Category: December 2010

  • The Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans (HARA)

    2011 will be a year of change for most of us, especially if you’re a senior. Some things are out of our control, such as changes in Medicare enrollment, health care reform, the country’s (and our family’s) financial stability. That is why it’s important for us to affect change when and where we can.

  • Ward off the Flu

    It’s the holiday season, meaning most of us will be out and about more often than usual. Shopping malls, restaurants, parties, church services— wherever we are, it’s a good idea to remember that crowds provide the perfect environment for influenza viruses (the flu) to spread by coughs and sneezes.

  • New Law Equals Medicare Savings

    The “Extra Help” and the “Medicare Savings Programs” now allow more people with Medicare to pay $2.50 for generics drugs, $6.30 for brand name drugs, never experience the “donut hole” and to get help from the State of Hawai‘i in paying for their Medicare Part A and/ or B Premiums.

  • Hoarding Habits

    Who are hoarders and clutterers? Television shows like Mission Organization and Hoarders on A&E TV have brought to the forefront this behavior that is often observed but rarely addressed. On a more sobering note, it has opened our eyes to thousands who may find themselves living with fear, isolation, shame and self-neglect.

  • The Caregiver Foundation: Your First Steps on the Care Giving Journey

    The first few steps on a care-giving journey can seem fairly simple but within just a few days the path turns rocky and is full of turns and twists that confuse even the most experienced caregiver or capable family member.

  • Tools to Help Your Decide When to Retire

    These days, everyone is taking a new look at their finances—and no one is looking more closely than the millions of baby boomers who are nearing retirement age. While some boomers expected to retire at one of the traditional milestones, such as age 62, the current economy is forcing many of them to re-evaluate their…

  • Work After Work: Our new age of life and the moral necessity for “returnment”

    At the turn of the 20th century, the average life expectancy was only 47. Today, it is rapidly approaching 80. Our fastest growing age group is folks over the age of 85, with someone in this country turning 50 every eight seconds. More importantly, older adults are healthier than previous generations and this has created…

  • Come Zumba with Us!

    The greatest party has arrived here in Hawai‘i. The Zumba® Fitness craze is exploding in popularity across the Islands. The Zumba program fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms with easy-to-follow moves for all ages, shapes and sizes. This one-of-a-kind fitness program aims to get you hooked and make you want to workout.

  • Dr. Rio Banner, MD: Health Visionary

    Dr. Rio Banner, MD: Health Visionary

    In Hawaii, we live an average of 81 years— longer than almost anywhere else in the world. But when it comes to successful aging, the key is to not only live longer, but to live longer as a healthy individual. The way to better health is taking care of ourselves as we age, which helps…

  • Beware: It’s the Return of the Estate Tax

    The good news is that the federal estate tax took a vacation in 2010. The bad news is that it spent the whole year lifting weights and taking steroids. The estate tax is coming back in 2011, as big and bad as it has been in a long time. Now is the time to review…