III. HAWAII COUNTY OFFICE OF AGING
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William Takaba, Executive on Aging, was born and raised in Hilo and graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Industrial Management. After four years in banking, he began working or the Hawaii County Office of Aging as a fiscal officer. Mr. Takaba was selected as the Hawaii County Executive on Aging in October 1976. He also served as the County Director of Finance from 1990 to 1992. |
ROLE AND DUTIES
The Hawaii County Office of Aging was established in 1966 and represents the County of Hawaii in planning, coordination, advocacy, and administration of programs for older persons in this county. The Office of Aging is an Area Agency on Aging. Specific functions include the following:
The Executive on Aging serves as the director of the Office of Aging. He is responsible to the Mayor of Hawaii County, and must ensure that plans and programs are developed according to all applicable rules, regulations, and initiatives, and that the office is effectively administered.
STAFF
The Office of Aging employs eight permanent employees, seven in Hilo and one in Kona.
COMMITTEE ON AGING
A Committee on Aging, appointed by the Mayor, assists the Office of Aging in carrying out its planning responsibilities. The majority of its members are over the age of sixty and represent major districts of Hawaii County. The following are its members:
| Shigeko I. Chang, S. Hilo, Chair |
| Henry Dulan, N/S Kohala, Co-Vice Chair |
| Robert A. Pennington, Upper Puna/Kau, Co-Vice Chair |
| Alwin Campainha, S. Hilo |
| Colleen Fuhrmann, Upper Puna/Kau |
| James Ota, N/S Kona |
| Tom Poy, N. Hilo/Hamakua |
| Daisy U. Smith, Lower Puna |
| Pearl L. Wong, S. Hilo |
| Harold Bugado, Hawaii County Elderly Activities Division |
| Billie P. Keawekane, Alu Like |
| Roland Kleger, Alzheimer's Association |
| June T. Kunimoto, State Department of Health |
| Derek M. Kurisu, Business |
| Larry Manliguis, Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council |
| Patrick Pavao, State Office of Veterans' Services |
HIGHLIGHTS
For this period, the Office of Aging pursued major initiatives in the following areas:
Grants Management
During the period July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1998, the Office of Aging's operating budget was $325,555. By obtaining an additional $1.9 million in federal and state grants, the Office of Aging was able to administer a variety of services for older persons on the Big Island. Major services funded were: caregiver support, case management, chore, employment, hospice, information & assistance, legal, nutrition, outreach, personal care, residential renovations, respite, small group homes, transportation, and volunteerism. Community Planning Councils on Aging. The Office of Aging continued to support ten community planning councils on aging (CPCAs) in all major districts of the Big Island. The CPCAs meet periodically to discuss issues important to their communities, and determine ways to address these issues.
Community Development Block Grant
This year the Kau CPCA worked with the Office of Aging to address health and safety concerns at the Naalehu Community Center. The Office of Aging submitted and received approval for $220,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds through the Office of Housing and Community Development to address these needs.
FasTRAK 60 Plus
To improve the speed and accessibility of emergency in-home care to persons 60 years of age or older, the Office of Aging demonstrated a new program called FasTRAK 60 Plus. This project offers more flexibility in ordering a variety of services for frail elderly who might have once "fallen through the cracks." FasTRAK 60 Plus provides services within 24 hours of each call, if necessary. It also collects more accurate data for tracking client services. The Office of Aging hopes to complete this demonstration project by July 1, 1999 and be in a position to make an easy transition to a new statewide "Kupuna Care" program. 1998 Kau Rural Health Conference On May 28, 1998, 150 concerned and dedicated citizens of Kau participated in a conference to discuss critical health care issues confronting their community. The Office of Aging provided planning assistance and resource materials for this conference and, together with the Hawaii District Health Administrator, conducted a short workshop on strategic planning.
Hawaii Housing Authority Computer Grant
The Office of Aging applied for and received a grant for $75,000 from the Hawaii Housing Authority (HHA). The primary goal of the grant was to prevent and/or reduce drug abuse among elderly residents of the Pomaikai, Lanakila, and Punahele housing complexes.
This "Puka Ana" project was carried out by the Coordinated Services program of the Elderly Activities Division. Puka Ana provides education and training sessions, recreational activities, and other related services.
Health Care Financing Administration Computers
The Office of Aging also obtained seven personal computers from the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to enable senior citizens to obtain important health care financing information, particularly Medicare/Medicaid, through the internet. The computers were distributed to seven senior centers located throughout the Big Island. Kona Adult Day Center Van A grant for $10,000 was provided to the Kona Adult Day Center (KADC) for the purchase of a new 15-passenger van for its participants. KADC also secured $10,000 from the United Parcel Service (UPS) and $8,000 from the Keauhou Kona Rehabilitation Center Advisory Board to complete the purchase.
Outcome-Based Contracting
In 1993, Congress passed the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) which requires federal agencies, such as the Administration on Aging, to measure outcomes for all funded services. Congress is no
longer only interested in how many people and how many units of services we provide, but also what happens to the people who receive these services. Have their lives improved in any way? Are we achieving positive results?
The Office of Aging spent the latter part of 1998 developing appropriate outcome measures for all funded services. These measures are now included in all contracts.
Advanced Information Management System
The Office of Aging now operates two computer systems for its management information system. The Wang system is still being maintained. It contains information on 75% of all persons over the age of 60 in Hawaii County. The Advanced Information Management (AIM) system resides on a PC platform and is used for client tracking. Both are vital to our overall database.
Workshops
The Office of Aging sponsored a one-day workshop entitled, "Creating Caring Environments for the Person with Dementia." The presenter was Louise Johnson, a registered nurse, who has provided consultations to more than 200 special care units for persons with dementia. Twenty-five caregivers and aging network personnel participated. An informational workshop on the SageWatch program was also presented. SageWatch is a federal program to make the public more aware of Medicare/Medicaid fraud and abuse, which is estimated to be $20 billion annually. Richard Robinson from Blue Cross gave the audience practical information on ways to spot and report potential Medicare/Medicaid fraud and abuse. The Office of Aging also co-sponsored the second annual Alzheimer's Association's educational conference on April 4, 1998. The title of the conference was "Dementia 98: Hope for the Future." The conference provided current information on Alzheimer's disease, and ways to enhance the care of the patient and support caregivers. Two Adult Protective Services (APS) workshops were conducted by staff of the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii. The purpose of the workshops was to update service providers on the recent changes to the APS laws.
60-Second Service Survey
During the last quarter of the 1997-98 fiscal year, the Office of Aging mailed 2,725 60-Second Service Surveys to older persons receiving services through contracts from our office. The purpose of the survey was to determine client satisfaction, and to allow recipients an opportunity to provide us with feedback on services received. A total of 1,148 (42%) seniors responded to the survey. The results are very encouraging.
East Hawaii Alzheimer's Walk
The Office of Aging worked very closely with the East Hawaii Walk chairperson to help coordinate the 1997 Alzheimer's Walk. Over 100 individuals walked in support of the Alzheimer's Association. Over 30 organizations and businesses provided prizes and donations. Most of the funds raised stay within the county to help pay for staff and material costs for education, training, and caregiver support.
Outstanding Older Americans Awards Ceremony
On May 8, 1998, 24 senior citizens and 2 businesses from around the island were recognized for outstanding achievement and service to their communities. In addition to the selection of 2 outstanding older Americans, 10 special awards were presented to outstanding senior nominees, and 3 partnership awards were given to businesses and individuals for their outstanding support of eldercare programs.
Outstanding Older Americans:
Community Service Award:
Senior Activities Award:
Personal Achievement Award:
Golden Years Award:
Partnership Award:
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