Caydie Furutani and I are 9th graders at Moanalua High School on O‘ahu. For our social studies project, our teacher asked us to identify ways in which we could positively impact our community on a local or national level. We brainstormed and came up with three different ideas. Eventually, we chose to focus our attention on our local kūpuna community. Our project centered on efforts to improve the mental and emotional health of our kūpuna.
Because some kūpuna may not have grandchildren near them, we came up with the simple idea to hang out with them, play games, talk story and bring them homemade snacks, in hopes that socializing with fun young people would make them feel happy and less lonely. And it would be fun for us to engage with the older generation.
When I was born, my mom, Cynthia Arnold, was working to help seniors downsize and move to senior living facilities. She helped many move into 15 Craigside Retirement Community, which had just opened. She continues to this day.
My mom told me that when I was little, she brought me there every Christmastime and we’d give out homemade cookies and treats to all her past clients. Some of them remembered me as a little one, but all I remember is this was the home where all the GGs (great-grandparents) lived. This is the reason that 15 Craigside Retirement Community was the perfect location for our social studies project.
We brought them homemade brownies, broken glass jello and manju. We talked and played “Thanksgiving Catch Phrase” to stimulate their minds in a fun and friendly environment. Some of the residents were surprisingly competitive, but everyone laughed and had a great time. And all the treats were eaten by the end of our visit.
While talking story with them, we found out what they had done for a living and how they are now enjoying their later years. Some even gave us some life lessons, such as, “take the negativity out of your life” and “do yoga to keep looking young!” It was a great time of laughing and learning.
Besides getting an “A” on our project, we took away many happy memories we can share with others. We want to go back again soon!
Lexie Arnold is a 9th grader at Moanalua High School and the daughter of GM Publisher Cynthia Arnold. She loves to dance and play softball, hang out with her friends and volunteer for organizations on the island.
Caydie Furutani and I are 9th graders at Moanalua High School on O‘ahu. For our social studies project, our teacher asked us to identify ways in which we could positively impact our community on a local or national level. We brainstormed and came up with three different ideas. Eventually, we chose to focus our attention…
In an open circle, a Hawaiian woman wearing a lei holds a resting baby, her hand protecting the child and inviting the viewer to join in the gift of comfort and healing. Behind the woman are the faces of a man and child, her hair cascading around them. This iconic image—the logo of the Kapi‘olani Medical Center (KMC)—was designed by Momi Cazimero to recognize the hospital’s expansion of services to the entire ‘ohana. Among her many achievements, Momi, now-retired, has created and participated in art exhibitions, served on boards and organizations and is credited with establishing Graphic House, the first woman-owned graphic design firm in Hawai‘i, in 1972. While Momi’s many accomplishments are common knowledge in the graphic arts world, if you ask her, she’ll shine the spotlight not on herself, but on the precious people throughout her life who inspired her to become the woman she is today.
To Elevate Hawai‘i
While working as a graphic designer, Momi’s mission was to “elevate the images and icons of Hawai‘i and Hawaiians,” a feat she achieved through her years of dedication. “It began when I became conscious of the fact that the only thing that had a Hawaiian face on it was the Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau poster,” she says. “The motivation was to bring Hawaiian culture into a contemporary setting, so we’re not always looking for things in a museum.” One significant way in which she accomplished this lies in her designs—for example, for KMC and the Year of the Hawaiian in 2018.
A 1987 issue of Ka Wai Ola O OHA by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs states that the goal of the program called the “Year of the Hawaiian” sought to “Celebrate the Hawaiian, instill pride in being Hawaiian, identify Hawaiian values, lokahi (unity), raise the consciousness and awareness of the Hawaiian core of our society,” enacting an islands-wide series of events and activities focusing on the values, history and culture of the Hawaiian people. “So,” says Momi, “I created something that would represent Papa—Earth Mother—and Wakea—Sky Father. It’s their union that creates the Hawaiian Islands.”
A previous logo depicted a woman literally giving birth to the islands. “In graphic design, we change the literal to the conceptual.” Momi’s iconic design instead alludes to the vast, intricate layers of Hawaiian history and culture, the formation of the islands, and the unity of Papa and Wakea—all with graceful simplicity.
