A Hawaii Portrait of Care

Ken Takeya's wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease about eight years ago, and he retired to become her primary caregiver. The Kailua resident was determined to care for at home – where she wanted to be – and keep her out of costly institutional care.

Takeya isn’t alone. About 154,000 Hawaii residents perform a labor of love every day caring for older parents, spouses, and other loved ones. Each year, they spend 144 million hours helping with bathing and dressing, meals, chores, transportation and more – like complex medical tasks including wound care, giving injections, and complicated medication management. This unpaid care is valued at about $2.1 billion a year. But we know this care is invaluable.

AARP believes family caregiver stories aren’t celebrated nearly enough.

As we fight for commonsense solutions to support family caregivers – we think it’s time the world got a better picture of just what it means to be you.

To honor and recognize family caregivers all around the country, AARP will randomly select one caregiver from each of the 53 U.S. states and territories to receive a Portrait of Care, an artist’s painting of you and your loved one.

Share your story and photo with us at I Heart Caregivers.

If you are a family caregiver, you’re not alone. Find the tools and support you need at AARP’s Caregiving Resource Center.