This year’s 9th Annual “Aging in Place Workshop” at the Ala Moana Hotel was the most successful that Generations Magazine and KHON2 Elderhood Project have ever hosted. Seventy-five exhibitors awaited the arrival of over 1,500 excited attendees. The workshop took place on Aug. 15, and between 8:30 am and 2:45 pm, 18 different sessions offered topics for seniors ranging from financial planning to healthy workout routines.
The workshop sessions educate seniors on ways to remain mobile, independent and alert so they can live independently in their own homes. AARP even hosted a birthday party to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Social Security with a visit from Sen. Brian Schatz. Seniors also had a special opportunity to meet three winners of the 2015 Ms. Medicare Pageant.
A key session on preparing to stay in your home drew a standing-room-only crowd. Attorney Stephen Yim suggested seniors be sure that their wills and trusts conform to current U.S. and Hawai‘i state regulations. Percy Ihara discussed how reverse mortgage programs can help seniors keep owning and living in their homes. Financial planner Michael W. Yee answered many questions on preparing for the costs of long-term home care.
Long life has many challenges. Gerry Silva, state president of AARP, spoke on the future of Social Security, assuring seniors that it’s “here to stay.” He said, “If it weren’t for Social Security, about half of the people over age 65 would be below the federal poverty line.”
The Aging in Place Workshop teaches ways to manage in our own homes as we age — to delay moving to a care facility as long as possible. That way, we can enjoy living in the place where we raised our children, surrounded by family and friends, and precious memories.
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