The logo for KMC also reflects the shift from literal to conceptual. Upon explaining her thinking behind the design, Momi emphasizes the hand in the circle. “It’s what you hold—what you give—it’s all associated with the hand. To me, the hand could not break the circle because it brings the viewer in.”
As a graphic designer, Momi stresses the importance of communicating everything in a design: “You must capture who and what it represents—graphic design interprets reality into an image.”
Loving One’s Life
For nine years, Momi worked with Tom Lee of Tom Lee Design, who actually launched graphic design as a business in Hawai‘i. “He and I were responsible for starting and fortifying an organization that advocated for graphic designers. We wanted to create art exhibits to elevate the people’s consciousness of graphic design and the way you do that is by doing something publicly.”
After Tom’s passing and Momi had her own business, she remembers when a group of artists got together and decided to make the showings “more Hawai‘i.” They were going to have an award and name it the Pele Award.
Reviewing a design with a colleague, Momi (right) worked with Tom Lee (center) until his passing.
“If you know anything about the Big Island, you know how we feel about Pele,” she says. Momi suggested they change the name, but the group was adamant simply because “‘it was easier to say.’ They were taking the name of a Hawaiian goddess who represents volcanology. They still had to respect the Hawaiian culture. But they went ahead and did it, and I boycotted them.” Momi’s steadfastness affixes her as a figure of Hawaiian pride, leadership and intelligence.
When Tom died of cancer, the Cancer Society called Momi and asked if she could create an exhibit at Ala Moana Center. “So I did. The theme that a friend of mine came up with was ‘Love Your Life.’ I designed the logo and talked to different artists to illustrate their love of life in a pictorial image.” In remembering her dear mentor, Momi also realized something about herself through this exhibit: she wasn’t done yet. “I said to myself, ‘I know what I’m going to do to keep from disappearing. I’m going to do community service.’” Through serving on various boards, committees and organizations, she maintained her public presence, honoring those who came before her and working for those who will come after.
These days, 92-year-old Momi is retired, but still keeps busy with her own creative projects, and recalls her career and loved ones fondly in telling her story. “This morning, I was watching something on TV about The Joy Luck Club,” she says, “and they were talking about how important it is to interpret their culture. The way to lift people up is to give them an opportunity to identify with success. As a Hawaiian, this matters to me because there was an absence of things Hawaiian. Every culture thrives on its understanding and appreciation and relationship to itself. That’s where understanding comes from.” With words from the heart about her creative vision, and the love she has for her art and beloved people throughout her life, Momi Cazimero has paved the way for herself and the many she undoubtedly has inspired to be their best selves.
With all of these acclamations, commendations and encouragement cutting a path to the vanguard, she takes us on a journey down memory lane—back to where it all began.
If You Like, You Can
Momi grew up in rural Pepe‘ekeo on Hawai‘i Island with her grandparents. She was very close with her grandfather, especially. “He was so very positive and supportive, and he spoiled me.” She recalls going to work with him sometimes when he was a highway overseer and remembers fondly when, as she was falling asleep on drives home, he would purposely drive over a certain bump near her favorite bakery to sneakily wake her up— “Tūtū Man, stop!”—so she could ask him to get a slice of her favorite coconut pie. “’Til today, I love it,” she says, “And he did it on purpose all the time. That’s the kind of relationship we had.”
After her grandfather passed away, Momi moved in with her mother, father and siblings per the advice of her Aunty Esther. Instead of the happy, warm days with her grandfather, Momi went to a home environment where she was made to think less of herself because she was a girl. “You can imagine, when I moved into that home, having been raised as the baby,” Momi adds, “how I felt. Before, I even fell asleep on my grandfather.” Laughing, she says, “Okay, I must tell you. He would put me to sleep, and he was a big man. Naturally, when he would put me to sleep, I would roll over on the bed into his side and my head was buried under his arm. My grandmother, I was told, would tear up when she carried me, because my head smelled like his armpit. I was constantly at his side and loved being with him.” When her home environment felt oppressive and she felt hopeless, Momi often turned to memories of her grandfather to keep her going.
