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My Journals (47)

Former Mrs. Hawaii Wins AARP Model Search Contest

Kaneohe resident Laurie Bachran, age 80, has been selected as one of ten winners in AARP The Magazine’s 2009 Faces of 50+ Real People Model Search. Late last year the former Mrs. Hawaii was flown to Minneapolis for a head-to-toe makeover and photo shoot, featured in the March/April issue of the magazine. The Faces of 50+ Real People Model Search looks for vivacious, active men and women who reflect AARP The Magazine’s core belief that beauty is ageless. Bachran was selected as a Reader’s Choice winner.

 

Check out the ten 50+ winners, ranging in age from 52 to 80, styled by expert makeover stylist Christopher Hopkins, author of “Staging Your Comeback: A Complete Beauty Revival for Women over 45.”  Dramatic before and after photos mark each model’s transformation, and readers see for themselves how each model’s positive energy and outlook combines with our expert’s stylish makeover tips to produce fantastic results.

 

 Contestants entered the model search by having their pictures taken at the AARP The Magazine Road Show stops or by submitting their photo online at www.aarpmagazine.org/modelsearch. Nancy Graham, Editor of AARP The Magazine, and Gabrielle Redford, Lifestyle Editor, then led a panel of editors in hand-selecting nine of the Faces of 50+ in age groups 50-59, 60-69, and 70+, as well as 16 Reader’s Choice finalists.  From the thousands of votes logged online, the final Reader’s Choice winner emerged.
 
 
About AARP The Magazine
With more than 34 million readers nationwide, AARP The Magazine is the world's largest circulation magazine and the definitive lifestyle publication for Americans 50+.  Reaching over 24 million households, AARP The Magazine delivers comprehensive content through in-depth celebrity interviews, health and fitness features, consumer interest information and tips, book and movie reviews and financial guidance. Published bimonthly in print and continually online, AARP The Magazine was founded in 1958 and is the flagship title of AARP Publications.
Added: January 30, 2009
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AARP Hawaii Priority Bills Expected to Pass 2008 Legislature

  

The following bills are up for final vote as the Legislature moves to adjourn on May 1:
 
SCR 153 / SR83 – Supporting the Divided We Fail initiative, passed the state legislature on April 21.
 
SB 3255 – Relating to a Long-term Care Commission, passed the House/Senate Conference Committee and now goes to the floor for final vote. The bill appropriates $100,000 for the first year of the commission.
 
SB 2830 / HB2196, Relating to Family Caregiving, passed the House/Senate conference committee and goes to the floor for final vote. The bill appropriates $500,000 for Kupuna Care and $289,000 for adult residential care homes.
 
HB 357 – Relating to Pedestrian Safety, passed the House/Senate conference committee and goes to the floor for final vote. The bill appropriates $1 million for the Department of Transportation to conduct a pilot study to identify state and county intersections where the time to cross the intersection is insufficient for elderly and disabled pedestrians.
 
SB 156 – Relating to Permanent Absentee Ballots, passed a House/Senate conference committee and goes to the floor for final vote. The bill allows a registered voter to request an absentee ballot and at the same time to request to receive an absentee ballot permanently.
Added: May 1, 2008
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AARP Donates $10,000 to Kihei Charter School

  

Kihei Charter School has been selected to receive the AARP Ethel Percy Andrus Legacy Award – along with a donation of $10,000 for outstanding educational achievement. The award is being offered in celebration of AARP’s 50th Anniversary this year and is part of more than $1 million offered by AARP nationally to support educational programs with a demonstrated commitment to connect generations and foster greater civic engagement among students and their communities.
 
The award will be presented to school administrators on Monday April 28 at 12 p.m. at an assembly at the Kihei Charter School Auditorium.
 
Kihei Charter School is a public school with a diverse student body where 80 percent of the students go directly to higher education after graduation. Its educational programs include a K-12 Virtual Academy combining home and school-based education, a High School Academy, and the first middle school in Hawaii with a core Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum.
 
AARP was founded 50 years ago by Ethel Percy Andrus, a retired teacher and principal from California. “Dr. Andrus was a champion for all generations who believed, as we do today, that the generations are connected by a strong commitment to values, community and service,” said AARP Hawaii State President Stuart Ho. “These awards not only pay tribute to the legacy of Dr. Andrus, but also underscore our continued intergenerational commitment to recognize and encourage educational achievements in communities throughout the nation. Congratulations to all of the winning schools.”  
 
