AARP President to Speak at Hawaii Gerontological Conference

Eli Meir Kaplan

AARP national president, Jeannine English, is coming to Hawaii to deliver a keynote presentation at the Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society Conference on Monday, September 29 (8:45 a.m.) at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort.

English will talk about the Age-Friendly City initiative, a partnership between the City and County of Honolulu, AARP Hawaii, and the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. Announced by city officials in March, 2014, the initiative is intended to prepare Honolulu for rapid aging and accelerating urbanization.

A recent U.S. Census report ranked urban Honolulu as having one of the highest percentages of people age 65 in the country – and the highest percentage of people age 85+.

English’s visit coincides with the release of a new survey of Oahu adults that ranks affordable home health care and housing among the greatest needs facing city residents as our population ages. The 2014 AARP Livable Communities Survey in Honolulu, Hawaii of Adults Age 45+ identifies the needs of older residents as well as gaps in community features and services. The survey will be used as a baseline to help city planners develop an action plan to prepare to address community needs and priorities in the future.

Overall, survey respondents rated community and health services as the most important area – with reliable emergency ambulance service, well-maintained hospitals and health care facilities, and affordable health services given highest priority. Residents ages 45-64 identified affordable home health care as the greatest need - or gap - in the community.

The report is based on data from a mail survey of 7,500 residents on the island of Oahu, of which 607 useable surveys were returned for a response rate of 8.5 percent. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percent.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with nearly 150,000 members in Hawaii. AARP helps people turn goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities, and fights for the issues that matter most to families – including healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities, and protection from financial abuse.