The words that Momi’s grandfather spoke to her have maintained their impact many years later. As she grew up speaking pidgin, she mentions how saying “I like” meant “I want.” She says, “It almost suggested that it was something I wanted to do. And whenever it implied that, he would always say, ‘If you like, you can.’ Think of that—the encouragement of it.” Later, when he had already passed and Momi was attending Kamehameha Schools, she still felt his presence. “When I was having a stressful time, I would sit on the edge of my bed and say, ‘Tūtū Man, come get me.’ I always leaned on him. When he didn’t come, I would say to myself, ‘If it was really bad, he would come for me.’ This carried me through everything.” In her senior year of high school, she had a serious discussion with herself: “‘You are always depending on your Tūtū Man.’ I wasn’t going to do that anymore, because I had to do it on my own.” The love and motivation Momi’s grandfather shared with her taught her that nothing is impossible, which propelled her to pursue—and achieve—her dream of becoming an educated and resilient woman.
“Tūtū Man” John Waihee and “Tūtū Lady” Annie raised Momi from infancy to nine years of age.
Never Stop at the Minimum
Towards the end of her senior year of high school, Momi had a meeting with the principal at the time, Dr. Frederick, whose mentorship reminded her of her fourth grade art teacher. Momi says that her desire to become an artist came from this teacher, whose words made a difference. “But,” she states, “I was not studious. In my beginning years, I did not want to go to school, because going to school meant walking miles, barefoot on a stony road. But, it led me to where I am today.”
Praised by her teacher, Momi, unknowingly talented, was developing into an artist.
In the fourth grade, one of her assignments for art class was to draw “the most unusual thing.” One day, on her way to Japanese school, Momi saw an oddly shaped hibiscus plant. “I always looked at that with fascination, because it was so different. That was my subject.” When the teacher was reviewing the classes’ projects, she said that she was saving Momi’s for last. “I thought I was going to be insulted,” Momi adds, “I held my breath.” She finally reached Momi’s piece and her teacher said, “Momi drew this hibiscus and it’s nice. But she did not stop at the minimum.”
After class, when she went to pick up her assignment, Momi’s teacher drew her aside and told her things that Momi carries in her heart to this day: “‘You’re a very good artist. I respect the fact that you had the initiative to do as much as you did. ʻNever stop at the minimum.’ That became a statement that I live with for the rest of my life. In the time that she’s giving me this confidence, what I’m resting on is what my grandfather always said, ‘If you like, you can.’ Here was a teacher who gave me something else to aspire to.” Momi makes note of the fact that these are words that carried her through very bitter years in her upbringing. “The reason I say what pulled me through is because of the things I faced along the way.” With the beautiful and profound statements that these key figures in her life gave to her, it becomes evident how Momi turned the adversity she dealt with into a force that made her unstoppable.
I Wanted You to Grow
Looking back to her childhood, Momi reminisces on her relationship with her Aunty Esther. She mentions how, during the time she was living with her parents, she figured out that the reason her aunt did not face the treatment Momi received was because she had a profession and a college education. At this point, Momi adds, “You know where this story is going already,” referring to this realization being integral to her wanting to create a career for herself. Going against her father’s limiting views of women as bound to the home, Momi decided to work hard and pay for her own schooling. “I’m determined,” she says, and she knew that because she went against her father that she could never go back home —“So, I had to be like Aunty Esther. I had to get a college education.”
Her Aunty Esther was the person who encouraged Momi to take the test to get into Kamehameha Schools, which she passed. Though this was a cause for celebration, it only brought strife to her parents, specifically her father. He insulted her intelligence and dismissed her acceptance into the school, asserting that he wasn’t going to contribute a penny to her education. So, Momi, with the support of her mother and aunt, applied and earned a working scholarship and worked her way through school. After successfully completing her high school education at Kamehameha Schools, Momi spent a brief time in college on the path to teaching art, but decided she didn’t want to do that. “That gets to be a long story, but I’m going to cut to the chase. I wanted to do art, not teach art.” So, she transferred to learning the arts at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. “My mother was distraught. ‘You know, artists starve.’ That’s all she could say to me. She talked to my aunt, who never ever changed my mind. If anybody could have, she could have. But she didn’t say a word to me.” Momi is who she is today because her aunt believed in her.
