Category: Articles

  • The Power of Healing, Harmony & Hope

    Mental health is a serious concern in  Hawai‘i. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, 17 percent of the state’s adult  population were struggling with some form of mental illness. Yet two out of three were receiving no treatment at all for this illness, which can contribute to chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma,…

  • Oh Those Medicare Commercials!

    You’ve seen hundreds of those ads on TV telling you to call a toll-free number to hear all about the new Medicare Advantage benefits. These commercials insinuate that all the extras are free and some suggest you might even be able to get money back. These ads are misleading, at best.

  • Dementia Patients ‘Remember Thru Music’

    The powerful documentary Alive Inside, created by Music & Memory, became a call to action for Big Island resident Jen McGeehan. Music & Memory is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals with a wide range of cognitive and physical conditions to engage with the world, ease pain and reclaim their humanity through the use of…

  • Medicare’s Other Enrollment Periods

    Every year, Medicare provides two enrollment periods that run from Jan. 1 through March 31. During the General Enrollment Period, individuals can apply for Medicare if they missed their Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) or don’t qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Coverage begins July 1 of that year. If you missed your IEP when you…

  • Help for Military and Veteran Caregivers

    John “Longie” Dudoit returned to Moloka‘i in 1969 after a year in the infantry in Vietnam and married his high school sweetheart. “But something wasn’t right,” John recalls. “In our first years of marriage, Lorna stood by me but couldn’t understand what was happening.” Back then, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) wasn’t widely understood.

  • Aging With Aloha: Caring for Your Eyes

    With aging comes new challenges; our eyesight is no exception. One in six Americans aged 65 and older has a vision impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses alone. It’s important to see your ophthalmologist every one to two years in order to check for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.…

  • Frontiers in Cardiovascular Health

    Over the past two decades, successful therapeutic cardiovascular disease strategies have focused primarily on lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) with statins, and reducing the risk of the blood clots that cause heart attacks or strokes with “blood thinners” such as aspirin. Blood pressure medications are also widely used. Despite these interventions, a significant number of patients…

  • Practice Good Oral Hygiene Together

    Grandparents play an important role in raising children, especially in Hawai‘i, with changing family patterns and dual-worker households. And while it’s acceptable for grandparents to treat their grandchildren to sweets, they are also expected to show them the importance of good oral health and a healthy diet.

  • Poling for Better Posture, Balance & Health

    Two-time stroke survivor June struggled with her balance. She felt unsteady, even when holding onto something. She was very worried about falling… until she discovered specialized walking poles.

  • Engage With Kūpuna During COVID-19

    Kūpuna who are staying at home or limiting interaction with loved ones may start to experience loneliness. Integrating a variety of activities while caring for kūpuna — both personally and professionally — can provide enjoyment for everyone.

  • Creating Smooth Transitions for Seniors

    Transitioning from living at home to a community that offers independent living, assisted living or skilled nursing care can be challenging for both seniors and their families. Kūpuna may need special care, but may be hesitant to make the big move because they prefer the familiarity of their own home. Many Hawai‘i families also struggle…

  • Our Highest Purpose: Serving Our Kūpuna

    The senior living industry also has frontline workers who have come face to face with the pandemic. Working to protect our kūpuna has been challenging, to say the very least. All staff at community living facilities are frontline workers and they must work together to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.