Category: Articles

  • Organized. Happy. Safe.

    As we age, staying organized and living in an uncluttered space can help reduce the stress of transitioning into different phases of life. Many seniors find themselves needing or wanting to downsize from a family home to a smaller space, such as an apartment, retirement community or multigenerational family space. Taking the time to sort…

  • Plan for Tomorrow Today

    We will all face the inevitable some day. No one likes to think about their eventual passing, but loved ones can be spared anxiety and uncertainty about your final wishes if you take time now to preplan your cemetery and funeral arrangements.

  • 101 Caregiver Stories

    If you are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, know that you are not alone. Know that you are not the only one who has experienced the wrath of these diseases or felt the roller coaster of emotions that accompanies watching a loved one disappear.

  • What’s Happening to Papa?

    Pomai has become worried as she sees Papa, her grandfather, become more forgetful. She wants Papa to play with her, but he is losing his memory and is no longer able to make poi with her or take her to the beach. In Pomai and Her Papa: Growing Up with Memory Loss and Holding On…

  • Educating Students Supports Our Kūpuna

    The Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society, organized in 1979, is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life of Hawai‘i’s kūpuna. One of the missions of HPGS is to raise funds and award scholarships to college students interested in careers involving aging and older people. The society just awarded three scholarships for the 2020 fall…

  • Help Is On The Way During COVID-19

    With the reopening of the state after shutdowns mandated by local government in recent months, kūpuna and other vulnerable people have become more fearful of venturing out into the community to shop and run errands as the coronavirus continues to spread with more people out in public. The demand for food, supplies and assistance has…

  • Keeping Kūpuna On the Move is Essential

    Initially, I think the overall private transport business literally fell off a cliff in early March as tourism abruptly stopped and the State of Hawai‘i went into lockdown. The businesses in Hawai‘i quickly came together to provide solutions to safely transport our kūpuna.

  • Beware of Coronavirus Scams!

    It may be hard to believe, but even during the coronavirus pandemic, criminals are targeting and preying upon the public via phony websites, bogus emails and text messaging, and by phone.

  • Timeshares Pt. 3: Scam or Investment?

    As I indicated in the last issue, under Hawaii Revised Statute §514E-9, timeshare companies are required to give clients all information regarding the unit for purchase, including all the fees attributed to that unit that are due immediately and the “hidden” fees that require seemingly endless future payments — the monthly mortgage, property tax, maintenance…

  • Estate Planning Mirrors Life

    As a member of ACTEC, I am privileged to learn from and exchange ideas with some of the most skilled and dedicated trust and estate lawyers in Hawai‘i. I often wonder why most of our discussions focus on probate and litigation issues rather than on how we can help plan to mitigate family conflict and…

  • The Time to Plan is NOW

    When I was in elementary school in the 1960s, my family’s set of encyclopedias claimed that I could expect to live to the ripe old age of 70. That seemed incredibly old to me. Fast-forward to 2020, and the current consensus is that I will live into my 80s, barring a catastrophic illness or an…

  • Now’s the Time: Charities Need Our Help

    In these challenging economic times, many worthwhile charitable organizations find themselves in a precarious financial position. Meanwhile, they are experiencing unprecedented demand, especially those charities that provide basic needs like food and shelter. Thankfully, new, unique provisions in the tax code have been implemented in response to the COVID-19 crisis, creating more incentives for giving.