Kupuna Fair Sheds Light on Services

Left to right, Malia Nishihira, Justine Cockett, Hi’ilei Akaka and Maile Silva. Photo by Léo Azambuja

By Léo Azambuja
Aging in place with dignity and independence can be challenging. But it doesn’t have to be. The Molokai Kupuna Fair hosted by Maui County officials last week helped dozens of kupuna to figure out where to seek help when different challenges arise.
“We have different health centers, health providers, different agencies, transportation and in-home services to just give more access for services for our kupuna, because Molokai is very much a kupuna population, so we’re just trying to help that crowd,” said Hiʻilei Akaka, aging and disability service specialist for Molokai at the Maui County Office on Aging.
The first ever Molokai Kupuna Fair hosted by Akaka at Mitchell Pauʻole Center Aug. 8 was an opportunity for information sharing from different providers that strictly offer services to the island’s senior residents.
“Today, we have 24 vendors that came. We have already interest for next year’s event,” Akaka said, adding at least 150 kupuna attended the fair.
The vendors included Maui Economic Opportunity, Aloha Independent Living Hawaii, Molokai Community Health Center, Ohana Health, Hospice Maui, Na Puʻuwai, Alu Like, Kaunoa Senior Services, Hale Mahaolu, Medicare, Generations Magazine, Habitat for Humanity, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Pacific Disabilities Center, Molokai Drugs, Nail Bar Molokai, Domestic Violence Resources, State Department of Health Developmental Disabilities Division, Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, Public Health, Dr. Brianne Childs, and CareResource Hawaii.
The idea for the fair was brought to Akaka through outreach community meetings and service providers, she said.
“We know that it was important to have access for kupuna, because there’s a lot of fairs on island, but it’s not specifically for kupuna,” Akaka said, adding she discussed with the Maui Office on Aging that it would be a good idea to have a fair on Molokai just for the kupuna, since Maui has its own annual fair in November and it is quite large.
One of the biggest challenges for kupuna on Molokai, she said, is securing a long-term care facility for them on-island.
“You have to go off-island, you have to go to Oahu or Maui, and there’s nothing here,” Akaka said. “We want our kupuna to stay on Molokai, and to age in place with dignity instead of having to leave their loved ones and go off-island for care.”
Additionally, because Mokulele Airlines is the only inter-island transportation provider for Molokai, she said, it can be challenging for the kupuna to seek medical help off-island.
“So, we are trying to get more vendors here, more access to medical professionals here as well on Molokai,” Akaka said. “That’s one of our main goals; just more easily accessible services for our seniors.”
Visit www.mauicountyadrc.org for more information.