Florence Ebisuzaki sat in a recliner sewing after her lunch Wednesday at The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Adult Day Center.
“I’m so happy to be back,” she said.
Ebisuzaki was one of the clients welcomed back to the center Wednesday as Hawaii Island Adult Care — which provides adult day care for elders and challenged adults at the facility located adjacent to the Mohouli Heights Senior Neighborhood in Hilo — reopened for the first time since it closed March 19 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I don’t know how long we have to be distanced, but it’s still nice to be around people and be social,” Ebisuzaki said. “My daughter told me to behave myself and I’m doing my best.”
Executive Director Marcie Saquing said the facility is following guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the state Department of Health, although there are no guidelines specific for adult day care centers.
Social distancing protocols are in place, all staff are required to wear masks and there will be temperature and wellness checks for everyone entering daily, she said. Additionally, staff routinely sanitize and disinfect high-touch areas and after each use of the restroom. Masks for kupuna are optional.
“Those kinds of things we worked on together on a statewide level to see what everyone was doing because we did not have any true guidelines for adult day cares,” Saquing said. “(We) picked and chose things we knew we had to do and things we added to put (an) extra layer of added safety and reduction of risks.”
According to Saquing, the facility is licensed to accommodate 105 people per day and was seeing between 68 and 72 prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, in light of the 6-foot distancing in place, HIAC can only accept 68 people per day, and on Wednesday, close to 50 attended.
“But it’s the first day, and I have a feeling it will keep growing as people feel more (comfortable),” Saquing said.
While some clients were excited to return, others and their families were still apprehensive, she said.
“About 10 to 15 families are not comfortable having their mom or dad return to day care yet and I get that,” said Saquing.
Although fewer clients means an impact to HIAC’s budget, Saquing said the organization’s financing for the new fiscal year, which began Wednesday, is based on current capacity.
Saquing said 27 staff members who were laid off when the center closed have all been recalled.
“Three of us had to stay and just keep the business part going,” she said. “I haven’t stopped working. (I have) worked both remotely and physically here all the time we were closed.”
HIAC is still taking new clients. For more information visit hawaiiislandadultcare.org or call 961-3747.
Photojournalist Kelsey Walling contributed to this report.
Email Stephanie Salmons at ssalmons@hawaiitribune-herald.com.