Category: Programs & Services

  • Class of ‘69 Begins the ‘Age of Medicare’

    If you graduated from high school in 1969, chances are you’re turning 65 in 2016, or you are already there. Congratulations graduate and welcome to the world of Medicare! If you are 65 and eligible, you may choose to graduate from a commercial health insurance plan to Medicare. Just like moving from high school to…

  • Your Sweet Recipe for Retirement

    Steaming gravy, savory stuffing and sweet potatoes — four types of pie for dessert: pumpkin, apple, sweet potato, and pecan. Every family has its Thanksgiving dinner traditions and recipes to create a perfect holiday meal. If you fail to plan or measure your ingredients, your pie could be a real flop. Planning for your future…

  • Did You Claim Your Medicare Rewards?

    You read the title of this column correctly. Many Medicare plans are launching reward and incentive plans. Points earned can be redeemed for prizes or gift cards. Incentives are awarded for healthy activities that result in positive health outcomes. You could earn points for: Completing an Annual Wellness Visit(AWV) Tobacco cessation Maintaining a certain Body…

  • Women and Social Security

    Social Security values and appreciates women. Men and women with identical earnings histories receive the same benefits, yet women should know about certain trends, differences in lifestyle and patterns of earnings that may affect their benefits. For example, some women may be caregivers for many people: spouses, children and parents. Taking time away from the…

  • From a Fighting to a Forgiving Family

    Did I hear right? “My brother threw a shoe at my mom.” “My sister cracked a dinner plate over my head.” “My brothers stopped giving me my inheritance.” “My mother hates me, favors my brother, even if I’m her primary caregiver.” “No one thanks me for what I do.” These are true gripes from frustrated…

  • Family Peace is Important to Elders

    You knew one day you and your family would be taking care of Mom or Dad. Yet, your family feels pinched; nothing is coordinated. Blame and guilt bubble up because you don’t know how to work as a care team. Lack of agreement, finances and rivalry causes stress. Your own family and career commitments, and…

  • It’s My “Nursing Home” and I Live Here!

    Legendary singer Diana Ross recently graced the stage of the Neal Blaisdell Center for an amazing evening of Motown hits and so much more. The stunning 71-year-old looked decades younger than her “baby boomer” audience. Ross sauntered down the aisle singing, “I’m Coming Out!” I was in the audience, enjoying a welcome respite from my…

  • Social Security Turns 80

    Eighty years ago, on Aug. 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. The new law guaranteed a basic income for retirees and, at the time, the unemployed. Over the years, Social Security has expanded its safety net beyond retirees to provide benefits for people with disabilities and the chronically…

  • Senior Foodbox Program: Good & Healthy

    What if there was an easy, affordable way to get necessary nutrients for good health, without having to figure it all out yourself? Hawaii FoodBank on O‘ahu is taking applications for the Senior FoodBox Program, an ongoing supplemental food program in addition to the current Hawai‘i FoodBank food voucher program. Each Senior FoodBox provides about…

  • Oh What a Month

    Looking back, the month of July seemed to just fly by (they say time does that as we “mature”). Many of us don’t realize what a monumental month July is. We all enjoy the Fourth of July and celebrating Independence Day or just sleeping in and then relaxing by the grill, but let’s take a…

  • Senior Housing – Can I Afford It?

    There are a lot of housing options available for seniors in Hawai‘i, but they all have their own rules, costs, types of services and levels of care. The most common housing options are retirement communities, assisted living, nursing homes, CCRCs and ARCHs. It can get a bit confusing and time consuming to visit all of…

  • Someone’s Knocking at The Door

    “Someone’s knockin’ at the door, somebody’s ringin’ the bell, do me a favor, open the door and let them in.” Chances are, if you recognize the lyrics to “Let Them In,” written by McCartney, you may have already gotten a knock on the door by a Medicare agent. Few people can recall how Medicare was…