Bruce Bottorff

Members of the Hawaii CARE Act Coalition descended on the state Capitol Tuesday for the final meeting of the Legislative Family Caregivers Working Group, which is preparing to submit recommendations to the 2016 Legislature.

Honolulu resident Barbara Service was presented with AARP Hawaii’s 2015 Andrus Award for Community Service at a volunteer recognition event on November 18. Service, whose last name exemplifies her commitment to community service, is a long-time advocacy volunteer on AARP’s priority issues in Hawaii, and serves as the president of Chapter 60.

November is National Family Caregivers Month, and AARP Hawaii and community partners are offering a free caregiver conference on Saturday, November 14 at the Marriot Courtyard Kauai at Coconut Beach (8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.). The event will provide information and resources to support caregivers and the families that depend on them.

AARP Hawaii is sponsoring a free caregiver workshop and film screening of THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING at the Regal Prince Kuhio 9 in Hilo on Friday, November 13 (10 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.). The free event provides information, resources and entertainment for family caregivers and their loved ones.

Every day in Hawaii a silent army of family caregivers performs a labor of love by helping parents and spouses remain at home. An estimated 154,000 family caregivers in Hawaii help older loved ones with everything from medication and medical care, meals, bathing, dressing, chores, and much more.

November marks National Family Caregivers Month, a time to recognize the more than 154,000 family caregivers in Hawaii who help older parents, spouses, and other loved ones live independently at home, where they want to be. The unpaid care they provide – managing medications, cooking meals, driving to appointments, performing complex medical tasks and more – is valued at $2.1 billion in Hawaii alone.

Advocates will gather at the state Capitol on Thursday, October 8 in Room 329 (10 a.m. – noon) as health care representatives appear before the Legislative Family Caregivers Working Group to describe current discharge procedures in Hawaii’s hospitals and the extent to which family caregivers are involved.

Every day in Hawaii a silent army of family caregivers performs a great labor of love by helping their parents and spouses remain at home. An estimated 154,000 family caregivers in the islands help older loved ones with everything from medications and medical care, meals, bathing and dressing, chores, and much more. While Hawaii’s caregivers wouldn’t have it any other way, they need a little support.

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.

The growing emphasis on personal savings in retirement creates greater uncertainty for pre-retirees. Hawaii residents live, on average, three years longer than other Americans, and for many people longevity comes with greater anxiety about outliving their assets. Add to that questions about the best time to collect Social Security benefits, and preparing for a secure retirement can be daunting.