COM 0521.006 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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5,0&0 grandparents 60+ live with one or more grandchildren 15 years old or younger and 1,546 grandparents are reeponeible for their grandchild, Prefile of County eJ'Hawae ,s Older Population However, the rate of admission for psychiatric care per 1,000 persons in PSA4 is 6.4 which is on par with the U.S. rate of 6.3 but highest of all PSAs including the state of Hawaii's rate of 5.3. The Statewide Substance and Abuse Treatment Plan published by the State of Hawaii Department of Health Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division in January 2000, estimated that there were approximately 676 adults 18 years old and over that would require drug and substance abuse treatment services. Furthermore, report from the local Hawaii County Community Mental Health Center of the State of Hawaii Department of Health showed that the center served between 548 to 659 older individuals 60 years old and over with counseling and case management services in 2002. Older Adults as Caregivers As mentioned in the Old -age Dependency Ratio section, many older adults are turning to be caregivers to their aging parents, spouse, disabled children/siblings or grandchildren. Although three caregivers' conferences have already been organized and convened during the past two years, accurate count of the number and demographic characteristics of informal family caregivers in Hawaii County is yet to be gathered and documented. However, a survey of needs of caregivers in West Hawaii in 1997 by the Hawaii Community Caregiver Network (HCCN) validated many research findings uncovered by early demonstration projects funded by the AoA's National Family Caregiver Support Program which was enacted in November 2002. The HCCN study found that majority of caregivers in the West Hawaii sample were married women age 40-69 providing care to either their parents or spouse for more than eight-hour period. Majority of them performed mostly personal care and supervision of care recipients. Caregivers' responsibilities included meal preparation, light housework, financial management, medicine management and administration, grooming, mobility outside the home, personal grooming, toileting, using the telephone and dressing. Many of the needs identified in the HCCN study such as the need for respite care, information clearinghouse, training & education, crisis line, organized group, legal assistance, financial relief and geriatric specialists are now being addressed and integral components of the many effective caregiver projects throughout the nation. Like many of caregivers in other regions of the United States, the economic value of caregiving of remarkable significance. The latest U.S. census identified 5,080 grandparents 60 years old and over who are living in households with one or more grandchildren under the age of 18. According Page -l0-of11