Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 6, 1 Iune 2003 — Calling volunteers! OHA Sage Plus update [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Calling volunteers! OHA Sage Plus update

£ A no'ai kākou. When the /\ Native Hawaiian Health Ā. Task Force was first eonvened in 1999, we focused our efforts on four underserved and vulnerable groups: keiki, 'ōpio, kūpuna, and underinsured mākua. We eame up with ambitious plans, such as the creation of a Hawaiian HMO. However, this plan was not pursued when an actuarial study found that, since Hawaiians have disproportionately poor health eompared to the rest of the population in Hawaii, OHA could lose up to $20 million per year. The Task Force then decided to refocus its efforts on the most vulnerable segment of our community, our kūpuna. In 1996, the Pacific Health Research Institute reported that the rates of death from major chronic disease were higher for Hawaiian elderly than nonHawaiians. They attributed this disparity to the late diagnosis and treatment of health problems. The

Task Force felt it could deal with this problem immediately and ease the suffering of our kūpuna by providing valuable information on Medicare benefits through the OHA Sage Plus program. Most people do not know that Medicare pays for many preventive services such as: • mammography for breast cancer screening • pap smears for cervical cancer screening • colorectal cancer screening • bone mass measurements for osteoporosis • diabetes self-management and blood glucose monitoring • flu and Pneumonia vaccinations. These Medicare benefits ean be a key to long lasting good health and ean help our kūpuna determine their health risks and needs for preventive medicine. The Task Force developed the OHA Sage Plus program a year ago as an outreach program to ensure our kūpuna receive all of the

Medicaid benefits that they are entitled. The State Executive Office on Aging (EOA) will train volunteers to conduct informational presentations to assist kūpuna in assessing their eligibility for Medicare, Medigap,Medicare + Choice, Supplemental plans, Hospice, Long-Term Care Insurance and Advanced Healthcare Directives and other health benefits. The application process ean get bewildering for many kūpuna since Medicare rules and regulations are constantly changing. The EOA provides volunteers with regular training updates. OHA volunteers will also collect vital quantitative data that will be valuable in formulating future programs and strategies to help the kūpuna population. This data ean also be used to justify grant applications for federal funds and to eonvince our own State legislature to fund more programs to assist kūpuna.

OHA'sstaff from Hilo, Kona, Kaua'i, Maui and Moloka'i will be undergoing the training so that they may bring this valuable service to kūpuna on the neighbor islands. One of the goals of the program is for the training to expand to the neighbor islands. After a lifetime of dignity, independence, and hard work, many of our proud kūpuna are embarrassed to ask outsiders for help. They also believe it is shameful to air one' s problems in puhlie. The Pacific Health Research Institute recommended greater outreach to the kūpuna community by providing information and referrals, whieh the program hopes to accomplish. It is unacceptable that our kūpuna continue to be denied life saving health benefits because they laek the information to access it. We must strive to do everything possible to help our kupuna get the inforSee AKANA on page 21

Rowena Akana

Trustee, At-large

AKANAfrom page 16 mation they need to improve and prolong their quality of life. Improving the health of our kūpuna will only make the greater Hawaiian community stronger. How ean we build a nation when we cannot properly care for the most vulnerable part of our eommunity? Unless something is done now, their health will continue to fail and we will risk prematurely losing their wisdom at a time when we need it the most, a time when every entitlement for Hawaiians are under attack. The next OHA SAGE PLUS training workshop is set for June 9-10, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at either the State Executive Office of Aging or at OHA. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please eontact OHA staff member Nancy Holt at 594-1905. An estimated 16,000 Hawaiian kūpuna are potentially eligible for Medicare program benefits. We are determined to recruit at least 50 volunteers. Our kūpuna generally feel more comfortable when people their own age explain things to them, however, all who passionately believe in assisting the elderly are urged to join the program. Mahalo nui! If you desire more information about the article above, eall Trustee Akana at 594-0204. For more articles, eheek out my website at www.rowenaakana.org. ■