Senior citizens can attend classes on University of Hawaii Manoa campus through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. For 10 years OLLI has been offering non-credit, college-level courses and other activities to encourage older individuals to engage their minds, enrich their lives, and serve the community. While the institute primarily serves mature learners aged 50+, the only true requirements for participation are maturity, life experience, and a desire to learn.
OLLI currently serves nearly one thousand senior learners in their membership program. The fee is $60 per year, which entitles the learner to participate in three college level courses or community projects. Professors and project leaders are all volunteers and subjects center around social sciences: art, science, history and community service.
OLLI is now enrolling for the spring semester online at: www.osher.socialsciences.hawaii.edu/ or at their office on Manoa campus Krauss Hall, Room 113. The courses are very popular, and there is often a waiting list, so apply early. For further information, call Rebecca Goodman at 808-956-8224.
Ellen Yasuda, a 79-year-old resident of The Plaza at Waikiki, shares her UH experience. She retired at age 61 as a claims examiner for Hawaii Medical Service Association. A world traveler, Yasuda has toured most parts of Europe, South America, Japan and China. Ellen has enjoyed taking a variety of classes at UH, such as history of world civilizations, Japanese history, art history, and language courses.
UH also offers non-credit college courses for a small fee, at the UHM Outreach College website, www.outreach.hawaii.edu/. Seniors and learners of any any age may enroll now for spring semester standard college-level courses. For outreach students, UH issues no college credits and keeps no transcripts. Is there something you always wanted to learn? What’s stopping you?
Rebecca Goodman, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
(808) 956-8224 | rgoodman@hawaii.edu
Dr. Patrica Masters, UHM Outreach College
(808) 956-9317 | pmasters@hawaii.edu
Watching a running relay race is exciting. Running together at full speed and passing the baton to a teammate is thrilling to watch. I would ask you to consider that your estate plan is your relay. The definition of the word relay is “a series of persons relieving one another.” Your baton is your legacy — your intentions and wishes passed on with your material wealth. The passer of the baton must be in sync with the receiver for success. And both the passer and receiver bear responsibility for this transfer. Running together in sync, stride-for-stride is essential and requires planning. This is why including your beneficiaries and fiduciaries in the estate planning process, with clear communication is necessary in the estate planning process. Running in sync together with clear understanding of intentions can make for a successful relay of your legacy.
Rosemarie Dungca has been working for the City and County of Honolulu since 1978. In 1983, Whitmore Village asked her to teach hula classes. Her popularity grew and soon was teaching throughout the Leeward area.
The number of falls among Hawai‘i’s kupuna is growing at an alarming rate, and impacting families and health care organizations. Annually in Hawai‘i, an average of 86 seniors die, 1,912 are hospitalized and 8,010 are treated in emergency rooms as a result of falls. Among adults 65 and older, these falls are not only common, but related death rates have risen sharply over the past decade. Further studies show seniors 75 and older who fall are four or five times more likely to be admitted to long-term care facilities for a year or longer.
Dropless Cataract Surgery is a new option for cataract patients that reduces the need for eye drops after surgery.