February – March 2021

February – March 2021

The February-March 2021 issue of Generations Magazine takes a look at one of Hawaii Island’s iconic grocery store chains, KTA Superstores. You’ll see how this family-owned business celebrates it’s 100th birthday by continuing its owner’s commitment to “humbly serve and do what is right for the community.” You’ll find some tips on how to handle adult children who have moved back home; you’ll find out if those Medicare commercials that are all over TV are really accurate; and you’ll meet an Oahu couple who are taking a second chance at love!

Hawai‘i Woman Hits It BIG in Las Vegas!

A frequent Las Vegas visitor from Hawai‘i turned her trip to the Fremont Hotel and Casino into a nearly $790,000 jackpot playing Aristocrat’s Buffalo Inferno™ slot game in September of last year. Louise (last name not released) usually stays and plays at the California Hotel and Casino, but decided to stop by the Fremont on that lucky Wednesday morning, hitting the $789,062 progressive jackpot at 8:37am.

Estate Planning: Start With ‘Why’

Trust beneficiaries are sometimes left to wonder why a decedent instructed that a trust distribution be made in a  particular way. The trust clearly identified who the beneficiaries were, what they were to receive and how they were to receive. But unfortunately, the trust was silent as to the “why” of the distribution — the underlying reason and purpose for creating the trust in the first place.

Elder Abuse Reporting Deadlines

Recently, I received a call from a woman who wanted to report that her father had been the victim of theft. The culprit was her niece, who had taken over $100,000 over a three-year period. The caller had the evidence and her father now wanted to hold the niece accountable for what she had done. However, the only problem was that the crime was outside the statute of limitations.

Rules for Adult Kids Returning Home

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the country, parents saw a wave of adult children move back home. Pew Research recently found that 52 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds now live in a parent’s house. Some children may have moved back simply due to safety during the virus response or because universities switched to e-learning. Others may have returned because of financial reasons.

The Power of Healing, Harmony & Hope

Mental health is a serious concern in  Hawai‘i. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, 17 percent of the state’s adult  population were struggling with some form of mental illness. Yet two out of three were receiving no treatment at all for this illness, which can contribute to chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, epilepsy and cancer, along with higher risks of adverse health outcomes.

Dementia Patients ‘Remember Thru Music’

The powerful documentary Alive Inside, created by Music & Memory, became a call to action for Big Island resident Jen McGeehan. Music & Memory is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals with a wide range of cognitive and physical conditions to engage with the world, ease pain and reclaim their humanity through the use of personalized music. Jen looked for a similar program in Hawai‘i and found none, so she was moved to create her own nonprofit, Remember Thru Music.

Medicare’s Other Enrollment Periods

Every year, Medicare provides two enrollment periods that run from Jan. 1 through March 31. During the General Enrollment Period, individuals can apply for Medicare if they missed their Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) or don’t qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Coverage begins July 1 of that year. If you missed your IEP when you turned 65, you may incur late enrollment penalties that will increase your premiums.

Help for Military and Veteran Caregivers

John “Longie” Dudoit returned to Moloka‘i in 1969 after a year in the infantry in Vietnam and married his high school sweetheart. “But something wasn’t right,” John recalls. “In our first years of marriage, Lorna stood by me but couldn’t understand what was happening.” Back then, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) wasn’t widely understood.

Aging With Aloha: Caring for Your Eyes

With aging comes new challenges; our eyesight is no exception. One in six Americans aged 65 and older has a vision impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses alone. It’s important to see your ophthalmologist every one to two years in order to check for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Early detection and treatment are imperative to prevent vision loss.

Frontiers in Cardiovascular Health

Over the past two decades, successful therapeutic cardiovascular disease strategies have focused primarily on lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) with statins, and reducing the risk of the blood clots that cause heart attacks or strokes with “blood thinners” such as aspirin. Blood pressure medications are also widely used. Despite these interventions, a significant number of patients experience recurrent events or disease progression.

Creating Smooth Transitions for Seniors

Transitioning from living at home to a community that offers independent living, assisted living or skilled nursing care can be challenging for both seniors and their families. Kūpuna may need special care, but may be hesitant to make the big move because they prefer the familiarity of their own home. Many Hawai‘i families also struggle with the change.

A Second Chance at Love

Sharon Young and Jim Nishimoto first met in 1989. They were in their 40s, working together at Group 70 International Inc., a local planning and architectural firm. Sharon was a single mom with three children. Jim was happily married to Gail and the father of two children. Sharon was widowed at the young age of 33 after caring for her husband at home for over two years.

Green Point Nurseries: A Growing Business on the Big Island

Harold Tanouye started the beginnings of Green Point Nurseries in 1957, when Hilo’s economy had not yet recovered from the impacts of WWII. Residents were moving away due to lack of work. Harold wanted to live in his hometown, but needed employment. He recognized a demand for anthuriums, which military personnel and civilians were sending home during the war.

Vaccination – A Lesson from the Past

When the vaccine for COVID-19 is finally available, the decision to get inoculated will depend on where trust lies. When the doctor recommends a vaccine, will folks get it? The term “inoculation” was used as early as the year 1000 AD, when Chinese doctors were trying to eradicate smallpox. Their method involved grinding up smallpox scabs and blowing them into nostrils.

Your Body, Your BFF

Your body is always talking to you, and you, maybe without realizing it, are often talking to your body. For the most part, you usually respond to your body when you are hungry, sleepy or itchy… Sometimes you might get angry at it for not looking how you wish it would, or complain about the pain it’s holding. But how often do you communicate good feelings to your body?