Caregiving

Key Hawai‘i Community Resources for Those with Serious Illness

Please note: These lists were compiled and updated by Kōkua Mau as a community service. Please call the number listed to find out details about the specific group or program, as time and personnel can change. We need your help to maintain these lists and ask you to send any additions or edits to us.  Thank you.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative Care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

  • Palliative care is provided by a specially-trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. 
  • Palliative care is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis. 
  • This care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.

Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC, 2019)

What is Hospice Care?

Quick link to Hospices in Hawaii with phone numbers

Hospice is a type of palliative care offered in the last six months of life and focuses on caring, not curing. In most cases, care is provided in the patient’s home by an interdisciplinary team but also provided in in-patient and long-term care facilities. Hospice is covered under Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans and is provided on all islands.


Quick link: Resources for people with serious illness in Hawai‘i

These resources cover a variety of services helping to relieve suffering, offer choices and provide support across the care continuum.  To keep these as up-to-date as possible, we provide pdf files that are easy to print.

Please click on the topic to access the PDF file or web page with the list of resources

Grief and Bereavement Support  The Bereavement Network of Hawaii maintains a comprehensive, constantly updated list of support groups and services in Hawai‘i.

Queen’s Medical Center Cancer Support Groups and Cancer Education (2015)

Family History Compilers (pdf 2 pages): Create a visual personal biography and preserve your family mementos using photos and film.

Materials

Kōkua Mau has a variety of helpful free materials, including booklets for caregivers, advance directives, DVDs and other information. You can order some materials directly from Kōkua Mau.

The Department of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Hawai‘i created a local video on Dysphagia (Trouble Swallowing) and Aging to help Caregivers.

Here is an updated link to the (English) video with is also available in Samoan . An  Ilocano and Chuukese version will be added soon.  There is also an evaluation for those who watch the video to provide feedback. For a copy of a DVD, please contact: Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii. Tel:  808-523-8461.

Caregiver Coalition

Hawaii has an excellent Family Caregiver Coalition.  Please contact (coming soon) for more information or to be added to their mailing list.

Executive Office on Aging (EOA), State of Hawai‘i

If you have questions about aging and disability, The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is your source in Hawai‘i for answers, with information about the home and community services you may need. ADRC is a one-stop resource for long-term care, information and services. Call statewide at 808-643-2372, or visit www.HawaiiADRC.org. The service is free.

Other Web Resources for Caregivers:

Executive Office on Aging: (808) 586-0100            
No. 1 Capitol District, 250 South Hotel Street, Suite 406, Honolulu HI 96813-2831

Honolulu Elderly Affairs Division: (808) 768-7700
925 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96817

Office on Aging – County of Maui (808) 270-7774
2200 Main St., Suite 547, Wailuku, HI 96793

The County of Kauai Agency on Elderly Affairs (AEA): (808) 241-4470
Pi‘ikoi Building, 4444 Rice Street, Suite 330, Lihue HI 96766

Hawai‘i County Office of Aging
Hilo Office: (808) 961-8626
1055 Kino’ole Street, Suite 101, Hilo HI 96720-3872
Kona Office: (808) 323-4390
Hanama Place, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy, Bdg B, Kailua-Kona HI 96740

Please consult these Hawai‘i focused resources:

State of Hawai‘i, Department of Health

Elderly Affairs Division
Honolulu City and County’s Resource for Aging, Disability and Caregiving: You may also want to download their most recent publications as PDF files.

2012 Aging and Disabilities Issues Booklet (pdf file 3.3MB)
The 2012 Aging and Disabilities Issues booklet is now available. The seventh annual publication offers an overview of legislative issues dealing with aging, disability, caregiving, and long-term supports and services.  The purpose is to call attention to the priority issues which deserve the serious attention of our lawmakers, advocates, and the public.  This is a joint project of the Hawai‘i Family Caregiver Coalition, the Hawai‘i Pacific Gerontological Society, and the Maui County Office on Aging.  The booklet was distributed to legislators in March 2012 during a Family Caregiver Advocacy Day. O‘ahu Senior Handbook 2015 to 2017

Family Caregiving Guide (pdf file)
Written to help those that are providing long term care to others. Includes information and advice about services available in Honolulu County.

Other Resources

There are more and more resources focusing on care giving on the Web. This list is not exhaustive, but here are some highlights provided by members of our network.

Hā Kūpuna
Hā Kūpuna, the National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders, is one of three National Resource Centers for Native Elders funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services.

University of Hawai‘i Center on Aging
The health and quality of life of older adults is a vital concern in this changing demographic and economic climate. To enhance the well-being of older adults, the University of Hawai‘i Center on Aging is committed to interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts in research, educational programs and service to the community.

Hawaii Community Caregiver Network

Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society
Organized in 1979, the Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society (HPGS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of Hawaii’s older adults

Note: These resources are from 2010. In an ever changing landscape many organizations change and much more of this information is now available on-line.

Overnight Respite (pdf 2 pages): Out of home overnight care facilities provide non-medical care for frail seniors in need of supervision, personal services, protection, assistance and guidance.

In Home Respite
(pdf 3 pages): Temporary relief for caregivers provided in the home.

Other Respite Services (pdf 6 pages): This section lists other providers of temporary relief for caregivers, including overnight stays in facilities, in-home assistance, and may include housekeeping, shopping, and errands. Home health agencies provide skilled nursing services and other therapeutic services ordered by a physician to homebound patients.

Adult Day Care & Day Health (pdf 6 pages): Provides care outside the home. Participants have the opportunity to interact with others while being part of a safe and structured environment.

Support Groups in Hawaii (pdf 7 pages): Support groups on all islands for a variety of health issues, including those witha caregiver focus. Call for meeting details.

Cancer Support Groups in Hawaii (pdf 5 pages): Covers all islands. Call for meeting details.


May 2022 Executive Office on Aging needs your help to assess the needs of your community

The Department of Health, Executive Office on Aging (EOA) is requesting your assistance and participation with two surveys to help us assess the needs in the community. The findings will shape and improve Hawaii’s programs and services to meet the needs of Hawaii’s older adults, persons with disabilities, and their caregivers.

EOA developed two (2) separate surveys to assess the needs of Hawaii older adults and/or persons with disabilities and Hawaii’s caregivers. The first survey entitled, “Aging in Hawaii” looks at issues faced by you, our kupuna, and tomorrow’s older adults. The second survey looks at issues faced by Hawaii’s caregivers.

Responses to all the surveys are strictly confidential, voluntary, and anonymous. The information will help identify needs in our communities and shape the development of our State Plan on Aging. Each survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

To access the survey for Aging in Hawaii, please click on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OpenA_EOA

To access the Hawaii survey for caregivers, please click on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OpenCG_EOA

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Note: These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Kōkua Mau of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation, organization or individual. Kōkua Mau bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.