellent condition.

The piano has a beautiful wood finish. It is a welcome addition to the Care Center’s activities program and a great way to greet visitors when they enter the building.

Residents and guests can sit down anytime and make music. “The piano will be so happy to have someone play it again!” said Chris.