Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 1999 — The health of our kūpuna [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The health of our kūpuna

AT HEARINGS sponsored by Senator Daniel K. Inouye at the Federal Building in August, many people testified that for the last decade, the federal government has been funding heahh clinics and other heahh organizations aimed at helping the Hawaiian community. While these chnics have been able to make strides in the areas of prevention and referral, they have not been able to provide direct services to our people. The heahh problems of Hawaiians, over this 10-year period, have gotten mueh worse, and there is no proof that these services have even made a dent in our health care services. Something else had to be implemented to deal with this important eoneem. During the last Board of Trustees meeting in Kahului, I pushed to implement a Native Hawaiian Heahh Plan that would provide much-needed supplemental prescription medication to thousands of kupuna living on fixed incomes. Through this plan, the Office of Hawai-

ian Affairs would attempt to assist kūpuna with their prescription dmg expenses by helping to cover a portion of their out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. This is something that has never before been undertaken by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. My commitment to implementing this program was further strengthened while

I attended the community meeting in Lahaina. I heard kūpuna describe how they would stretch the dosages of their medication, taking only a portion at a time, so that they would have enough to last until they could afford a refill. An elderly eouple told us how they would share a single prescription and make it last by alternating the days they would eaeh take a dosage. Kūpuna, some of whom relied on canes and kāko'o to assist them, stood up before the Board to present their mana'o. All spoke in support of this program. All described a great need within their community to have this heahh plan available to them. All told stories of how expensive their medications were. All asked the trustees for help. YET, DESPITE this outcry from the kūpuna, only Trustees Mililani Trask, Louis Hao and I supported the push for a supplemental drug plan. The other trustees had questions about the appropriation of $500,000. I had to defer the item until the next board meeting, so that the entire measure would not be lost. I have been a trustee for eight years. I've sat at many board meetings, and seen the board take action on so many

things — some without plans and some without justification I've seen money appropriated without so mueh as a second thought. I never would have imagined that the health of kūpuna would be something that would cause six trustees to be so indecisive. Something that has the potential for directly impacting the heahh of our kūpuna in a positive way should never be taken lightly. In fact, based on the recommendations of the task force who looked at the heahh plan best suited for our kūpuna, the $500,000 cost for startup is a bargain. They felt a good plaee to start this pilot program would be with the kūpuna. Onee figures and data could be collected from this program, the task force could use these to help other segments of the Hawaiian population — namely our keiki. Federal monies would then become available to match OHA's contribution to the heahh plan. With the board's decision to defer this very important matter, our elders will continue to share their pills, skip doses and suffer from diseases that could ultimately be controlled. I will eonhnue to support of the Native Hawaiian Heahh Care Plan. We owe kūpuna an improved quality of life. ■

CHAIRPERSON'S MESSAGE

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TRUSTEE MESSAGES

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