Momi aspired to be like her aunt, Esther Waihee McClellan, an independent and educated woman.
Years later, Momi found out that her aunt felt responsible for the mistreatment she received in her youth because she is the one who recommended that Momi be raised with her siblings. Like with her grandfather, she and her aunt were very close: “This aunt was also like my surrogate mom. She helped to raise me. When I was in seventh grade, going through college or in my marriage, she was the one I consulted all the time.” The pair were so close that her aunt’s son, Momi’s cousin, even asked if Momi was his older sister. As her aunt got older, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Following the diagnosis, Momi found that her Aunty Esther had become more forthcoming. “She was a typical teacher—always said the right thing, always did the right thing, but here she was. The things she said ranged from funny to serious.” Significantly, one day, Momi was visiting her Aunty Esther and she asked if she was the one who decided that Momi should leave her grandparents’ home all those years ago. Her aunt said yes. “I asked, ‘Why?’ and she said, ‘I wanted you to grow up knowing your siblings.’ When she said this, Momi wanted to say something to her aunt, but she felt she couldn’t, because she didn’t want to cry in front of her. “I felt I had to be strong, but I should have told her what a blessing it was that she made that decision, because I’m sure it haunted her.”
For someone who endured such hardship in her home life to say that it was instead a blessing shows the depths of Momi’s maturity and grace throughout her life, as well as the love and appreciation she feels for her aunt. “I love my Aunty Esther because of who she was and what she was to me. I always wanted to be like her—she motivated me to go to college.”
Never Let the Least of Them Diminish the Best in You
Momi had to work her way through college, too, with a part-time job at Sears. In her senior year of university, she began working for a Swedish artist. “One of the things she loved to do was entertain people in different art fields. My job was to clean up,” says Momi, “and I was never a good cook, so I served food, waited on tables and cleaned the house.”
One night, the artist says to Momi, “I want you to join us for dinner. I have a professor; his name is Kenneth Kingery. He’ll be joining us tonight and I think you’re going to enjoy him.” “Did I ever!” After that dinner, Professor Kingery invited Momi to his office and the teacher-student pair grew close from there. He is the person who introduced Momi to the world of graphic design and, Momi adds, “how it was changing the landscape of commercial art.”
The encouragement and belief of Professor Kenneth Kingery made an indelible impression on Momi Cazimero, a budding designer.
At the time, there was an ongoing transition from commercial art to graphic art, where instead of the artist being responsible for only an art piece for a design, graphic artists had to take into account typesets, fonts and colors in addition to being responsible for the art or logo.
Momi relays a story very significant to her development as a budding graphic artist and as a person that took place in her senior year of college. Professor Kingery had assigned her as the school yearbook editor, so she had to design and work with the production crew who printed the yearbook. “That year, I chose to use Chinese calligraphy in the design. I had created all these different designs and colors, and took the bus to discuss what I would be needing. One day, I get there, and the manager looks at it, and he takes it to a light table. He slaps the table, hollers and—this man had the loudest voice you ever heard—calls the other guys over. Those days, only men worked in a print shop.” Momi remembers how all the men gathered around the light table and ridiculed her and her work, laughing all the while. “‘Look at this thing she brings me,’ he said. I wanted to dig a hole in the concrete and go through it. My heart was just torn. I went to college to develop a profession so that I would have a respectful position, but now I was thinking that I didn’t want to be a graphic designer.”
Momi remained courteous in the moment and on the bus ride back to Professor Kingery’s office, but when she arrived, he could tell something was wrong. As soon as he asked, Momi burst into tears and told him all that had happened at the print shop. All Professor Kingery said at that moment was, “You come with me right now.” They drove back to the print shop. “This man spoke in a quiet tone; he was very reserved,” Momi recalls. But, once they arrived, the professor pointed to the manager and said he needed to talk with all of them. Momi remembers verbatim what he said to the men at the light table: “She’s a student at the University of Hawai‘i. You’re grown men, supposedly with a profession. But I don’t think you demonstrated that—not to this student.”
