Financial Freedom in Your Golden Years
Aging is a process that’s changing. We’re now living longer and more active lives. And as we approach our later years, many of us have strong feelings about where and how we want to spend this period of our lives.
Don’t Do It Yourself: DIY Estate Plans
You can devise your estate plan without lawyers or accountants. All you need is a credit card, a computer, a printer and access to the internet. Armed with those four things, you can create one or more documents that may — or may not — accomplish what you expect.
Special Needs Require Special Planning
Having a child with special needs presents unique challenges. When their condition limits their ability to earn a living and pay for living expenses upon reaching adulthood, financial worries can abound. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to ensure your child has sufficient financial resources and a dedicated support system. As you work towards protecting your child’s future, consider these six strategies:
Keep up With Social Security Online
We strive to provide the public with accurate and helpful information. In addition to the resources available on our website at ssa.gov, we also regularly post useful information on our blog and on social media. We invite you to read our posts and share items of interest with your family and friends.
Coalition Guide to Caring for Kūpuna
The Hawai‘i Family Caregiver Coalition was formed to develop new partnerships at local and state levels to advance a coordinated approach to address the needs of Hawai‘i’s family caregivers. As caregiving touches everyone, the mission of the Hawai‘i Family Caregiver Coalition (HFCC) is to improve the quality of life of those who give and receive care by increasing community awareness of caregiver issues through continuing advocacy, education and training.
Gain Skills to Avoid Medicare Fraudsters
With our state’s senior population growing at a rapid rate, protecting kūpuna against the threat of Medicare fraud and abuse is essential. More than 10,000 Americans turn 65 each day, becoming eligible for Medicare as they blow out their birthday candles. As of 2020, one in four Hawai‘i residents is 65 or older, with this population growing at an annual rate of 17%. Hawai’i also has the highest life expectancy in the country, with an average of 83.1 years of age. Together, these facts mean that by 2030, a third of Hawai’i’s total population will be Medicare eligible.
Getting Off the Ground & Back Down
We’re traditionally taught that to get someone off the floor, have them lean on a chair, get one leg up and push to straighten the knee until the other leg can plant the foot to have 2 legs to stand on. This requires a significant amount of compression force through the knee and very strong quad muscles. I remember going through this method and always struggling when someone had knee pain or very weak legs. And then my mom taught me a different way.
Summer Foods for Healthy Eyes
Summer means tons of local produce is in season and readily available. A variety of nutrients and antioxidants can likewise be found in Hawai‘i’s abundance of crops and seafood, which help to improve eye health and decrease the risk of certain ocular diseases. Local eye doctors urge everyone residing in the state to take advantage of summer’s supply of fresh foods.
HBP: Know Your Numbers, Save Yourself
Blood pressure measures how hard the blood pushes against the walls of your arteries as it moves through your body. Measurements are taken when your heart beats and gain when it rests. Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure (HBP) can increase. Often described as a “silent killer,” HBP has no apparent symptoms.
Water: It Makes You Smile From Within
Hydration is essential to staying fit and healthy, especially during warm summer months. As you venture outdoors to cool off, keep your flask filled with water. It’s the best beverage for your teeth and body. Water has many benefits; there’s no sugar or acids that can affect your oral and overall health.
Adult Day Cares: A Social Hub for Seniors
Adding some sparkle to your social life can be a challenge at any age, especially in life’s later decades. For many, adult day care is a low-stress foray into an activity-filled social life. Adult day care centers are key providers of long-term care services. They provide activities, health monitoring, socialization and assistance with daily activities.
Kumu Kahua Theatre – Home of Local Storytellers
Permanently housed in a black box venue in the historic Kamehameha V Post Office Building at the corner of Bethel and Merchant streets in Honolulu, the theatre known to locals as “Kumu” has a special place in the hearts of many theatre lovers in the state.
Discussing End-of-Life Care Empowers You
While they can be difficult conversations to navigate, early discussions about end-of-life care can help you and your ‘ohana navigate the stress that arises alongside health challenges.
Create a Legacy: 1031 Exchange
Imagine living life on your terms, free to focus on family, friends and your passions. Few among us don’t desire to live this way. Passive income streams can help lead you to this reality. There are many ways to begin forming them.
Breeze Through the Airport with TSA Cares
Going through security at the airport is stressful. The lines are long. People around you are losing their minds. Airport air conditioning is way too cold, and when you finally get to the security scanner, TSA officials are shouting confusing directions: “Take your shoes off!” “Pour out that water!”
Crazy Little Thing Called Love!
The city and county’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Senior Citizens Program made a splash this year hosting an annual event Valentines Day dance titled Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Sponsored by Bank of Hawaii and DPR. Music by the Royal Hawaiian Band. 850 hearts (people) attended!
Can You Trust Wristband Health Readings?
Rapid advances in healthcare technology allow many older adults to monitor their vital signs with a glance at their wrist. But is the wristband health technology accurate? You’ve probably seen the multitude of health monitors you can strap on your wrist. And you assume that they have passed testing to show that they are accurate and reliable. Well, think again.
Lifelong Learning in Hawai‘i
The population structure in the U.S. is rapidly changing. Increased life expectancy, strong immigration and a fertility rate of presently 1.64 children per woman — higher than in other developed countries — will cause a population increase from 336 million (2023) to 373 million (2053). The population ages 60 and older will experience the strongest growth, and their share in the total population is expected to increase from 12 percent (1950) to 28 percent (2050). These developments are also visible in Hawai‘i.
May – June 2023
The May-June issue of GENERATIONS MAGAZINE features a story about Kumu Kahua Theater in downtown Honolulu. Kathlyn Clore explores the people who contribute to Honoluluʻs home for local storytellers. Dr. Sandra von Doetinchem, a UH specialist in gerontology, discusses the benefits of learning late in life. Does Dad need help during the day and something to keep him occupied? In Kathy Wyattʻs article, she explains the benefits of kūpuna day care. And Debbie Kim Morikawa shows us the best exercises for getting up and down!
