Category: October – November 2014

  • A Breath of Relief: Pulse Oximeters

    Patients getting used to supplemental oxygen for lung and heart problems sometimes worry whether they are getting enough. The only way to check oxygen “saturation” of the blood is with a blood test or by a new noninvasive technology called pulse oximetry. Pulse oximeters are now readily available in pharmacies and are advertised for as…

  • Is Your Medicare Plan Ending This Year?

    Have you reviewed your Medicare Plan this fall? If not, this article is for you. While It is common for a Medicare Advantage organization to add or change benefits each year, sometimes they may need to discontinue a plan altogether. If so, notification must be sent to the plan’s Medicare members by October 2, 2014.…

  • Grassroots Wisdom: Plantation Values Inspires Alan Parker of ADRC Hawai’i

    Grassroots Wisdom: Plantation Values Inspires Alan Parker of ADRC Hawai’i

    HCOA has a simple process for delivering services to the elderly: when seniors voice a problem, Alan and his staff listen. That’s it. Hawai‘i Island citizens start their own grassroots initiatives and mobilize resources to solve it.

  • The Gift That Gives Back To You

    Did you know there is a way to support your favorite charitable cause and receive cash back? It’s called a charitable gift annuity and many, but not all, charities offer this form of giving. In Hawai‘i, there are some legal requirements that must be met by a charity before it can offer this form of…

  • It’s Not A House – It’s HOME

    In 1992, when Hurricane Iniki hit the islands, my mother-in-law refused to leave the house. Both Linda and I were working and we called her over and over, trying to get her to go to a shelter. She wouldn’t leave her beloved dog behind and at that time, not many shelters accepted pets. Fortunately, she…

  • Prepare For Future Hurricanes Now

    The protection of family and property is very important to us. Potentially dangerous storms headed Hawaii’s way serve as a notice to homeowners: now is the ideal time to shore up one’s roof with the goal of mitigating catastrophic damage. In advance of future storms, homeowners should check past service records for their roof. If…

  • Hooked On “Seniors Living In Paradise” Show

    “Seniors Living in Paradise” one-hour show on Oceanic Cable TV is a phenom — re-running twice a day in prime time all month, and cut into short Youtubes for the online world. Some seniors watch it nightly to bring sound, laughter, and company into their homes. “I can’t believe how many people in Hawai‘i and…

  • Preserving Hilo’s Past: The Lyman Museum

    A few blocks mauka of Hilo Bay at 276 Haili Street is a white frame building with dark green trim and a surrounding veranda upstairs and down, in the style of nineteenth-century New England homes. A guided tour of the Lyman Mission House, listed on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places, gives…

  • Kupuna For Common Grace

    “Matching the kindness of a neighborhood church with the needs of a kid in a public school,” is the motto of Common Grace, created in 2002. This homegrown organization partners members of neighborhood churches and service clubs with elementary school students at breakfast, lunch or after-school time to offer kindness to kids. Many seniors volunteer…

  • Adjusting Your Money Mindset

    Money is a powerful influence on our lifestyle, emotions and behaviors. If you’re serious about improving your financial life, examine your money mindset Acknowledge your personal history. If you grew up in poverty, you may have an underlying sense of scarcity–never having “enough.” If you were accustomed to abundance, you may not know how to…