On their way out, he spoke directly to the manager in her defense: “One day, she will amount to more than you ever will.” This moment set a benchmark for Momi. “I was not a confident person, but I had enough people giving me some backbone; my grandfather, for example. Professor Kingery told this man, who was a plant manager, that I would amount to more. You don’t think I had to live up to that? On the way back to the car, he said to me, ‘Never let the least of them diminish the best in you.’ That stays with me—it comforts me and drives me. Every single one of these markers in my life, they both comfort and they drive. And that’s how I got to where I am today.”
Amy Tan, renowned author of The Joy Luck Club, writes, “We dream to give ourselves hope. To stop dreaming—well, that’s like saying you can never change your fate.” Through times when hope was almost lost, Momi designed her fate, never forgetting the people who encouraged her to dream. Momi and her story remind us to choose to love and dream, time and time again.
To Elevate Hawai‘i While working as a graphic designer, Momi’s mission was to “elevate the images and icons of Hawai‘i and Hawaiians,” a feat she achieved through her years of dedication. “It began when I became conscious of the fact that the only thing that had a Hawaiian face on it was the Hawai‘i Visitors…
Parents have their own unique perspective on how to raise their children, and what values and lessons to instill. They also have personal beliefs about how their children should manage money.
Most parents would prefer that an inheritance serve to enrich and support their child’s life rather than replace the need to work or find purpose. However, these personal intentions often do not fit neatly into the legal documents designed to distribute assets.
A trust primarily focuses on appointing a trustee, naming beneficiaries and outlining the trustee’s powers and responsibilities. It rarely captures the parent’s hopes, values or deep understanding of their child, which should be the very foundation of any thoughtful estate plan.
Your estate planner may provide a document in which you can detail your meaningful guidance—beyond the legal framework—for your child’s guardians and trustees. In this document, you can communicate your wishes, values and insights—how you envision your child using inherited assets to develop a fulfilled, purposeful and meaningful life. It may also include a place to record important information, such as your child’s medical needs, routines and the significant people in their life. Ask your representative about this additional option.
Parents have their own unique perspective on how to raise their children, and what values and lessons to instill. They also have personal beliefs about how their children should manage money. Most parents would prefer that an inheritance serve to enrich and support their child’s life rather than replace the need to work or find…
Most people think of a last will and testament as the cornerstone of an estate plan. For most of us, however, it’s a lousy cornerstone. Your will is often simply a safety net that helps make sure your overall estate plan is going to work as it was designed.
Your will is like the spare tire in the trunk of your car. Hopefully, you will never need to use it because your assets are either in your revocable living trust or you have used other means to direct your assets to your beneficiaries so that the assets will avoid probate. But if you experience a flat along your journey, your family will be awfully glad you had the spare. Having a will provides added assurance that your wishes are going to be carried out.
A more formal name for a will is “last will and testament.” The “last” part refers to the fact that you can sign as many wills as you like during your lifetime, but only the last one you signed before your death counts. A document called a “codicil” can amend one or more provisions of your will without completely replacing it. In the age of computers, codicils are still valid, but more often, we just do a whole new will. Why use two or more documents with conflicting provisions when you can simplify and use only one?
Most people think of a last will and testament as the cornerstone of an estate plan. For most of us, however, it’s a lousy cornerstone. Your will is often simply a safety net that helps make sure your overall estate plan is going to work as it was designed. Your will is like the spare…
Social Security remains a critical component of most Americans’ retirement plans and questions persist around its long-term solvency. While the number of Social Security beneficiaries is expected to continuously grow over the next decade, payments into the program via payroll taxes are likely to slow. This dynamic is creating anxiety for many about whether they can rely on Social Security to help fund their retirement. It can be beneficial to explore the role that Social Security may have in your retirement and how to best prepare if there are meaningful changes to the program.
