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On June 6, 2023, ACC hosted an online presentation focused on the risks, screening, and current treatment options for various types of cancer. The discussion focused on the importance of cancer screening and early detection and was moderated by Jack Sakai, a retired physician and active ACC supporter. Several cancer survivors from the ACC community shared their stories.

Glenn Watanabe, an ACC volunteer since 1978, shared the story of his diagnosis of bladder cancer and later, cancer in his left lung. Fortunately, the bladder cancer was treatable and did not require surgery.  Two years later, his annual chest x-ray showed a small smudge in his left lung; in a subsequent x-ray the spot had grown, and the biopsy indicated it was cancerous. Glenn now has only half of his left lung but, as a member of the ACC Pocket Pickers group, he noted that it hasn’t affected his singing voice. He also stressed that being honest and sharing with his doctor that he had been a smoker was crucial because the risks of lung and bladder cancer increases for smokers. His doctor knew to order routine testing based on that knowledge, which led to an early lung cancer detection. 

GLENN WATANABE: “The rapport and relationship with my doctor saved my life.”

Julie Toyama participates in the ACC hula, line dancing, and exercise classes with Joaquin, and is a breast cancer survivor. The first time she felt a lump, it was biopsied, and it was benign.  But she kept going every year for a mammogram and when the next lump turned out not to be benign, it was caught early. Julie had a mastectomy and she opted for post-surgery radiation every day for six weeks. After her last treatment and, with her doctor’s blessing, she flew the next day to Los Vegas for her 60th high school reunion. With routine follow-ups for three years, she is now considered cancer free. Julie shared that a girlfriend who had pancreatic cancer told Julie that she was going to beat it…and that positive attitude really inspired Julie to have that same confidence. Julie’s advice to women is to get a mammogram every year. 

JULIE TOYAMA: “I had in mind that I was going to be around for my grandson. I wasn’t going to let cancer take me.”

Cliff Toyama shared that he had been successfully treated for colitis. But about two years later, the symptoms returned so he underwent the same treatment again, and his symptoms went away. He then needed cataract surgery and his ophthalmologist recommended that he make an appointment with his gastroenterologist. Although he really didn’t understand why, he did.  That doctor performed a colonoscopy and took biopsies that came back cancerous. Cliff got two opinions on his surgical options, and he was glad that he did. His main takeaway is that early detection is key.  

CLIFF TOYAMA: “My son asked if I wanted to be around to see my grandson grow up. So, I did the surgery.”

Bill Nagata has been involved with the ACC Pocket Pickers and the photography club for many years. He shared his story about the symptoms and testing that led to his prostate cancer diagnosis in 2012 and the treatment options available to him. His message to men is early detection is key, so do not procrastinate if you begin having symptoms.  

BILL NAGATA
“Getting a second opinion on my disease state saved my life, period!”

Jack Sakai, a retired physician, was asked why he considered early detection of cancer so important. He shared that it just simplifies matters when cancer is detected early. Potentially, there may be more treatment options available, and the surgeries are often less complicated and more successful.  

Early detection begins with self-examinations and routine screenings. For example, if the tumor is small and confined to the breast, then more than 90% of women will survive 10 years or longer. A 90% five-year survival rate is very high. 

Establishing a close relationship with your doctor is also crucial because you must be comfortable enough to have honest and open conversations with him or her.  In addition, Jack recommended self-education through online organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, and other established health organizations. They can provide valuable information to help understand why your doctor may be suggesting certain options and to help inform your cancer treatment choices.

In recent years, ACC Senior Services has seen an increase in donations coming directly from donors’ individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Most recently, we processed many of these donations for ACC’s Big Day of Giving, which raised $360,466 (read story). Some of these gifts were been quite sizable. Why has this become a popular way of giving?

Many retirement accounts such as an IRA require you to take an annual required minimum distribution (RMD) once you reach a certain age.  For many seniors this age is 70½, 72, or even 73 depending on your birth year.  The RMD is determined by the value of your IRA, your age, and life expectancy.  Your RMD amounts will vary from year to year based on these same factors changing as you age.   

Your RMD is taxable, but you can avoid paying income taxes on part or all of this retirement distribution by making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA custodian to a qualified charity like ACC Senior Services. The money never touches your personal bank account. Any amount up to $100,000 can be excluded from your taxable income. The IRS allows your QCD to satisfy all or part the amount of your required minimum distribution from your IRA. 

Of course, there are certain rules you need to follow. You should refer to the Internal Revenue Code and consult your financial advisor. The most important rule is that the funds must be transferred directly from your IRA custodian (like Schwab and Fidelity) to the qualified charity (like ACC). You can request that a check be mailed to the charity or to you, so you can forward it to the charity.

Donors often tell us they have sufficient retirement income and that they want to “donate their RMD” or a portion of it to ACC. We are happy for their financial security and grateful for their gift. Technically speaking, they are making a QCD to ACC which satisfies their RMD for that year. It’s an alphabet soup! At ACC, we just call it an “RMD donation.”

