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The busy life of Cha Thompson |
| She started dancing at age 6 and continued performing through the birth of her last child at age 32. Now, she co-manages Tihati, an entertainment empire that presents Polynesian dance revues at major hotels throughout the islands and across the Pacific. But, that’s not all she does. She lends her organizational skills and personality to major charities. However, she much prefers the company of her 11 grandchildren. |
The new cosmetic surgery |
| Think laser instead of scalpel for many procedures. Honolulu cosmetic surgeons discuss the latest techniques and give advice on how to find the right doctor for your needs. |
DEPARTMENT:
Promoting pedestrian safety through walkable communities
By Dianne Glei
Statistics show that Hawai‘i has one of the highest pedestrian death rates in the country. And, the majority of those deaths this year involved a senior citizen. In fact, according to the National Center on Health Statistics, Hawai‘i is the most dangerous state in America in which to be a pedestrian older than 65.
Everyone is concerned and everyone is seeking an answer.
The legislature passed laws providing fines for drivers who don’t obey pedestrian crossings and for pedestrians who don’t use marked crossings ($75 for jaywalking). At first, the Honolulu Police Department started an education campaign to try to change behavior. When that failed, officers started writing tickets for those who don’t obey crosswalks either in a car or on foot.
AARP is taking up the gauntlet and trying to create a community-based solution. It sponsored a series of seminars in April geared to making communities safer for walking.
Charlie Gandy of Livable Communities.com was the facilitator. He has conducted similar sessions in cities large and small throughout the country. Community involvement is the key to success, according to Gandy. The meetings here included community members, government officials and police representatives, plus AARP staffers. To him the involvement of AARP is the catalyst to getting changes made.
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The seminars targeted those areas on Oahu with the most pedestrian fatalities – Waianae, McCully and Kalihi, plus Kihei, Maui. Gandy says that in more than 600 such meetings around the country, seven out of 10 served as a starting point to improve the walkability of an area.
Gandy notes that “through good design (communities) can improve walking conditions, make them less hazardous and allow a safe, respectful speed” for cars. Crosswalk enhancements are one way; restriping residential streets to provide better walking and bike access is another.
He points out that since the late 1940s, America has had a “love affair” with cars and technology allows cars to go faster so street design is created to maximize car traffic. His livable community designs look to pre-1940 designs for inspiration.
His message is that “you can have safe, walkable communities (with) car access, just not at 60 miles per hour. Don’t build a road to feel like a highway through a residential area.” He concedes that some of this was done before arterial roads provided freeway access.
Among solutions tried successfully in other communities are reducing travel lanes within a residential area. “If there are less than 18,000 cars per day, you don’t need two lanes in each direction. We suggest redesigning the road with a two-way left turn lane down the middle, one-way traffic flow on each side next to a bike lane and sidewalk.”
Another idea is to provide a pedestrian refuge in the
middle of a long crosswalk. This allows pedestrians to cross halfway
and wait for the next light or for traffic to slow before proceeding.
Every neighborhood he has visited has designed crosswalks for Olympic
sprinters. He cites King Street in Honolulu as an example. The short
walk cycle to cross this busy street is designed to move car traffic.
AARP supported legislation that would require the state Department
of Transportation to identify potentially deadly intersections and
retime signals. It passed.
“Cars are winning to the detriment of people who want to walk or ride bikes,” Gandy says.
But, short-term fixes can be made to make the roads safer for pedestrians, according to Gandy.
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One way is to put reminder signs in the middle of the crosswalk for drivers to see and on the sidewalk for pedestrians. (See photo above).
According to Jackie Boland of AARP Hawaii, the enthusiasm of those attending the meetings will be tapped to bring about change and make Hawai‘i roads safer for pedestrians. Persons interested in becoming a walkability advocate in their neighborhood, can call Boland at 545-6003.
Photography exhibit honors Hawai‘i’s Nisei
GOKURØSAMA: Contemporary Photographs of the Nisei in Hawai‘i” opens June 16 at 4 p.m. in the Community Gallery on the first floor of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i, 2454 S. Beretania St.
