Category: August – September 2015

  • 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…

  • Peace & Love. Not War.

    Peace. That’s a word we hippies used for “goodbye.” (Yes I was, and yes, I had hair down to my shoulders.) Peace is easy to say. As a concept, it may be harder to understand. It’s not just the absence of war. I first learned about worldwide peace when I was 16 and had the…

  • A Conversation About Life

    This past year, our office established the Heartfelt Legacy Foundation™, which in turn, purchased the right to associate with Honoring Choices®. This national group is raising awareness about making end-of-life choices, encouraging family discussions so that loved ones’ choices may be honored and respected. In the coming months, Honoring Choices® Hawaii plans to bring awareness…

  • Getting to Know The Greatest Generation

    Our oldest seniors, members of “The Greatest Generation,” remember Great Depression and World War II. By facing fear and surviving hardship and loss, they grew strong and confident. They don’t flaunt their accomplishments, even though we may call them heroic. Popular News Commentator and NBC News Anchor Tom Brokaw coined the name “The Greatest Generation”…

  • Senior Golf Summer Pick

    Against the clear sky, Waianae mountains and happy clouds — at our feet, the fairway stretches out to an undulating green reflecting in a mirror lake — it’s the 397-yard, par 4 ninth hole of the “A” nine at the fabulous Hawaii Prince Golf Club in Ewa. Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay designed it to…

  • Barbara J. Service, Citizen at Work

      Democracy relies on ordinary citizens like us to define needs and find solutions to improve our community. We interviewed Barbara Service, a passionate, yet mild-mannered community volunteer, who has no government post or fancy title, but makes a difference by being a deeply engaged citizen. “I worked in child welfare for many years,” says…

  • What Legacy Will You Leave?

    You may be surprised to learn that an estimated 70 percent of American adults have not yet made a will or trust, even though these documents are vitally important to all individuals and families. For those who never complete their estate plans, the government will apply a series of laws that may or may not…

  • Real Property Tax Credits for Homeowners

    Property owners who meet certain eligibility requirements may apply to the City and County of Honolulu for a real property tax credit to reduce their property taxes. Depending on your age, you may qualify for a tax credit equal to the amount of taxes owed for the 2015 and 2016 tax year that exceed 3…

  • Four Generations Big

    As I was thinking about how many seniors don’t use email or the web, it occurred to me that perhaps they don’t have children or grandchildren who “insist” on training them. So I checked out a couple of places that specialize in teaching seniors computer skills. One is Bilingual System Links LLC, which has classes…