Sunshine Garden: More Than Adult Day Care

Angela Miyamoto, ADS Planner

Jian Tao Xiong says that coming to Sunshine Garden is medicine. She doesn't need medicine when she goes there.

Sunshine Garden's Andes Kong (left) and CISC's Janice Kong (right) with Ms. Xiong.

Jian Tao Xiong, an 89-year-old Chinese elder, suffers from chronic leg pain. She has difficulty with mobility and uses a walker to get around. Ms. Xiong walks one block from her apartment to attend Sunshine Garden Adult Day Care at the Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC).

Sunshine Garden is an Adult Day Care program located in the International District of Seattle, supported in part by funding from the City of Seattle. Reaching out to Chinese elders, Sunshine Garden offers culturally and linguistically appropriate activities, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In 2010, about 400 elders participated in activities such as tai chi, language classes, fall prevention, xiang gong, meditation, and health seminars.

Ms. Xiong participates in many activities that Sunshine Garden offers, but also teaches Mandarin and serves as an interpreter between Mandarin and Cantonese speaking elders. By using her skills to help others, Ms. Xiong feels useful and happy. She explains through an interpreter, "This is like a home, a family. I feel cared for by others." 

Lead worker Andes Kong says many of the elders are, like Ms. Xiong, at risk of social isolation. Sunshine Garden gives them a safe place to gather during the day. Ms. Kong arranges the activities and coordinates many volunteers at the Day Care Program. Volunteers contributed over 1,800 hours to help run programs and services in 2010. Due to budget cuts, Ms. Kong also serves as a CISC Information and Assistance worker.

Ms. Xiong says, "Coming here is like medicine. When I come here, I do not need to take my medicine for my leg pain."  She explains that if Sunshine Garden did not exist, she would stay at home all day—there would be nowhere else to go. Ms. Xiong says, "If the center closes, I expect to get Alzheimer's soon." 

For more information about Sunshine Garden, contact Stephen Lam, CISC Elderly Program Director, at stephenl@cisc-seattle.org or 206-624-5633, ext. 4108.