Category: Programs & Services

  • Decisions to Make as You Age

    Where am I going to live as I age and will I need more assistance? Many feel overwhelmed with uncertain options, lack of assistance, decreasing energy and concern about financial burdens. What should I do? Most keep on living their lives without a plan. Some will get lucky and their lives will play out well…

  • Tips for Navigating Health Care Systems

    Are you a family caregiver — taking care of your parents and also your own keiki? Understanding health care can be a challenge, whether you live with that family member or provide long-distance assistance. In the 2014 AARP Caregiver Survey of Hawaii Registered Voters, more than 62 percent of respondents 45 years and older said…

  • Helping as a Representative Payee

    If you handle the finances for a Social Security beneficiary or know someone who may need help managing benefits, you may consider applying to become a representative payee. A representative payee is someone who receives Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments on behalf of a person not capable of managing the funds on…

  • New Name – Still Great Volunteer Experience

    April is recognized as National Volunteer Appreciation Month. Then May is Older Americans Month and the theme this year is “Get into the Act.” Our SHIP volunteers have been getting into the act through delivering community presentations, providing information at health fairs, counseling individuals on their options and benefits, and assisting beneficiaries with appeals for…

  • Companion Program Helps Aging in Place

    The importance of independence is ever apparent especially as we age. The Senior Companion Program is a vital community-based support service that enables frail kupuna to remain independent and live in their homes. The Senior Companion Program is under the Department of Human Services and sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The…

  • Afraid to Downsize? Get Organized First!

    As Realtors, Certified Aging in Place Specialists and Senior Real Estate Specialists, we help our clients connect with professionals who can help them downsize to a more manageable home. Often clients in large homes want to simplify their lifestyle. But one look at accumulated belongings in every closet, drawer and cubby hole makes it clear…

  • Do You Know IRMA?

    Millions of Medicare beneficiaries with Original Medicare or other Medicare health plans understand the costs associated with their Medicare Part B coverage. The premium for Medicare Part B is usually deducted from the beneficiary’s social security payment, or can be billed separately or paid by a third party. Medicare Part B coverage is provided to…

  • Social Security Brain Teasers

    Test your knowledge or learn a few things today — with this in mind, tease your brain with these bits of Social Security trivia: When was the Social Security Act signed into law, and who signed it? When did Social Security begin paying disability benefits? Is there any significance to the digits in your Social…

  • Protect Your Property and Loved Ones

    The older we get, the more closely we look at our finances, real estate and family. Thinking about our home, who will inherit it and how will we want to be remembered. Estate planning, the next step in this thought process, can be very confusing and overwhelming. Senior real estate specialists are trained to work…

  • Medicare Enrollment Periods and COBRA

    It is February and if you have not signed up for Medicare Part B during your initial enrollment period and you are not covered by an active employer group health plan, you still may enroll until Mar. 31. Your coverage for Medicare Part B will begin July 1st and you may face a penalty. We…

  • Social Security Fights Against Fraud

    If you’re like most people, you protect what’s valuable to you. To protect your family financially, you buy health and life insurance. To protect your home, you get homeowner’s insurance, a security alarm, or perhaps a large dog. You hide your jewelry in a safe place or buy insurance in case you need to replace…

  • MS. Medicare “Age of Elegance” Pageant

    The inaugural Hawai‘i Ms. Medicare “Age of Elegance” pageant held on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014, at the Pacific Beach Hotel in Waikiki was sponsored by Get2insurance.com. The next Ms. Medicare event will be held in early October 2015. We pray this pilot project will grow much larger in years to come. The event’s mission is…