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.
A Team Effort
HFCC has released Aging & Disability Issues 2023 (https://hfccoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Booklet-Aging-Issues-23-web.pdf), its 18th annual publication that offers an overview of legislative issues dealing with aging, disability, caregiving and long-term supports and services. The purpose of the report is to call attention to the priority issues which deserve the serious attention of our lawmakers, advocates and the public. The publication is a joint project of HFCC, the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawai‘i Pacific Gerontological Society and the Maui County Office on Aging.
The report has seven sections. It highlights priorities for the current legislative sessions; many local advocacy groups that focus on issues of concern for elderly and disabled people — as well as for their caregivers — have collaborated and are in agreement about themes they wish to see state lawmakers address.
Specific bills are addressed also, by bill number. Resources for additional information are also listed.
People are most likely to be motivated to support public policies when they perceive that a problem may affect them personally. In addition to a summary of bills, Aging & Disability Issues 2023 includes personal stories which describe the difficulties any of us could experience if faced with aging or disability. These stories provide a human face to legislative issues by illustrating how these issues are embodied in the very human experiences of individuals and families.
Our current governor and legislators have demonstrated their commitment to care for our vulnerable disabled and elderly, and to find the resources which make this possible in a fiscally responsible manner. Just as importantly, everyone has a shared responsibility to care for our kūpuna and for those who face difficult challenges due to disabilities. Aging & Disability Issues 2023 is a guide for Hawai‘i’s elected officials, organizations and citizens to fulfilling these responsibilities to our kūpuna and persons with disabilities.
HAWAI‘I FAMILY CAREGIVER COALITION (501(c) 3 nonprofit)
2630 Oahu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96822
808-265-5716 | gsimon@aarp.org
hfccoalition.org
