Craig Gima

It’s easy during these last busy shopping days before Christmas to be distracted and scam artists are especially hoping to catch you off guard during this time of year. They hope that you won’t think twice if you see a text message or email asking you to click on a link because a package wasn’t delivered or get a deal on social media that seems too good to be true.

The 2023 Legislature passed several bills to help kupuna, including legislation to help homeless kupuna get off the streets, a Safe Routes to School bill that should make streets safer for pedestrians of all ages, tax credits for some caregivers and funding for caregiver services.

As a caregiver, Ken Takeya knows that if a hurricane, tsunami or some other disaster strikes Hawai‘i, he needs to be by his wife’s side, rather than running around or standing in long lines to buy water, food and gas.

As I write this, the legislature is at the halfway point. Bills have crossed over between the House and Senate and those bills that survive the crossover will go to conference committee and possible final passage.

June marks the beginning of hurricane season in Hawai‘i and it’s a good time to make sure you are prepared to survive a hurricane or other disaster, especially if you are a kupuna or a caregiver.

If you’re like me, it’s fun to daydream about retiring — to think about traveling the world, going to the beach instead of the office, and finally writing a screenplay or book.

Learn how to understand and track hurricanes, how to retrofit your home to survive a hurricane, plan for climate change and worst-case disasters, and how to create a disaster plan for any emergency from a tsunami to wildfires and even a made-for-TV “Sharknado” in a series of webinars this month from AARP Hawai`i.

What would you do if you got a cashier’s check in the mail, and were told you could cash it then keep what was left over — after buying gift cards and completing a consumer survey?

AARP Hawai`i is holding two lunch-time forums in March to connect kupuna with high-ranking state officials who can answer their questions about the COVID-19 vaccine in Hawai`i.

Kupuna who have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine can register for an AARP Hawai`i Zoom webinar with the state Department of Health on Friday, Feb. 12 at 2 p.m.