Hale Makua Health Services Confirms One COVID-19 Case

Hale Makua Health Services has confirmed one resident has tested positive for COVID-19 at Hale Makua Kahului. The resident is currently asymptomatic and being cared for while in quarantine at the facility.

Hale Makua has started immediate testing of all staff and residents. Three rounds of testing will occur of all residents and staff for the next 14 days.

Hale Makua Administrator, Teana Kaho‘ohanohano said, “Although many of us face COVID fatigue, our staff has continued to social distance, was our hands frequently and wear masks at all times. Now is the time to really buckle down and follow all precautions. Until the vaccines are widely distributed, we cannot let our guard down. As a team, we are committed to keeping our kūpuna safe, healthy and happy.”

Hale Makua Kahului will suspend all in-person, socially distanced family visits until further notice. Virtual visits and calls are encouraged until in-person visits resume.

The first round of COVID-19 vaccinations were recently administered at the Kahului facility on Dec. 30 and 31, 2020. Hale Makua reports that 80% of residents and 40% of staff took the first dose of the vaccine. The next vaccine clinic for Hale Makua Kahului staff and residents will take place on Jan. 29-30, 2020.

Hale Makua Wailuku residents and staff will receive their first vaccines on Jan. 11, 2020.

At Hale Makua, precautions include:

• Staff and vendors screened for respiratory symptoms and/or fever prior to entering the campuses since early March.
• All new admissions have been admitted to West neighborhood in Kahului.
• All employees have been required to wear appropriate PPE including masks and face shields.
• High touch surfaces are wiped down frequently.

Hale Makua Health Services is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, established in 1946 to provide a home for elders who had no one to care for them or means to pay for care. It is one of Maui’s largest non-government employers with more then 450 employees providing care for upwards of 1,500 individuals on Maui annually.

The organization’s continuum of healthcare programs includes two nursing homes and rehab centers specializing in both in and out-patient physical, occupational and speech therapies; a home health care agency; an adult day health center; and an adult residential care home.