AARP received nearly 1,000 applications from public schools throughout the nation and granted an Innovation Award to one public high school in every state including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. Kihei Charter School was selected by a panel of judges comprised of retired Hawaii teachers.
 
Additional information about AARP’s 50th Anniversary is available at www.aarp.org.
 
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly online newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors.
Added: April 25, 2008
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SB 2047 - Re: Home Modification Tax Credits
On March 12 the joint House Committees on Health and Human Services passed SB 2047, SD 3, relating to home modification tax credits. AARP Hawaii supports this bill because it provides a refundable tax credit for taxpayers who make modifications to their homes to accommodate individuals with disabilities or an elderly person.
 
Under the terms of the bill:
 
  • Taxpayers with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of under $30,000 shall be eligible for a tax credit of 50 percent of the qualified costs;
  • Taxpayers with an AGI of $30,000 to under $50,000 shall be eligible for a tax credit of 35 percent;
  • Taxpayers with an AGI of $50,000 to under $75,000 shall be eligible for a tax credit of 20 percent;
  • Taxpayers with an AGI of $75,000 and over shall be eligible for a tax credit of 5 percent.
 The bill establishes a maximum amount of credit of $5,000 for taxpayers filing as single or married filing separately; $7,500 for head of household or surviving spouse; and $10,000 for a joint return. The bill also specifies that all qualified costs must be incurred in Hawaii and at least one elderly person with a disability must reside in the renovated residence for which the credit is claimed.
 
The measure now goes to the House Finance Committee for final hearing. Please contact Ed Thompson at 545-6005 or ethompson@aarp.org if you have any questions or if you would like to get involved in supporting the bill.
Added: March 19, 2008
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Survey Reveals Residents' Health Care Concerns
Nearly six in ten (57 percent) residents believe that Hawaii’s health care and long-term care are in a state of crisis or have major problems. This according to a survey of adults age 18 or older in all four counties released this week by AARP Hawaii. The survey of 1,043 registered voters reveals the depth of residents’ concerns with these issues on a county-by-county basis and offers the most recent evidence that Hawaii’s health care and long-term care systems are at a tipping point.
 
“The survey findings are especially sobering when you consider how rapidly Hawaii’s population is aging – and that the number of people age 65 and older is projected to nearly double in the next two decades,” said AARP Hawaii volunteer State President Stuart Ho. “It would be folly to put our heads in the sand and believe that we have plenty of time to address these issues. The survey shows that residents of all ages and on all islands are struggling right now to cope with rising health care costs and a very scary long-term care crisis. We need to act now before baby boomers begin retiring in large numbers. The consequences of doing nothing are unimaginable.”
 
Key Findings – Health Care (cost – access – quality)
 
  • Cost and access to health care are the top concerns of residents looking ahead to the next five years – with 56% of those surveyed saying they are ‘extremely concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ about paying more for health care.
  • Three in four residents (75%) say their out-of-pocket medical expenses have increased in the past five years.
  • More than half of residents (51%) with out-of-pocket monthly expenses say it is at least somewhat difficult for them to pay for these medical expenses.
  • Over a third of residents say they have traveled off-island to receive health care services that were not available in their community (Kona: 49%; Maui: 45%; Hilo: 42%; Kauai: 40%; Honolulu: 6%).
  • Big Island residents are most likely to say that Hawaii’s health care is in a state of crisis (Kona: 29%; Hilo: 24%; Kauai: 14%; Maui: 9%; Honolulu: 8%). 
Key Findings – Long-Term Care (cost – access – options)
 
  • Almost six in ten residents say they are not very (23%) or not at all (36%) confident that they could afford one year of long-term care. Note: In Hawaii, two hours of daily in-home care costs about $16,000 a year, while full-time nursing home care costs about $107,000 a year.
  • Nearly three-quarters (73%) of those surveyed are worried about being able to receive long-term care services in the setting of their choice.
  • Residents of Kona (50%) and Hilo (42%) are more likely than those in Honolulu (32%) to say they are extremely or very worried about receiving long-term care where they choose.
  • Almost eight in ten (78%) residents strongly or somewhat support AARP Hawaii advocating to increase funding for long-term care services that help people stay in their own homes or communities.
  • Six in ten (62%) residents support paying a small monthly premium to receive quality long-term care services in the future.
 The 2008 Hawaii Health and Long-Term Care Survey can be found at www.aarp.org/hiltc.

