Bruce Bottorff

UPDATE: On Monday, April 25 conferees passed the CARE Act bill out of committee, with amendments. Next up: the full Senate and House will conduct floor votes on the bill, before the 2016 legislative session comes to a close on May 5.

Advocates today delivered to legislators nearly 1,400 petitions in support of the CARE Act, as the House prepares to vote on a bill that would pave the way for greater involvement of caregivers in hospital discharge planning. HB 2252 HD1 SD2 would require hospitals to establish procedures giving family caregivers the opportunity to receive instruction in medical tasks required when patients go home.

You wouldn’t know it from national news coverage or the Presidential debates, but voters really do want candidates to lay out their plans to keep Social Security financially sound for future generations.

AARP Hawaii is pleased to present workshops on the Big Island and Oahu for family caregivers and residents preparing to care for their aging loved ones. The events will be held in Hilo on Thursday, March 10 and Mililani on Saturday, March 12 and are intended to connect residents with resources and information to care for older friends and family members – as well as plan for their own future needs. The sessions are free and open to the public.

Members of the Hawaii CARE Act Coalition this week welcomed the passage of SB 2397 SD1 by the Senate Judiciary and Labor and Senate Human Services Committees. The caregiver support bill would require hospitals to establish procedures giving family caregivers the opportunity to receive instruction – prior to discharge – in medical tasks required when patients go home. The proposed measure is needed in Hawaii as many unpaid caregivers are routinely called on to provide complex care in the home for which they are unprepared.

Anyone in Hawaii can be a victim of financial fraud. Even for sophisticated investors, fraudsters are masters of persuasion, skilled at tailoring pitches to match the psychological profiles of their targets.

A recent survey of Hawaii registered voters age 45-plus shows overwhelming support for legislation that would help the state’s unpaid family caregivers when their loved ones are hospitalized. The findings indicate broad public support for the CARE Act, which would require hospitals to give patients the opportunity to designate a caregiver when they’re admitted, and offer the caregiver instruction, at the point of discharge, in tasks needed to be performed when the patient goes home.

AARP Foundation will provide free tax assistance and preparation for Hawaii taxpayers with low to moderate incomes through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program beginning February 1. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in its 49th year, is the nation’s largest free tax assistance and preparation service, giving special attention to the older population.

Top Legislative Priority

Advocates for family caregivers kick off the 2016 legislative campaign Monday by attending Governor David Ige's State of the State Address and urging individual lawmakers to support the CARE Act. Heartened by strong public opinion and a growing awareness of the challenges facing unpaid caregivers and their families in Hawaii, many believe this is the year for legislation requiring hospitals to recognize the role caregivers play in helping family members transition safely from hospital to home.