July 27 Meeting: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Problems and Issues

Click here to listen.

Speaker: Patricia Urieff, MSW, ACSW, LSW, employed with twenty-four years of experience providing social work services to children and families including grandparents raising grandchildren.

Right-click to download handout: Identification of Key Issues (pdf).

Notes:

About 14,000 grandparents are raising about 35,000 grandchildren in Hawaii. However, they are forgotten in government materials listing resources available for caregivers. Not only do grandparents not know of resources but there is also a lack of communication between government and school administrators about their rights even when they present an official affidavit entitled Caregiver Consent. This affidavit, for example, permits grandparents to participate in parent-teacher conferences, permission for their grandchildren to participate in after school activities and for health care. Some schools do not notify them of these activities.

Other issues:

Statewide, seniors living in elderly public housing receive eviction notices whenever they provide care for a grandchild-in-crisis. They instead need reasonable time to find other affordable housing.

When a grandchild is removed from a home and placed in foster care, grandparents are often not thought of as a suitable, willing placement.

US Census Bureau: Seniors will soon outnumber kids

 

Seniors Will Soon Outnumber Kids

Guardian, UK - The world is about to cross a demographic landmark of huge social and economic importance, with the proportion of the global population 65 and over set to outnumber children under five for the first time.

A new report by the US census bureau . . . shows that within 10 years older people will outnumber children for the first time. It forecasts that over the next 30 years the number of over-65s is expected to almost double, from 506 million in 2008 to 1.3 billion - a leap from 7% of the world's population to 14%. Already, the number of people in the world 65 and over is increasing at an average of 870,000 each month.

. . . An important finding of the report is that the wave of ageing that has until recently been considered a phenomenon of the developed world is fast encroaching on poorer countries too. More than 80% of the increase in older people in the year up to July 2008 was seen in developing countries.

By 2040, the poor world is projected to be home to more than 1 billion people aged 65 and over - fully 76% of the world total.

July 27 Program: Grandparents Raising Grandparents: Problems and Issues

MONDAY, July 27, 2009

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Miyama Main Hall, Harris United Methodist Church
Nuuanu Ave. and South Vineyard Blvd.

Ample parking - driveway off Nuuanu Ave.

AGENDA:

11:30 Luncheon: Various Subway sandwiches, Salad, Drinks, Dessert by Eloise, $5.00 Donation

11:45 Welcome: Introductions and Remarks, Larry Geller, President

12:00 Program: Patricia Urieff, Grandparents Raising Grandparents: Problems and Issues.
MSW, ACSW, LSW, employed with twenty-four years of experience providing social work services to children and families including grandparents raising grandchildren.

Questions and Answers

12:50 Announcements

1:00 Adjourn

DVDs of “Graying of Hawaii” available at Kokua Council meetings

At its June board meeting, Kokua Council voted to recognize film makers Mark Delorme and Audrey Kubota for their muckraking documentary, Graying of Hawaii.

The board  expressed support for the  film’s main points and appreciation for what they accomplished despite many obstacles.

The filmmakers are providing copies of the DVD free to be distributed at our luncheon meetings.

Kupuna Caucus & Aging in Place meeting July 10

The Kupuna Caucus and the Joint Legislative Committee on Aging in Place will meet at 2:00pm on Friday, July 10, 2009 in state capitol conference room 229 to receive reports and updates on:

٠Kupuna Care and Preservation of the Safety Net, ٠Health Aging Partnerships, ٠Aging Disability Resource Center, ٠Senior Centers, ٠Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, ٠Website Posting of Care Settings, ٠Home for Life Task Force, ٠Paid Family Leave, ٠Funeral Trusts, ٠Long Term Care Commission, ٠Center on Aging at the University of Hawaii, ٠Leahi Hospital Master Plan, ٠Certified Nurses Aide Continuing Education, ٠Home Care Agency Licensing, ٠Adequate Medicaid Reimbursements, ٠St. Francis Staying Healthy at Home, ٠Adequate Medicaid Reimbursements, ٠Quest Expanded, ٠Fall Prevention, ٠How to Start Up a Home care Business, ٠Universal Health, ٠Silver Alert System for Missing Seniors

Persons who wish to submit testimony or who have questions are asked to contact Senator Les Ihara's office at 586-6250. A copy of the JLCAIP notice can be found at:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2009/hearingnotices/HEARING_JLCAIP_07-10-09_INFO_.HTM

Bill would create “senior alert” in Hawaii, similar to Amber alert system

by Larry Geller

A bill planned for introduction in the 2010 legislative session by Representative Cynthia Thielen would create a “Silver Alert” program, similar to an Amber Alert, for missing senior citizens.

According to the draft bill, the Silver Alert system would be similar to the existing MAILE AMBER (Minor Abducted in Life-threatening Emergency/America's Broadcast Emergency Response) alert program and operated under the direction of the office of the Attorney General.

The system could be activated by a county police department when it receives notice of a  missing senior citizen from the family or legal guardian who can document that the missing person has an impaired mental condition.

The bill will be taken up by the legislative Kupuna Caucus. Information on the Kupuna Caucus can be obtained from the office of Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, (808) 586-6130. Rep. Thielen’s office can be reached at (808) 586-6480.