On Wednesday July 19, 2023, at 3 pm, Mark J. Pratt will visit ACC again and give his popular workshop on Required Minimum Distributions. He will discuss the latest IRS rules and practical considerations for people who want to make a qualified charitable distribution to their favorite charity. Register at accsv.org/classes.

Mark is the owner of Pratt Financial & Insurance Services, serving clients for over 25 years. He has been a guest speaker at ACC many times over the past decade.

For more information about giving to ACC Senior Services, contact Ted Fong, Development Officer, at tfong@accsv.org or 916-503-5392.

Marian Whitney’s transition from the hospital to her home was overwhelming. She was in a lot of pain and could not take care of herself.

A couple of years ago, Marian Whitney’s life turned upside down while taking her dog Sofie for a walk.  “The steps were wet that day, and I was wearing flip-flops, which I probably shouldn’t have been.  I slipped and ended up shattering my elbow!”  Marian’s neighbor took Sofie while she went to the hospital.  Fifteen days and two surgeries later, Marian returned home, “grouchy from all the meds and in a lot of pain,” unable to cook, drive, or even take a shower by herself.  Fortunately for her, her sister from Mariposa and a friend from Merced helped her get set up, but after a few days when they left to go back to their own homes, Marian found herself alone, trying to manage a web of details, instructions, and daily activities in the middle of a pandemic shut down.  “When I left the hospital, I didn’t know a lot.  I needed help… but I knew ACC connected people to a lot of resources.” She reached out to staff at ACC and got advice about asking for in-home physical therapy and other services. And they connected her to resources like home-delivered hot meals.  “ACC was a godsend. It was a long recovery.  If I had to do it by myself, it would have been very hard.  I would have ended up in a nursing home.”

Marian’s experience is indicative of an unwieldy, uncoordinated healthcare system that makes it very difficult, sometimes impossible, for people to get the care they need.  When people have to be their own care coordinators, it can be overwhelming, resulting in the loss of independence, more trips to the emergency room, rehospitalization, or skilled nursing. Our ACC Caregiver Support Team receives inquiries from people who are concerned about their own or a loved one’s safety and care needs on a daily basis: people living alone who have health needs but don’t feel safe driving, concerned children of elders who have started falling, who have been diagnosed with dementia, or who will soon be discharged from a nursing facility. 

“All these concerns inevitably end with the question ‘Where do I go from here? I have no idea where to start,’” says Soojin Yoo, ACC’s Caregiver Support Services Manager. “Most seniors and caregivers share their confusion and frustration while trying to make sense of the long-term care services in our society. ‘Which program helps pay for in-home or residential care costs?’ ‘Where can I find care services that match my unique needs?’ ‘My loved ones refuse my help, so how do I make this happen?’ The burden to navigate this complex system increases to an even greater extent if you are from different cultures, not using English as your primary language, are challenged financially, or living in a remote area.” 

It is nearly impossible for anyone to navigate the maze of a long-term care system composed of Medicare, Medi-Cal, Older Americans Act (OAA) funded services, VA programs, and other local resources from both for- and not-for-profit agencies, while spending most of their time and energy caring for their daily needs or the daily needs of their loved one. It’s especially challenging when in a transitional state, like returning home from the hospital or from a skilled nursing facility, when people have recently experienced an acute medical condition, received multiple care instructions and medicines, and don’t know whom to call with questions.  

That is why ACC started providing Caregiver Support in 2014 and became a core partner of the Sacramento County Aging and Disability Resources Connection (ADRC) in 2022. Anyone in need of assistance related to aging can receive care navigation and management services from ACC at no cost. Compassionate Care Team staff with professional backgrounds listen to your situation, understand your family’s needs, guide you to help with personalized referrals, and provide ongoing support for care planning and problem-solving as long as you want. 

But we know that isn’t enough.  There is a tremendous need for more care coordinators, caregivers, and other direct care workers to meet the demands of an aging population. Recently ACC became a partner in a CalGrows Innovation Fund program to increase the development and retention of direct care workers. The program will provide in-person and virtual classes at no cost to direct care workers and generous incentive pay for those who complete their training.  Family caregivers are also eligible to take the classes at no cost. 

Marian Whitney is one of those workers who is looking forward to benefiting from this program.  Now mostly healed from her fall two years ago, Marian is about to start a new job as an in-home caregiver.  She will be doing light housework, driving people to their appointments, taking them shopping, and providing companionship. “I really appreciated the help I received. Now I feel glad to help other people. It’s so rewarding. People need help and they need help from people they can trust.  They need it and they deserve it.”

Jeri Shikuma, MPH, is ACC’s Home and Community-Based Programs Administrator.

Epic journey: Virginia Wieneke has been with ACC Rides since it started in 2003.
“Our drivers gave more than 544,000 rides in the past 20 years,” she says.