Inspired by the hard work and sacrifice of the Nisei — or second generation of Japanese-Americans in Hawai‘i — Honolulu photographer Brian Y. Sato worked to capture this slowly disappearing generation on black and white film.
A culmination of Sato’s four-year, statewide
documentary, this JCCH exhibition features Hawai‘i’s
Nisei — some of whom are nearing 85 years old or older, and
some whom have since passed away.
The exhibit is sponsored by Liam and Lori Tomoyasu McGee in honor
of their Nisei parents, Maxine and the late Mervin Tomoyasu.
Sato,
a yonsei or fourth generation Japanese-American, will lead a photographer’s
tour at 10:30 a.m. on July 14. The exhibit remains on view through
Aug. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
“Gokurøsama — it’s like saying thank you, but also with the connotation attached that I recognize and appreciate the Nisei for their guidance and nurturing,” said Sato. “We need to all come to the realization that the Nisei represent a non-renewable resource, so to speak, that has to be tapped immediately if we are to benefit from the wisdom of their experiences before they are lost to us forever.”
Admission is free for all on Grand Opening Day (June 16) and Tour Day (July 14). All other days: Admission is free for JCCH Members; $3 for Hawai‘i residents; $5 for non-residents.
Cancer Society Relay for Life
features Hollywood theme
Magic Island Goes Hollywood” is the theme for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life from 7 p.m. July 14 to 7 a.m. July 15 on Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park.
Participants in teams will walk around the clock to raise funds for and awareness of the fight against cancer. Teams are encouraged to decorate their campsites and dress in themed attire depicting their favorite movie or big screen actor.
Relay for Life opens with cancer survivors walking or using a wheelchair to complete the first lap. Then everyone gets their turn walking the track, with encouragement from their teammates and others in campsites along the route. Teams are asked to have at least one member on the track throughout the 12 hours of the relay.
But, the Relay is much more than a walk around a track, according to organizers. It is a time to remember those lost to cancer and celebrate those who have survived. It is a night for people who have shared the same experience to comfort and console one another.
Cancer survivors are honored during the Survivors Lap and those who have lost their fight with this disease are remembered during the Luminaria Ceremony.
The event also is a celebration of life, friendship, and a chance to work together toward a cancer-free future, says Roz Makaula, executive director of the Honolulu Unit of ACS.
Funds raised go to support the American Cancer Society’s free programs and services. Donations also give those touched by cancer answers to their questions and offer places to turn for help in their community through the Society’s Web site, http://www.cancer.org and its 24-hour toll-free number, 1-800-ACS-2345.
Information on how to participate or form a team is available from the Honolulu Field Office, 595-7544 or at www.acsevents.org/hi/relay/magicisland.
AARP offers seniors help to avoid investment scams
In
conjunction with a program to help seniors avoid investment scams,
AARP is sponsoring two events:
On July 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the State Capitol, there will be free public document shredding. Old personal and financial documents can be dropped off at the Father Damien statue.
Several workshop sessions are planned to give seniors the tools to invest safely and avoid investment fraud. The one on Oahu is scheduled Aug. 11 in the Ala Moana Hotel. Sessions also are scheduled on Kaua’I, Maui and the Big Island.
Further information is available by calling 545-6006.
To report investment fraud in Hawai‘i, call toll-free, 1-877-Hi-SCAMS (447-2267).
A recap of senior-related measures that passed the 2007 Legislature
By Wes Lum
At the start of the 2007 Legislature, there were more than 125 proposals addressing senior issues. We report here on the aging and family caregiving measures that passed the 2007 Legislative Session.
Family caregiving
Direct Services to Older Adults and their Family Caregivers (S.B. No. 1916). Provides much needed respite for families by appropriating $1 million to expand the Kupuna Care Program and for direct services for family caregivers.
Services provided by Kupuna Care are statewide and are intended to help meet the needs of older adults who cannot live at home without adequate help from family or formal services, and includes such services as adult day care, assisted transportation, attendant care, case management, chore, home delivered meals, homemaker and personal care.
