The Kupuna Caucus announced its support for several bills moving through the Legislature that could improve services for Hawaii’s seniors.
One of the measures, the Kupuna Omnibus Bill (SB 964), covers a wide range of issues — from funding to support a network of senior centers to fall prevention as well as an awareness campaign for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
"The increasing incidences of ADRD or dementia is a public health crisis worldwide and within our state. It’s the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., far more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined," Jody Mishan of the Executive Office of Aging said during a news briefing held Friday at the state Capitol.
Funding for an awareness campaign would help to better inform the public about early detection for dementia. Mishan said it is vital to decrease the stigma associated with dementia by providing pertinent information and education about warning signs. "Getting an early and accurate diagnosis is crucial," she said.
"In Hawaii 25,000 people 65 and older have been diagnosed with dementia. This number is expected to grow to 35,000 by 2025, an increase of 40 percent," she said.
Funding is also being sought to support a network of senior centers that provide activities, social services and exercise. The measure requests $388,000 for the following centers:
» Catholic Charities Hawaii Lanakila multipurpose senior center, $185,000
» Kapahulu Center, $78,000
» Moiliili Senior Center-Moiliili Community Center, $50,000
» Waikiki Community Center, $75,000
Diane Terada of Catholic Charities Hawaii said funding would assist some 5,500 seniors in their efforts to maintain an independent lifestyle.
The caucus also strongly supports Senate Bill 296, which requires hospitals to provide caregivers with instructions and training in how to perform or manage medical tasks when a loved one is discharged from a hospital.
Audrey Suga-Nakagawa of AARP Hawaii said support is needed for the 247,000 caregivers who take care of older loved ones.
Senate Bill 965 calls for establishment of a family leave insurance program requiring employeesto make contributions into a trust fund to be used to provide employees with family leave insurance benefits.
According to Catherine Betts of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, workers at companies with fewer than 100 employees depend on their employer to determine whether they receive paid leave to care for a family member.
"We’re faced with the reality here in Hawaii that many of our families are working and also caregivers, so we do need to face this reality head-on," Betts said.
The Kupuna Caucus, created in 2006, is an advocacy group that support bills that affect seniors.
