Conference

conference

CONFERENCE HISTORY

The first HPGS conference was first held on February 5 and 6, 1981 at the Ilikai Hotel to highlight new developments and research in the gerontological field. That two-day event also focused on the problems of the elderly, strategies for their care and health maintenance, rehabilitation, and housing options. It was entitled "Conference on Aging."

Over the years, HPGS has continued to provide a forum where professionals, lay persons, and volunteers involved with aging can receive and exchange information and ideas, be kept up-to-date on new developments and research in the gerontological field. Speakers with expertise from various disciplines related to aging are hailed from Hawaii, the continental U.S., and foreign countries.

The 2018 HPGS Biennial Conference will be the 20th conference. It will be held on September 6 and 7 at the Ala Moana Hotel. HPGS invites believes that the conference will be beneficial to everyone in the senior industry in the way of education, new information, best practices and networking opportunities.

The last HPGS conference was held on September 6 - 7, 2018:

We are in the midst of a demographic shift that is shaping the way different generations relate to each other in both private and public spheres. Old age is perceived as a sign of frailty, dependency, and helplessness, as reflected in a public discourse dominated by the problems of aging. Although people continue to live healthy and independent lives for an average of 13-14 years after they retire, our society has yet to recognize and engage the full potential of our older adults. In recent years, we have seen intergenerational initiatives in the U.S. and abroad that have greatly impacted their communities. Intergenerational shared sites have been proven to provide mutual benefits for both young and old participants with regard to their educational, social, and care needs.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

What are we doing as a society to assure an inexorable transition into old age? As leaders in the field of gerontology, we are charged with doing what is necessary to ensure that we understand all that is involved in the aging process and its impact from a multidisciplinary approach; the physical, mental, social and economic aspects of aging. The last 100 years have seen dramatic advances in the number of persons living into old age. However, living longer has also increased the number of elderly suffering with age-onset diseases. Living longer poses the challenge of making those added years healthful.

Lack of resources to prepare for this aging wave mandates that we work together collaboratively. Meeting the many challenges of aging requires us to be innovative --- redefining, restructuring, expanding, shifting paradigms. For this reason, HPGS is working to position Hawaii as a leader in healthy aging through strong partnerships. Our goal is to provide an opportunity to come together, share strides in research, best practices, and collaborate that we may Face Our Future Together, making a difference in the lives of our kūpuna.

Congratulations to the 2018 Na Lima Kokua Award Winners!

At each Hawaii Gerontological Society Biennial Conference, individuals and businesses are nominated to receive the Na Lima Kokua Award for their efforts to enhance the image of aging or who have promoted the field of gerontology. The awards go to those eligible for their unique contributions to the elderly. Categories for the awards are Community Service, Volunteer, Government, Research/Training, Business, and the Tony Lenzer Scholar Award. This year's Award Recipients span a wide variety of services for our Kupuna, and all are well-deserving of not only being nominated for the award, but to been chosen to receive the awards. Winners this year include Nathaniel Stillman of Kalakaua Gardens for the Business Award, Representative Gregg Takayama for the Government Award, Pedro Hara of Caring Across Generations for the Community Service Award, Dr. Kamal Masaki from the Department of Geriatric Medicine at the John A Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii for the Research/Teaching Award, Na Hoaloha for the Volunteer Award, and Ruby Young, winner of the The Tony Lenzer Scholarship Award. More information on each recipient of this prestigious award is detailed below.

Nathaniel Stillman, winner of the Na Lima Kokua Award for Business

Nathaniel Stillman graduated from UH Manoa with a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management. He and his brother were caregivers for their grandmother, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s.

I took part in volunteering for Leahi Adult Day Care while his grandmother was there, strumming ukulele for them when he picked up his grandmother.

He worked for TSA from 2008 – 2016, but he knew that working with seniors was his calling. He joined Hawaii Kai Retirement Community in 2016 as an activity coordinator. He then joined Kalakaua Gardens in February 2017 as the Independent Living Recreation Director.

He lives in Hawaii Kai with his wife, Sharon, and three dogs. Two of his dogs make daily visits to Kalakaua Gardens to provide pet therapy for both residents and staff!

Ruby Young, winner of the Na Lima Kokua Tony Lenzer Scholarship Award

Ruby Young was a two-time scholarship recipient of HPGS and graduated with her Masters degree in nursing with a specialty in Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner because she wanted to make a difference in the health outcome in geriatric patients. She is thankful for the support she received from HPGS to be able to accomplish her goal.

Upon graduation, Ruby applied to jobs in Washington because she wanted to get experience, as it can be quite challenging to find a job as a new graduate. She currently works in a Life Care skilled nursing facility in Gig Harbor, Washington, where Ruby works with geriatric patients who are admitted to the facility for either short term rehabilitation or long term stay and serves as a medical provider. She oversees the care of residents in the nursing facility but hopes to one day return to Hawaii.

State Rep Gregg Takayama, winner of the Na Lima Kokua Award for Government

State Representative Gregg Takayama is proud to serve District 34, consisting of the Pearl City, Waimalu, and Pacific Palisades communities, where he has lived for several decades with his wife Linda Takayama and their three daughters.

Rep. Takayama is a product of the public school system and a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a degree in journalism. He is a former award-winning journalist who worked at KHON-TV as a news reporter for eight years.

