Category: February – March 2018

  • Youth Inspiring Seniors

    The One Mile Project at ‘Iolani stands out from traditional academic classes. It is a high school class that centers on building empathy and understanding for kūpuna in our local community; it seeks to address the challenges that many kūpuna face in their daily lives. Students learn about aging, then develop and implement their own…

  • What Is The Blue Zones Project?

    Children who attend Seagull Schools in Kapolei have a special bond with seniors at Seagulls Adult Day Center. Not only do the kūpuna and keiki regularly meet to play bingo, exercise on the lawn and do arts and crafts, but they also dine together.

  • Healthy Habits of a Centenarian

    ukiko Murata, who will turn 102 in March, has a sharp wit and sunny outlook on life. To stay healthy, she eats fresh foods, takes classes at the University of Hawai‘i and plays hanafuda (Japanese card game) every Thursday at the Lanakila Senior Center, together with her daughter, Joanne Murata, and son-in-law, James Kramer. Yukiko…

  • Age Bias in the Workplace

    Bias is everywhere, including the presumption that you might be too old to work even when lengthening lifetimes allow you to do more for much longer. Nobody says it is easy for those of us in our 50s, 60s, or beyond, to overcome what others may think.

  • Love Through the Ages

    Our 20s was an important time. We learned to love ourselves. Loving who we are prepared us to love others. It was an exciting time, followed by intimate relationships, having children or pets and, later in life, connecting with the community and the world by traveling or volunteering.

  • Making Sense of Widowhood

    Recently, I was having dinner with a number of close girlfriends and their daughters. Afterwards and on the road home, my daughter commented that I was the only woman at the event who was not widowed. My friends are all in the early to mid-60s. Of course, I knew this about each friend. As a gerontologist,…

  • Romancing the Dance

    Romancing the Dance

    Faith and Benny Agbayani celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary this year, and both agree that the success of their partnership is doing things together. Maintaining a close relationship is more than saying, “I love you;” it’s taking on challenges as a team, mastering new skills and learning together. Overcoming obstacles in life requires commitment, sacrifice…

  • Hospice Hawai’i Taps New Leader

    In 1979, 11 visionary pioneers founded a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people die with dignity in Hawai‘i. Since then, Hospice Hawai‘i’s remarkable team has been committed to enhancing the quality of life of patients and their families through an interdisciplinary approach to care. The care provided allows individuals to remain at home or in…

  • Where Do Our Seniors Live?

    Kokua Council has received data on the age demographics for each Hawai‘i State House District, and for each zip code. The numbers are based on 2010 estimates of population and allow us to study the number of residents ages 62+ living in certain geographic districts.

  • Always a Fun Day at the County Fair

    Who says there’s hardly any fun at a county fair? Seniors attended the Mayor’s Annual Craft & County Fair, held Nov. 18 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall. Craftspeople sold beautiful handmade items and Uncle sold his paintings. Singing? Can’t go without that. Mr. Ed Angel participated in a karaoke contest singing it…