Old and young to mix at preschool and adult day care center

St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii will open Monday an $8 million facility that will house a Montessori-based preschool and adult day care center in the growing Ewa Villages.

The 15,000-square-foot St. Francis Intergenerational Center on 1.25 acres will open to as many as 88 children between the ages of 3 and 6, and at a later date next month for up to 42 seniors.

A formal blessing at 91-1758 Oohao St. is scheduled for today.

“More families are being stretched to the limit and are stressed more than ever before because of greater demands at work and longer commute times,” Sister William Marie Eleniki, a St. Francis executive and former principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Pearl City and St. Michael’s School in Waialua, said in a news release. “Older adults can share their knowledge and life experiences with young children, while the children bring joy for the older adults. It’s a win-win situation for both generations.”

The nonprofit said the adult day care services will prevent loneliness and depression among seniors, provide respite for caregivers and teach children to have a positive attitude toward aging.

St. Francis said it specifically designed the building with a large outdoor courtyard where both generations can commingle.

The center, with separate entrances for children and seniors, includes an adult day activity room and lounge; four preschool classrooms with Amish furniture; an infirmary; and an expansive fenced yard.

The project also includes meandering paved pathways suitable for wheelchairs, as well as tricycles, St. Francis said.

The facility has a certified kitchen, where chef Elmer Guzman of Island Cuisine/ Poke Stop will oversee food preparation for participants in the programs.

The Roman Catholic religious order was the first in Hawaii to create an intergenerational model — the Franciscan Adult Day Center — in Manoa in 1996, now part of St. Francis School.

The West Oahu center is across from the organization’s Franciscan Vistas Ewa, a 149-unit senior independent living community, which is now fully leased.

For more information about the adult day care or preschool, call 681-0100 or go to stfrancishawaii.org.