This year is the 20th Anniversary of ACC Rides and what a road trip it has been!  We transported thousands of people to the essential places they needed to go – doctor appointments, dialysis, cancer treatments, and grocery shopping. We brought many of them out of isolation and connected them back to their community. 

We always try to do extra. In one case, our driver got concerned when the person he was picking up did not answer the door. He looked through the window and saw the participant on the floor and called 911. ACC Rides and its drivers and volunteers have won numerous awards for their exemplary work.

Before the pandemic, we were making 4,000 one-way trips per month. Today we are increasing the number of trips to get back to our pre-pandemic volume. Virginia Wieneke, Program Manager, has been with ACC Rides from the start. In February, her co-workers honored her for 20 years of service. Congratulations and thank you, Virginia!

ACC’s Big Day of Giving (BDOG) is on May 4. It’s a fitting time to donate to ACC in honor of ACC Rides. We’ll be celebrating their achievements at our lead-up events: ACC’s Big Day of Community on April 22 and our BDOG Telethon on May 3 and 4.  See page 12 for more information on these events and on how you can donate.

As I walk the halls of ACC, I am struck by how many people there are in their 80s and 90s attending our classes, clubs, and other activities. I hear laughter and sometimes snippets of gossip, which means they’re having fun. On ping pong days, I am careful not to step on the ping pong balls as they roll into the hallways. It’s cute to watch players come out with their net to scoop them up. On Friday afternoon, I hear people shouting Bingo! Many are there with their caregivers.

Teruko Ono, who plays mahjong at ACC, just celebrated her 100th birthday with 35 of her ACC friends in our Community Room. On April 23, Councilmember Rick Jennings will be at the Care Center to present a Key to the City to Hien Thi Nguyen. She turns 100. So much going on!

ACC has been and will always be a place where our “super seniors” can be active and socially engaged. And they know that, whenever they need other services from ACC, we are here for them.  

ACC Wellness Park (AWP), announced earlier this year, has been met with excitement.  The people I’ve talked to feel it aligns with their vision of how they want to age. AWP will make use of the space behind our admin building to provide better integration and scalability of our services, including lifelong learning and wellness, social services, care coordination, and transportation. We have put together three workgroups – Philanthropy and Funding, Program Design, and Park Design – to develop the concept. 

AWP seeks to create a new, diversified income source for ACC. We are closing the books on 2022 with a significant financial loss of $4 million. This is due to a lower-than-expected occupancy at our living facilities. In the last issue of ACC News, I described this in more detail. We are watching our expenses closely and exploring ways to contract with health plans to provide transportation, social services, care coordination, and lifelong learning and wellness programs to their members.

There is some good news. I have been keeping the community informed about occupancy at Maple Tree Village, and I am happy to share that occupancy is increasing ahead of schedule. More residents at Maple Tree Village are adding to the many fun activities and outings taking place. 

At the Care Center, one wing, Azalea Lane, has been down for over 17 months due to renovation. Additional good news is the Care Center is in contact with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on the review of the Care Center’s application to re-occupy the renovated wing. CDPH has asked for additional information which is being provided. Once CDPH has all it needs, the next step is for CDPH to go to the Care Center for an inspection and give the green light to occupy Azalea Lane.

I am also happy to share the promotion of Brittany Yamada to Executive Director at ACC Greenhaven Terrace. Brittany is now overseeing GT’s Senior Living and Assisted Living. Yesenia Jones who was overseeing both Greenhaven Terrace and Maple Tree Village is now overseeing one site now, Maple Tree Village, with the goal of reaching 80% occupancy. 

As I have mentioned before, you can help close our financial gap by referring friends and family to our residential communities.

I want to thank Debbie Eto for organizing Day of Remembrance at ACC. On February 19. More than 120 people attended in-person and online to hear Charles Kobayashi, Esther Hokama, Gloria Imagire, and Keiji Takagi talk about their experiences in the Japanese internment camps.  Special guest Arlene Damron, the cousin of Glenn Watanabe, presented film footage of daily life in the Topaz War Relocation Center. It was filmed secretly by her father, Dave Tatsuno, during his three-year internment there. It was recognized by the U.S. Library of Congress and the National Film Registry.  The Showstoppers gave a beautiful performance by singing two songs. 

ACC hosted the Chinese Lunar New Year event on January 22, held behind the ACC main campus on the soccer field. Over 1,550 people attended the outdoor event, enjoying the entertainment, craft booths, and food trucks. We thank our community partner The Creative Space for organizing the event. 

Then on February 24, Tim Corcoran and Kathryn Doi underwrote and hosted the ACC community to attend the performance of “The Chinese Lady,” a play at Capital Stage. A diverse audience of ACC supporters enjoyed the performance and was treated afterward to a Q and A session with the two actors, one who is from Sacramento. A big thank you to Tim and Kathryn!

The hustle and bustle is back at ACC, and it’s been really invigorating for everyone – the participants, instructors, and staff. I see people smiling, laughing, and chatting all the time.  On behalf of ACC, thank you for your continued support. Drop by ACC and say hello!