State of Hawai'i County 2005 Year in Review/2006 Looking Forward

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State of the County 2005 - The Year in Review 2006 - Looking Forward: Projects and Issues Office of Aging Alan Parker, Executive on Aging In keeping with our mission to establish a comprehensive and coordinated system of services in Hawaii County which enables older people to live independently and with dignity, the Hawaii County Office of Aging placed heavy emphasis in 2005 in the areas of planning, advocacy, service coordination, and training. In an effort to improve services to our islands caregivers, the Office of Aging is pursuing creation of resource centers for caregivers and seniors capable of providing, in a one-stop setting, information and counseling on long term care issues. The purpose is to establish a non-threatening environment where any caregiver or senior, regardless of income and/or background, will feel comfortable going to for needed assistance, information, and training. As many services as possible should be there or brought there, to eliminate the need for referral to numerous agencies. Follow up and continuous monitoring of cases should be a part of this service structure. In looking at ways to expand on this concept, the Office of Aging entered into a partnership with the State Executive Office on Aging, and is a major beneficiary of a federal grant to enable establishment of Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) in the State of Hawaii. The first center being planned for in Hilo will be the state's first, and a model for future centers in the state. The office is simultaneously negotiating with land owners in Kona, and the County is seeking state funding to build a Multi-Purpose Senior/Aging & Disability Resource Center in Kailua-Kona. These efforts will continue to be priorities in 2006. In the area of advocacy, the Office of Aging culminated several years of work on the part of the Hawaii County Committee on Aging, and Office of Aging Partners in Eldercare Community Councils, to arrive at priority issues for Hawaii County to take before the 2005 White House Conference on Aging. The top overlying issues for Hawaii County ascertained by this process are: 1) access to high quality and affordable services (transportation 41); 2) affordable and accessible housing; 3) access to comprehensive and accurate information. In the areas of service coordination and training, the Office of Aging coordinated with numerous agencies and programs to sponsor needed training dealing with various issues from domestic violence in later years to workshops on Medicare. The Office also collaborated with the American Association of Retired Persons, Hawaii Medical Services Association, and Alu Like Inc. to provide two caregiver conferences to provide training and support for caregivers of older adults.