◆ The future of Social Security. If you have been following financial news, you may have heard industry pundits commenting on the solvency of Social Security and its ability to pay full benefits over time. Indeed, Social Security is currently paying out more than it is taking in, which many view as problematic. In May of this year, the Social Security and Medicare Trustees released their annual report, which predicts that by 2033, assets of the program will be depleted. It is expected that in 2033, the Social Security’s Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) fund will only take in 79% of tax revenue needed for benefit payments. As a result, payments under the program could be reduced by 21%.1 It’s widely expected that Congress may act to shore up the program before this happens, however there are no guarantees. Planning ahead can help shield your retirement income should Social Security be unable to fully meet its obligations.
◆ Determine the role Social Security has in your retirement plan. It is important to understand where Social Security fits into your retirement plan. For many retirees, Social Security benefits provide key supplemental income because the program alone will not provide enough income to cover all essential and desired lifestyle expenses. Additionally, each individual’s benefits will vary depending on their lifetime earnings and the age at which they begin taking distributions. If future payments are adjusted lower to make up for the deficit of flows coming into the fund when you retire, it may be wise to plan on utilizing other means for retirement income. Take some time to determine your desired lifestyle during retirement and the associated costs, so you can craft a Social Security plan that aligns with your retirement goals.
◆ Work with a financial advisor to adapt your retirement plan. A financial advisor can help determine the optimal payment plan for Social Security in your retirement. The age at which you begin taking distributions and where these distributions fit into the whole of your retirement plan is unique to you. An advisor can assist you in evaluating the variables that may impact the time at which you begin collecting benefits such as your health and life expectancy. With careful financial planning you can consider a variety of income producing investments that may contribute to your retirement security.
How Social Security programs morph and change in future is largely outside of your control, but it is important to plan for what you can. It is never too soon to work with a financial advisor to plot various scenarios for retirement based on factors that are unique to you. Ultimately, knowing you’re prepared can help you feel more confident about retirement.
Michael W. K. Yee, CFP®, CFS®, CLTC, CRPC®, is a Private Wealth Advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 41 years. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the CFP® certification mark, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification mark, and the CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. 1Ameriprise Financial: “Did You Know…” May 8, 2024. Compiled by Russell T. Price, Chief Economist Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value. Securities offered by Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC.
Social Security remains a critical component of most Americans’ retirement plans and questions persist around its long-term solvency. While the number of Social Security beneficiaries is expected to continuously grow over the next decade, payments into the program via payroll taxes are likely to slow. This dynamic is creating anxiety for many about whether they…
Medicare covers many medically necessary services for both inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures, but the cost may vary depending on many factors.
For outpatient surgery, the costs of ambulatory surgical center and hospital outpatient surgery may be different. Ambulatory centers usually have lower overhead costs than hospital-based outpatient surgery. For inpatient services, Medicare covers 80% of the Medicare-approved amount for doctors’ services you get while you are in a hospital and you pay the remaining 20% after meeting the deductibles. Currently, the Medicare Part A deductible is $1,676 and Part B is $257.
Other factors that may affect cost include other insurance you may have aside from Medicare (Medicare Advantage or a Medigap plan), how much the provider charges or if the provider accepts Medicare assignment (the provider agrees to accept the Medicare-approved amount as full payment for covered services) and the type of facility.
Outpatient costs can be found by looking up the procedure name, CPT code or Health Care Common Procedure Coding System code at medicare.gov/procedure-price-look-up. Get the code for a specific service from your healthcare provider for more accurate pricing.
Medicare covers many medically necessary services for both inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures, but the cost may vary depending on many factors. For outpatient surgery, the costs of ambulatory surgical center and hospital outpatient surgery may be different. Ambulatory centers usually have lower overhead costs than hospital-based outpatient surgery. For inpatient services, Medicare covers 80%…
In classrooms across the State of Hawai‘i, a quiet yet powerful force is shaping the academic and emotional well-being of students: senior volunteers. Kupuna in the Classroom volunteers are stepping up to provide essential services that help bridge educational and emotional gaps many students face. They provide the kind of one-on-one attention and support that overburdened teachers often can’t consistently offer.
