Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 3, 1 March 1989 — Health Needs Of Kupuna Studied [ARTICLE]

Health Needs Of Kupuna Studied

Improved health and social services for Native Hawaiian senior citizens is the goal of an ongoing study being conducted by the Native Hawaiian Elderly Needs Assessment project of Alu Like ine. The research project is expected to end in August or September this year. Its central purpose is to produce a comprehensive report documenting the problems faced by Hawaiian kupuna (age 55 and older) in using state and federally funded health and social services. The report will be used to develop proposals and to recommend improvements in existing services for Native Hawaiian senior citizens. Project director Ken Forbes, and research assistant Nantawan Potapohn are conducting the needs assessment project to answer three basic questions: *What problems are evident for Native Hawaiian senior citizens, and how do they compare with non-Hawaiians? Six existing surveys on the health needs and living conditions of elderly Hawaiians are being analyzed. One of the surveys was done in 1984 by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The researchers hope to establish relative rates of chronic medical conditions, mortality, handicaps, cancer, and high risk health be-

haviors. In addition, they are looking at the living conditions whieh contribute to poor health such as poverty, housing problems or laek of adequate primary medical care. *How well represented are Native Hawaiian seniors as users of services for the elderly? Data is being provided by county, state and federally-funded services for the elderly. Services eome under three government entities: 1) the County Area Agencies on Aging whieh provide community based supportive and nutrition services. 2) The State Department of Human Services whieh provides welfare assistance, public housing and other family services. 3) The Department of Health whieh provides screening programs for diabetes and high blood pressure, individual case management for frail elderly, and dental and mental health services. *Are Native Hawaiian elders accepting of these services and do these services meet their needs as they perceive them? Interviews with Hawaiian kupuna are planned this spring to learn what kind of services they most need, and how they think services should be provided. A total of 90 participants on all the islands will be involved.