Access to Long-term Care Resources (S.B. No. 1916). Supports the development of the Aging and Disability Resource Center by appropriating $530,000 for its management information system, telephone system, consumer education and outreach campaigns, evaluation, staff training and statewide coordination of the project.
Joint Legislative Committee on Family Caregiving (S.B. No. 1916). Provides leadership to support families who are caring for their elderly relatives by:
1. Extending the life of the Joint Legislative Committee
on Family Caregiving (JLCFC) to June 30, 2008;
2. Requiring the JLCFC to explore establishing a paid family leave
program under the State Temporary Disability Insurance law; and
3. Conducting a needs assessment of older adults and their family
caregivers.
Financial Assistance to Family Caregivers (S.B. No. 1916). Requires
the Executive Office on Aging to research a cash and counseling
program and conduct a cost-benefit analysis of a family caregiver
refundable tax credit.
Coordination of Family Caregiver Support Services
and Policies (H.B. No. 500). Ensures that families will have affordable,
readily available, high quality, comprehensive services and policies
that are coordinated across all care settings by appropriating $160,000
to the Executive Office on Aging to coordinate caregiver support
services and policies statewide.
Family Leave (S.B. No. 1833). Requires that only an employee can
elect to use accrued paid leave, including vacation, personal or
family leave, when using some or all of their four weeks of family
leave.
Inventory of Respite Services (H.C.R. No. 187). Requests the Legislative Reference Bureau to study respite care policies and programs in other states and the Executive Office on Aging to conduct an inventory of respite care services in Hawai‘i.
Grandparents raising grandchildren
Needs Assessment. Requires the Executive Office on Aging to conduct an assessment of the issues facing, and the needs of, grandparents raising grandchildren in Hawai‘i (S.B. No. 1916).
Supportive Policies. Expands the scope of the Joint Legislative Committee on Family Caregiving to include issues concerning grandparents raising grandchildren (S.B. No. 1916).
Pedestrian and physical safety
Pedestrian Safety (S.B. No. 1191). Appropriates funds to work with non-profit organizations and the counties to take steps for immediate action to make crosswalks and roadways safer.
Adult Protective Services (H.C.R. No. 188). Requests the Legislative Reference Bureau to study other states’ adult protective services and compare them to Hawai‘i’s adult protective services.
Reporting Cases of Elder Abuse (H.C.R. No. 140). Requests the Department of Human Services to collect date and report statistics related to cases of abuse of vulnerable adults.
Eldercare residential homes/facilities
Personal Needs Allowance (S.B. No. 1182 and H.B. No. 928). Establishes a needs allowance for residents of care homes and long-term care facilities.
Long-term Care Ombudsman (H.B. No. 807). Establishes an Office of the Long-term Care Ombudsman and its duties within the Executive Office on Aging.
Prescription drugs
Lower Costs for Prescription Drugs (H.B. No. 10). Makes rebate agreements between drug manufacturers and the Department of Human Services mandatory.
Financial and consumer protection
Violations Committed Against Elders. Protects Hawai‘i’s older adults from financial abuse by:
1. Adding enhanced civil and administrative penalties
for securities violations committed against elders (H.B. No. 1306);
and
2. Providing additional sanctions for violations by mortgage brokers
and solicitors committed against elders (H.B. no. 1336).
Sales of Annuities (S.B. No. 1008). Provides the suitability or
solicitations and recommendations on the sale of annuities.
Financial Abuse (S.B. No. 1400). Requires financial institutions
to report suspected financial abuse against elders to the Department
of Human Services and to require DHS to report suspected financial
abuse to the proper authority over cases it does not have jurisdiction.
Long-term Care Insurance (S.B. No. 1410). Adds consumer protections
on long-term care insurance to comply with federal law and national
standards.
Pre-paid Funeral and Cemetery Plans (H.B. No. 1337). Provides additional
protections for consumers of pre-paid cemetery and funeral plans,
including disclosure requirements and continuance of contract after
delinquency.
Wes Lum is a Specialist with the University of Hawaii Center on Aging Research and Education. He wrote this for Generations Hawaii.