Category: Articles

  • Protecting Your Child’s Assets

    Consider creating a trust to hold your child’s inheritance. Whether you are married or a single parent, consider how to ensure that your hard-earned assets are used properly for the benefit of your child, and not misused or taken away. Minor children cannot own assets, so if a minor is named as a beneficiary of…

  • DIY Estate Planning

    The problem with do-it-yourself estate plans is they often don’t work in the real world. An effective plan involves far more than a set of documents—even very well-drawn documents that would stand up in any court in the land, as they say in the commercials. But why would you want your estate plan to have…

  • Downsizing Your Home in Retirement

    If you are approaching retirement or are already there, you may be considering downsizing your home. It’s a big decision, with ramifications for both your finances and lifestyle. As you think about downsizing, here are some things to keep in mind: Decide if a move makes sense. You can expect your needs and priorities to…

  • SSA Benefits Toolkits Explained

    We’ve released new resources to help you better understand Social Security benefits. We’ve designed easy-to-use toolkits to provide education about our programs for children and our benefits for families after the death of a loved one. Our School Professional and Survivor Benefits toolkits are downloadable PDFs that include ready-to-go communications, such as sample email blasts,…

  • Recreation, Leisure & Assistive Technology

    Recreational activities provide a wide range of benefits for seniors, significantly contributing to their physical health, mental sharpness and emotional well-being. Engaging in leisure activities helps maintain physical fitness, stimulates cognitive function and fosters emotional resilience. Additionally, recreation offers seniors valuable opportunities to form and strengthen social connections, promoting a strong sense of community and…

  • How to Find the Right Senior Care Home

    Gen Xers may find themselves helping parents age in place at home or at a senior care facility. Finding the right senior care home requires careful planning, research and consideration of a variety of factors: Choosing a senior care home for your parents is a major decision. But after considering these questions and doing your…

  • Summer Tips for Healthy Teeth and Gums

    You may have heard of the saying “Drink well, eat well, live well.” What we eat and drink directly affects our overall health and our oral health. That’s especially true during the summer months, when it is typically hotter in Hawai‘i. Dehydration, especially for kūpuna, can lead to dry mouth, which may put them at…

  • UV Protection is Important for Eye Health

    Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can do permanent damage to our eyes. Regardless of age, it’s important to keep our eyes safe from the powerful summer sun, as our vision quality helps to support a long, healthy and happy life. For UV Safety Month in July, there are many things we can do to help protect our…

  • Balance: Body, Mind & Spirit

    Easy Balance Exercises for Seniors, A Holistic Approach to Improve Stability, Prevent Falls and Maintain Independence for All Abilities was written by Lena Ihara, a Maui-born actor, retired teacher and wellness educator. Lena acknowledges that as we age, “movements that were once automatic begin to slow down and feel uncertain. We may lose balance but…

  • Tūtū, Take Me to the Library!

    We all love stories, no matter our age. But younger children are especially eager to listen to them! Taking the keiki in your life to a storytime program at your local library can be a wonderful bonding experience. They’ll enjoy hearing fun stories, singing songs and doing activities together. These activities help children build early…

  • Kobumaki: Okinawan Lau Lau

    Recipe by Joyce Shimabukuro, written by her grandniece, Cynthia Arnold This kobumaki recipe has been passed down and enjoyed through many generations of my Okinawan family — from my great-grandma Nagamine to my grand-aunty, Joyce Shimabukuro, age 98, and now to her daughter, my Aunty Lisa. But my dad, Cliff Goya, with help from my…

  • Celebrating the Okinawan Culture

    Since more than 1,500 years ago, Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) have welcomed immigrants from every corner of the globe, cultivating and perpetuating a tapestry of diverse cultures. In the fourth article in this ongoing series on the many cultures that comprise Hawai‘i, we focus on how the Okinawan people arrived in the Hawaiian Islands, their…