A Retirement Dress Rehearsal Can Ease Emotional & Financial Concerns

Two emotions are likely to strike those who are nearing retirement — excitement and fear. Leaving the world of alarm clocks and offices and having time to pursue your own passions on a daily basis is liberating — but the apprehension of entering a new life stage can easily creep in. Although work-related stress will disappear, the responsibility of filling each week in a satisfying way can be a challenge. Top that off with the ever-present concern about long-term financial security in retirement and the nerves can grow even greater.

A Recipe for Conflict

I have noticed a troubling emerging trend in estate planning. More families are owning property with different generations. This could be because real estate in Hawai‘i is expensive to purchase and even harder to maintain and keep. It is further exacerbated in situations where there are multiple children beneficiaries and/or where the parents need to leverage the equity in the home for their care, and are unable to access the equity due to a lack of income.

Your Estate Plan: What NOT to Do

Problems with your estate plan may not become apparent until it is too late to fix them. Here are some common pitfalls:
• Failing to plan for large expenses, such as long-term care. • Failing to update your estate plan, including beneficiary designations on bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts and insurance policies. • Failing to take steps to avoid family strife. • Putting your kids on the title to your stuff during your lifetime.

Purpose Pals: A Kūpuna-Youth Connection

Purpose Pals is a free, virtual intergenerational program led by Christy Nishita and Colby Takeda, in collaboration with Age-Friendly Honolulu, Blue Zones Project Hawaii, and the Hawaii Afterschool Alliance. Purpose Pals matches adults 50 and over with high school through college-age students, fostering regular communication using Big & Mini’s web-based video conferencing platform. The program provides themed conversation starters to ensure pals have enriching talk story sessions as often as they like.

Annual Wellness Visits to Stay Healthy

During a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), you and your doctor will focus on overall wellness, prevention and early disease detection. The AWV is designed to support you in taking an active role in managing your health and improving your well-being and quality of life. Doctors recommend the visit and encourage all Medicare patients to schedule one every year.

Medicare: Increased Benefits for Veterans

Many veterans don’t understand that the Veteran’s Administration (VA) offers a healthcare plan for veterans, reservists and members of the National Guard only. This healthcare plan is not available to all veterans, as eligibility and qualifications are required to receive these healthcare services. All medical treatment provided by the VA will be at VA facilities only; therefore, the veteran may have to travel long distances to access care.

Care Lessons Learned from COVID-19

Beginning in March 2020, recreation therapists, activity directors and staff were faced with the daunting task of making their activities safe for their residents. Groups were cancelled; family members, volunteers and outside entertainment were no longer allowed inside of nursing homes. Much more time was devoted to cleaning and social distancing.

Home Cleaning Help for the Elderly

Home cleaning might be a simple activity for some of us. However, this could be the opposite to our elderly family  members and friends. Even daily upkeep might require tremendous effort on their part. That is why, as ‘ohana, it is our duty to help and share the spirit of aloha. If you are involved in your elderly family’s home’s upkeep, these four tips could save you time, effort and money.

To Place or Not to Place, That is the Question

The decision to move to senior living involves a variety of factors based on several circumstances, including finances. Professionals across the country have different answers to the question of whether “to place or not to place” a loved one in senior living. Some feel that older adults should stay in their home with paid caregivers. Others think that older adults would receive enhanced care and retain a higher quality of life if they were with others their own age, with more activities and socialization.

Chinese American Culture, Identity, Home

What does it mean to be Chinese American? How are we reflected in the people we love and us in them? What obligation do we have to those who share our blood? How does a woman claim her life as her own? Where is my true home? Big Island bestselling novelist Darien Hsu Gee explores the answers to these questions through her poetic memoir and award-winning poetry, which debuted last fall in Allegiance and Other Small Histories.

Ching Ming Festival Honors Ancestors

When Douglas D.L. Chong thinks about celebrating Ching Ming as a child, he remembers waking up before dawn to the smells of home cooking. Sitting in traffic en route to the Mānoa Chinese Cemetery, a line of cars backs up all the way to University Avenue. Finally, around 7am, his family would reach their oldest ancestors’ grave sites, arriving there at the same time as about 40 other relatives.

Defying the Silver Tsunami Stereotype

Doug Matsuoka started working at Hawaii Meals on Wheels seven years ago as a part-time delivery driver. But his previous computer experience opened the door to his current job as the IT and digital media coordinator, and “YouTube guy.” He was an early adopter of computer technology, building his own microcomputer from a kit in the early 1980s. Doug learned his trade through various jobs.

Silver Lining of a COVID Cloud

When we all closed our doors, fluffed our couch pillows and settled in for what we thought was only going to be a two-week lockdown, no one could have imagined where we would be in 2021. We’re here now and life has a breeze of normalcy amid the chaos. Zoom family celebrations or business meetings are regularly scheduled in our calendars, delivery drivers know our routines and we’ve become more okay with staying in.

Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 Vaccination Information

The Hawai‘i Department of Health (HDOH) is moving forward with its implementation of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan. Points of dispensing (PODs) are open across the state for the initial phases of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
As Hawai‘i continues to receive more vaccine, dosages are being distributed to vaccination PODs throughout the islands as quickly as possible.

Virtually No Boundaries For Auntie Carolee

Kumu hula. Musician. Teacher. Cultural practitioner. Living treasure. True friend. These are some of the many ways that people have described Carolee Nishi. And hundreds (maybe even thousands)  now her simply as Auntie Carolee. If you ask her, she’ll tell you she’s just a community volunteer. So don’t ask her,  because everyone who knows Auntie Carolee will tell you that she’s much more than that.

April – May 2021

April – May 2021

The April – May 2021 issue of Generations Magazine features Auntie Carolee, a kumu hula, a musician, a teacher, a cultural practitioner – and – a living treasure. Youʻll also read about the new rules for work after the pandemic; defying whatʻs called the “silver tsunami” stereotype; help on deciding when itʻs time to go into assisted living; and youʻll read about the importance of doing a dress rehearsal for retirement!