#AARP Hawaii

Hawaiʻi will need nearly 60,000 additional housing units by 2050 to meet future demand, with much of that need driven by an aging population and rising housing costs, according to a new analysis prepared for AARP Hawaiʻi.

AARP Hawaiʻi welcomes Maui resident Grant Chun, a retired attorney and housing executive, as its new state president. The state president, a volunteer position, works closely with the state director, staff and volunteers to lead AARP’s work in Hawaiʻi. 

From porch pirates to bogus shopping websites to fake charities, scammers often take advantage of holiday cheer to steal money.

Medicare beneficiaries can get help from AARP Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i State Health Insurance Assistance Program to evaluate changes in their Medicare insurance and assistance in selecting the plan that best meets their needs during a free webinar on Dec. 5. Medicare Open Enrollment ends on Dec. 7.

Telehealth proved critical in the pandemic, pushing the federal government to allow Medicare coverage for more services in more areas. But those flexibilities will end for patients in some areas unless Congress acts by Sept. 30.

Two Maui nonprofits – Grow Some Good and the Maui Academy of Performing Arts – have received $15,000 each from AARP’s Community Challenge grant program to improve Maui communities and make them more livable, especially for kūpuna.

The Hawaiʻi State Legislature’s Kūpuna Caucus convened by state Sen. Sharon Moriwaki and Rep. Cory M. Chun shared their 2025 legislative package, a set of bills focused on enhancing the quality of life for seniors across the state.  

AARP Hawaiʻi has announced brain health workshops designed to help keep the mind sharp and healthy throughout the aging process.

Local eligible nonprofits and governments across the country can now apply for the 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant program, which funds quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections and more.

AARP Foundation is recruiting friendly and service-oriented people throughout Hawaiʻi to join its Tax-Aide volunteer team. Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest free, volunteer-based tax assistance and preparation program. During the 2024 tax season, almost 28,000 volunteers served over 1.7 million taxpayers. Tax-Aide participants saved more than $1.3 billion in refunds and credits.  

To help people review their benefits and choose appropriate plans during the Medicare Open Enrollment, the nonprofit and State of Hawaiʻi Health Insurance Assistance Program will hold a joint workshop on Maui.

AARP Hawaiʻi and US Senator Brian Schatz have announced an upcoming telephone forum to discuss the future of Social Security on its 89th birthday.

US military veterans and active-duty service members might be missing free financial aid to modify their homes. According to a recent AARP survey, more than half (60%) of veterans ages 45 and older are unaware that the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers grant funding to modify their homes. Nearly a quarter (24%) of veterans need financial assistance to make home modifications to continue living in their homes safely and independently, reported AARP.

AARP Hawaiʻi is empowering longer lifespans through a series of free one-hour webinars that help people plan for retirement. These webinars will be happening via Zoom each Saturday starting June 22 through July 13.

Older registered voters on Maui overwhelmingly support a tax credit for family caregivers, according to a new AARP Hawaiʻi survey of registered voters 40 and older. That support is widespread and cuts across the political spectrum. Most respondents said the state does not provide enough support to family caregivers, according to the survey results.

AARP Hawaiʻi and Kaunoa Meals on Wheels will hand deliver about 500 roses and handmade Valentine’s Day cards to kūpuna on Maui. It’s part of the national Cupid Crew effort to deliver more than 170,000 roses and 35,000 cards to older adults, fostering intergenerational connections with those who may be at risk for social isolation. 

AARP Hawaiʻi today announced grants totaling $625,000 from AARP Foundation that will go to local organizations providing relief assistance to older victims of the recent Maui wildfires.

AARP Hawaiʻi invites the public to play classic board games at Kaunoa Senior Center in Pāʻia on Oct. 15.

AARP Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i Public Health Institute created the Kūpuna Digital Resource Directory as part of a larger effort to bridge the digital divide and help more kūpuna go online.

Less than one-third (29%) of those surveyed have yet to create a comprehensive emergency plan for natural disasters, while just 1 in 10 have embraced modern tools such as disaster-related apps or text notifications from official national disaster resource agencies. And only 10% of older adults follow national disaster resource organizations on social media such as FEMA, American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.