Kupuna in the Classroom is also known as the Foster Grandparent Program.
Kupuna in the Classroom volunteers are assigned to three to five students and focus on the specific needs of students. The one-on-one time they dedicate to students enables them to develop meaningful and productive relationships. This intergenerational model is good for the soul and helps kūpuna to stay active, use their cognitive skills and enhance their lives.
To become a Kupuna in the Classroom (foster grandparent), an individual must be at least 55 years of age, commit to volunteering a minimum of 15 hours per week, and meet income and other program requirements.
To volunteer as a foster grandparent, apply for services or for more information about this program, call the Foster Grandparent Program office on O‘ahu at 808-832-5169.
In classrooms across the State of Hawai‘i, a quiet yet powerful force is shaping the academic and emotional well-being of students: senior volunteers. Kupuna in the Classroom volunteers are stepping up to provide essential services that help bridge educational and emotional gaps many students face. They provide the kind of one-on-one attention and support that…
These questions are asked by every caregiver everywhere! Family caregivers frequently begin their journey with no experience and little or no training, which, understandably, leaves the caregiver feeling overwhelmed by their new responsibilities. There are 60,000 family caregivers caring for someone living with Alzheimer’s, so they bear the brunt of the disease in Hawai‘i.
Caregivers don’t know what to expect as their loved one’s dementia progresses, so they don’t know what questions to ask in order to prepare themselves for what lies ahead. With no experience and no education, the caregiver will most likely experience stress, uncertainty, fear, frustration and a myriad of other emotions.
The most effective ways to help ensure the highest quality of care for those with dementia are through caregiver education and making sure all the resources available to caregivers are easily accessible. Learning about the disease and knowing what to expect can help caregivers feel more in control and better able to cope and plan. Knowing where to turn to for help is crucial to help caregivers navigate their caregiving journey.
There are many organizations that offer quality caregiver education at no cost to the caregiver, including the Alzheimer’s Association, The Caregiver Foundation, Project Dāna, AARP, the Hawaii Parkinson Association and Hale Hau‘oli Hawai‘i. Virtual workshops are advertised on websites.
“To be forewarned is to be forearmed” makes sense for providing the public with information about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Receiving education and training for caregiving, learning practical caregiving approaches and using local caregiving resources are important strategies. Armed with the resources needed to continue to provide safe, effective care for their loved one, and knowledge that there is help in the community to assist them, caregivers can be successful in their caregiving journeys, and their loved ones can remain in their communities.
In addition, “The Dementia Public Awareness Campaign” bill passed through the legislature a few years ago and will be rolling out soon.
These questions are asked by every caregiver everywhere! Family caregivers frequently begin their journey with no experience and little or no training, which, understandably, leaves the caregiver feeling overwhelmed by their new responsibilities. There are 60,000 family caregivers caring for someone living with Alzheimer’s, so they bear the brunt of the disease in Hawai‘i. Caregivers…
This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP). Part of the Executive Office on Aging, an ombudsman is primarily an advocate for residents living in a nursing home, assisted living facility, community care foster family home, or an adult or expanded adult residential care home. Having an advocate is especially important for residents who are comatose, have dementia or cannot speak for themselves.
The LTCOP is federally mandated to visit every facility at least once a quarter. With 1,779 facilities (12,895 beds) spread over six islands, that can only be accomplished with volunteers.
We are not state inspectors. We don’t cite facilities for deficiencies when regulations are violated. The state Department of Health’s Office of Health Care Assurance does that. We champion quality of life and quality of care for all residents.
The LTCOP utilizes both staff and certified volunteers to promote its mission to provide culturally sensitive advocacy and referral services to Hawai‘i’s long-term care residents.
For more information on becoming a volunteer, use the contact information below.
This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP). Part of the Executive Office on Aging, an ombudsman is primarily an advocate for residents living in a nursing home, assisted living facility, community care foster family home, or an adult or expanded adult residential care home. Having an advocate is…
Social Security (SS) imposter scams continue to be widespread across the United States. Scammers use tactics to deceive you into providing sensitive information or money. If you receive a suspicious letter, text, email or call, do not respond.
