About Hypertension

Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood against the walls of your arteries. Blood pressure readings include two numbers, such as 120/80 (say “120 over 80”). The first number is the systolic pressure. This is the force of blood on the artery walls as the heart pumps. The second number is the diastolic pressure. This is the force of blood on the artery walls between heartbeats, when the heart is at rest.

The Donut Hole

On May 29, 2010 my husband and I were enjoying a vacation in the Pacific Northwest when we received a “frantic” call from my sister-in-law who was staying with my 92-year-old mother-in-law. We had ordered a refill of Mom’s medication through her Medicare Part D plan. The plan called to see if it was okay to put a $1,200 charge on my credit card. “But I thought Mom has Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage” my sister-in-law exclaimed. Mom does have a Part D plan but she had reached the “donut hole” or coverage gap in the plan. How did this happen?

Who Gets My Stuff?

You may have heard the old joke, “where there’s a will … I want to be in it.” That may be true, but is estate planning really all about “who gets my stuff?” Who gets your stuff is important, but when you sift through the reasons for doing estate planning, you may find that identifying who gets your stuff takes a distant back seat to far more important considerations.

Behind the Scenes with Kirk Matthews

GM: Where did you grow up? In a big city? Or small-town America? KM: I grew up in little towns all around Oregon. I went to high school on a former Indian reservation, Siletz. Graduating class of 12. GM: What was your first job? Was it in media or in a different field?
KM: My first broadcasting job was in Coos Bay Oregon at a small radio station. I had the opportunity to do EVERYTHING. It was a great learning experience.

Talk Story with Lisa

Sharon Hayashi, Interior Designer What are some of the things that’s fulfilling in your life? I joined the Rotary Club of Metropolitan Honolulu in 1989 for its local and international projects. I have enjoyed renovation projects at Princess Kaiulani School, Hale Kipa Youth Housing, and Clubhouses for the Hawaii Adult Mental Health Hawaii Division. And I serve on the board of Friends of the Library of Hawaii.

Elderhood Project

My mother just got her first cell phone. It doesn’t take pictures or play music — it just makes phone calls. It took her a while to get used to the idea — she would talk into the wrong end of the phone in the beginning. But she’s got the technology figured out and now she can call me any time. ANY TIME. But I’m glad about that.