Rep. Takayama also served on the staffs of U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye and then-Lt. Governor Ben Cayetano. He was spokesman for UH Manoa for six years until he was elected to the State House in 2012.

He currently serves as Chair of the House Public Safety Committee, which oversees Hawaii's correctional system and State emergency services. His priority has been to improve public safety by modernizing correctional facilities and policies to better rehabilitate inmates.

He also serves as Co-Chair of the Legislature's Kupuna Caucus, which advances legislation important to senior citizens.

Pedro Haro, winner of the Na Lima Kokua Award for Community Service

With a Master’s Degree in Public Health with a focus on health communications, Pedro Haro has led numerous communications, social marketing, and advocacy campaigns in Hawaii. For the past 14 years, he has led successful comprehensive communications programs on issues that include tobacco control, youth empowerment, binge drinking and underage drinking prevention, fruit and vegetable consumption, homelessness reduction, physical activity, domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse.

Pedro was part of the original leadership team to reform the University of Hawaii’s smoking policy, which was then used as a model for the state’s second-hand smoke law protecting all workers from the dangers of second-hand smoke. He has trained hundreds of youth on advocacy and legislative strategy through the REAL program at the Hawaii Cancer Center, and oversaw legislative strategy at the Joyful Heart Foundation to reform the Rape Kit Backlog in Hawaii. Pedro served for 5 years as the head of communications of the Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund. More recently, as the Director of Advocacy for Hawaii for Caring Across Generations, Pedro led efforts to pass the Kupuna Caregivers Act, signed into law by Governor Ige in 2017, the first of its kind in the nation. Pedro also serves as the Deputy Director of Mental Health America of Hawaii and is President and Founder of Social Marketing Hawaii.

Na Hoaloha, winner of the Na Lima Kokua Volunteer Award

Nā Hoaloha is a volunteer-based nonprofit, serving Maui County for over 23 years. Our goal is to keep homebound seniors and persons with disabilities safe, free from isolation, and out of long-term institutional care. Nā Hoaloha serves the islands of Maui, Lana’i, Moloka’i and the Hana community.

Our mission: “Nā Hoaloha provides compassionate care to seniors and persons with disabilities to help them remain independent and to enhance their quality of life.”

Our vision: “Nā Hoaloha is a community driven volunteer organization providing services by volunteers in service to others.”

Programs such as friendly visitors, escorted transportation, telephone reassurance, respite care, and in-home Falls Risk assessments are supported by the 312 active volunteers and delivered to the nearly 870 participants in the county of Maui. Nā Hoaloha Volunteers range in age from 16 – 97, with the majority over 60 years of age. As enrollment for service continues to increase, Nā Hoaloha strives to meet the challenges through innovation, collaboration and the generous, caring spirit of the volunteers.

Dr. Kamal Masaki, winner of the Na Lima Kokua Award for Research/Teaching

Dr. Kamal Masaki is Professor and Chair of the Department of Geriatric Medicine at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i Mānoa. She earned her medical degree at the University of Bombay, India, and completed Internal Medicine Residency training at Michigan State University and Geriatric Medicine Fellowship training at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa.

Dr. Masaki was the Director of the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa for 8 years, and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. She was elected to be a Fellow of the American Geriatrics Society. She has been performing aging research for over 28 years, and has been an Investigator and Clinical Director for many large longitudinal epidemiologic studies, including the internationally renowned Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program, Honolulu-Asia Aging Study, Hawaii Lifespan Study, Hawaii Healthspan Study, and related offspring studies. She was Clinical Director for the Women's Health Initiative Hawaii Clinical Center, and Principal Investigator for an ancillary study, the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study Hawaii Center.

Dr. Masaki is the Director of the John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Excellence in Geriatrics at the University of Hawaii. She is Co-Principal Investigator for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (HRSA grant). She was previously Principal Investigator for a training grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, and Co-Principal Investigator for the Pacific Islands Geriatric Education Center (HRSA grant, PI 2008-13). She was previously Principal Investigator of the Hawaii Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) grant from the NIA, which designated the University of Hawaii one of seven national training centers for aging research (2005-10). She has a strong track record for mentoring medical students, residents, fellows and junior faculty in aging research.

Dr. Masaki has received numerous teaching and research awards, and was selected by Hawaii physicians to "The Best Doctors in America" 3 times. She is a co-author on over 250 publications in scientific journals.

2018 Speaker Transcript Downloads

ADULT DAY CARE - Kathy Wyatt

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE CENTERS OF HAWAII

UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR – Dorothy Colby

DEMENTIA – Christy Nishita, Debbie Shimizu, Rep. Gregg Takayama

FALL PREVENTION – A Guide for Professionals – Stan Michaels

SUCCESSFUL CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION FUNDRAISING FOR NONPROFITS – John Feather, PhD

FIVE LESSONS FROM 40 YEARS – John Feather, PhD

KEEPING THE COMPETITION FROM TAKING MY EMPLOYEES – Carrie Takahama, Sr.

TRANSFORMING AGING WITH HEALTH INNOVATION – Shari Kogan

FROM ROOT TO FRUIT – Kumu Ramsay Taum

LIFE CARE & ADVANCE CARE PLANNING FOR DEMENTIA – Laurie Adamshick