SSA WILL NEVER:
Text or email images of an employee’s official government identification
Suspend your SS number
Threaten you with arrest or other legal action unless you immediately pay a fine or fee
Require payment by retail gift card, wire transfer, internet currency or cash by mail
Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment
Mail or email “official” letters or reports containing your personal information
WE ONLY SEND TEXT MESSAGES IN LIMITED SITUATIONS, INCLUDING:
When you have subscribed to receive updates and notifications by text
As part of our enhanced security when accessing your personal my Social Security account
If you owe money to us, we will mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights. SS employees do contact the public by telephone for business purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for a SS benefit, are already receiving payments and require an update to their record or have requested a phone call from the agency. If there is a problem with a person’s SS number or record, SS will mail a letter.
Report suspected SS imposter scams and other SS fraud by going to the Office of the Inspector General’s website: oig.ssa.gov/report. Find more information about scams at ssa.gov/scam. Please share this information with your friends, family and colleagues to help spread awareness about Social Security imposter scams.
Individuals who have a personal my Social Security account can view their COLA notice online, which is secure and faster than receiving a letter in the mail. Users can also receive text or email alerts when there is a new message waiting for them, including a COLA notice. Set up a my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount.
Social Security (SS) imposter scams continue to be widespread across the United States. Scammers use tactics to deceive you into providing sensitive information or money. If you receive a suspicious letter, text, email or call, do not respond. SSA WILL NEVER: WE ONLY SEND TEXT MESSAGES IN LIMITED SITUATIONS, INCLUDING: If you owe money to…
Long-term care events can happen without warning—and in an instant, everything changes. Having long-term care insurance is important, but what truly matters is having the right people by your side. Without them, even the best policy benefits can be delayed or go unused.
Here are some of your key team players:
◆ CARE ADVOCATE
This is the person who knows the plan, where relevant documents are and who to contact. They know how to file claims and make sure benefits are accessed without delay.
◆ RESOLUTION ADVOCATE
After the crisis, this person handles transitions, expenses and tasks. They bring closure and peace of mind during emotionally difficult times.
◆ FINANCIAL ADVOCATE
This person ties your care plan to your overall financial goals. They help prevent financial strain by preparing for care costs, coordinating accessible benefits and building a strategy that protects your assets and family’s legacy.
Having insurance is one thing. Knowing how to use it and who will help is everything.
Building a strong long-term care team is vital in order to ensure that you and your family are prepared for future care needs.
Long-term care events can happen without warning—and in an instant, everything changes. Having long-term care insurance is important, but what truly matters is having the right people by your side. Without them, even the best policy benefits can be delayed or go unused. Here are some of your key team players: ◆ CARE ADVOCATE This…
It is estimated that there will be 1,160 new cases and 190 deaths from prostate cancer in Hawai‘i in 2025. If it is diagnosed at an advanced (metastatic) stage, the five-year survival rate is just 37%. If diagnosed at an early stage, the five-year survival rate is more than 99%.
Early-stage prostate cancer often does not have any symptoms. Screening starts with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. Individualized risk assessment and imaging can now help determine if a biopsy is necessary.
Non-aggressive prostate cancers may not need treatment. New treatments available in Hawai‘i, such as focal therapy, target only the cancerous part of the prostate, minimizing side effects.
Men don’t have to face prostate cancer alone. The Us TOO Hawaii support group offers virtual monthly meetings for patients/their loved ones, providing information, education and support.
Patients often have choices in their cancer treatment. Learning about prostate cancer terminology, various diagnostic and treatment options and talking with other prostate cancer patients helps them make informed decisions for their individual situation.
The information and opinions expressed on this article are not an endorsement or recommendation for any medical treatment, product, service or course of action by Us TOO Hawaii and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Consult with your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
It is estimated that there will be 1,160 new cases and 190 deaths from prostate cancer in Hawai‘i in 2025. If it is diagnosed at an advanced (metastatic) stage, the five-year survival rate is just 37%. If diagnosed at an early stage, the five-year survival rate is more than 99%. Early-stage prostate cancer often does…