 

Added: March 17, 2008
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Public Invited to Attend Caregivers Rally
Hawaii residents are invited to “Hawaii Caregivers Rock” – a rally at the State Capitol on Friday March 14 celebrating family caregivers and promoting AARP’s long-term care legislation. The occasion is Family Caregiver Awareness Day and a number of volunteers have already signed up to staff a table and collect Divided We Fail pledges and stories from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The rally is from 1 – 2:30 p.m., and will feature a live remote broadcast from the Capitol Rotunda by Hawaii’s classic rock station KPOI 105.9.
 
WHAT:           Caregivers Rock Rally
WHERE:        State Capitol Rotunda
WHEN:           Friday, March 14 (1 – 2:30 p.m.)
WHY:             Support family caregivers and advance AARP Hawaii’s long-term care legislation (SB 2830 and SB 3255).
 
AARP Hawaii is also pleased to invite up to 30 volunteer advocates to the State Office for a training session on long-term care beginning at 10 a.m. that day. This will be a chance to learn more about our pending legislation, after which we’ll walk together to the Capitol for the rally at 1 p.m. If you would like to be part of this session please contact Ed Thompson at 545-6005 or ethompson@aarp.org. Space is limited for the pre-rally training, so be sure to register in advance.
 
The long-term care rally is also an opportunity to show your support for Hawaii’s growing Divided We Fail (DWF) movement. DWF is AARP’s national effort to raise the voices of millions of Americans who believe that access to affordable, quality health care and lifetime financial security are the most pressing domestic issues facing our nation.
 
If you would like to be part of the March 14 rally for caregivers or the DWF outreach effort, please contact AARP Hawaii at 545-6006 or bbottorff@aarp.org. 
Added: February 29, 2008
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AARP Hawaii Advocacy Agenda - 2008
AARP Hawaii invites residents of all ages to join us in strengthening our community through service and advocacy. The need for united action has never been greater. Hawaii’s people enjoy the greatest longevity in the country and we must act now to anticipate the needs of our kûpuna – whose ranks are projected to grow by 86 percent over the next 22 years. 
 
Through the national Divided We Fail movement, AARP is seeking broad-based, bi-partisan solutions to the most pressing domestic issues facing Hawaii and our nation: the need for affordable, quality health care and lifetime financial security.  Together we will demand action, answers and accountability from our elected leaders – and common sense solutions that recognize that individuals, businesses and government have a role and a responsibility in ensuring health and lifetime financial security for all. 
 
LONG-TERM-CARE 
 
AARP Hawaii will advocate for and sponsor legislation to raise public awareness of the need for the long-term care (LTC) financing solutions. We will convene a LTC coalition to build support and help develop a multi-year legislative strategy to address continuum of care needs and the costs associated with levels of care. Increased visibility will be attained through a statewide survey in January and outreach activities related to two key events: the April 2 PBS special on Caring for Your Parents and our annual Caregiver Conference in November. 
 
RX AFFORDABILITY
 
We will advocate for the implementation of the Rx law which requires the State to negotiate for discounted drugs through bulk purchasing.
 
FINANCIAL SECURITY
 
AARP Hawaii will sponsor its annual shredding event in Honolulu with smaller consumer-focused events on the Neighbor Island. This year’s event will also serve as AARP’s Day of Service event, a community service activity aimed at preventing identity theft and raising awareness of consumer fraud. 
 
LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
 
AARP Hawaii is a leader in promoting livable communities based on Complete Streets Principles that encourage mobility options – particularly walking and bicycling. Volunteers will lead a campaign for an Oahu Transit Oriented Development ordinance and changes to the Maui General Plan in support intergenerational housing and mixed income housing.
 
Call to Action for Members and Volunteers
 
With more than 156,000 members in Hawaii, AARP is well positioned to lead the movement for positive change benefiting elder residents and our entire community. During the 2008 State Legislature we will build on our progress by leveraging the power of our members, volunteers, and partners. Call AARP Hawaii at 808-545-6006 to find out how you can get involved as an advocate. Visit dividedwefail.org to add your voice to millions of other Americans ready to support candidates who will give us action, answers and accountability on health and lifetime financial security.
Added: January 15, 2008
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