Author: Gerry Silva, State President AARP Hawai‘i

  • Prepare to Care for a Loved One

    Do you use your lunch hour or leave work early to run errands for your parents? Spend more time tending to mom’s prescriptions than your own? As our parents age, it’s more a matter of when, not if, they will need our help. In a recent AARP survey of Hawai‘i registered voters age 45 or…

  • Hawai’i CARE Act Coalition

    Caregiving became a full-time responsibility for Lahaina resident Montella Lopez in her mother’s final years. In the six times her mother was discharged from the hospital, Lopez said she received little or no instruction on how to care for her mother at home. As Hawai‘i’s population ages and the number of people with chronic conditions…

  • Identifying Needs of Older Residents

    A survey of 45-64 year-old adults on O‘ahu ranks affordable home health care and housing the greatest needs facing Honolulu seniors. The 2014 AARP Livable Communities Survey in Honolulu, Hawaii of Adults Age 45+ identifies needs of older residents as well as gaps in community services. Of all environmental, economic and social factors in eight…

  • Better Support for Family Caregivers

    Hawaii’s family caregivers are starting to get the support they need. These caregivers are among the 247,000 sons, daughters, husbands and wives who help loved ones stay independently at home for as long as possible — providing help with everyday tasks. In mid-April nearly 500 Hawaii residents joined elder advocacy groups and resource providers in…

  • Hawaii Connector Must Be Consumer Friendly, Accountable and Sustainable

    Beginning in January 2014, Hawai‘i residents who are without health insurance, small businesses, and those who are self-employed will be able to be covered by insurance purchased through an online marketplace known as the Hawaii Health Connector. The Connector was established by the state Legislature in 2011 to offer health plans to the public under…