by Wes Lum

Participants in the Family Caregiver Awareness Day and Resource Fair held at the Hawaii State Capitol on March 14, 2008. At center in the back row: Hawaii State Sen. J. Kalani English.

Convened in 2005, the Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition is an association of more than 60 organizations that support informal caregivers for older adults, as well as grandparents raising grandchildren. Our activities of the past year, what we are currently focusing on and the challenges we have encountered offer an example of the diversity and the significance of initiatives undertaken by a statewide caregiver coalition. Although in some ways unique to our state, our coalition’s approach to advocacy and outreach can offer both inspiration and concrete models to similar groups elsewhere.

In November 2007 during National Family Caregiver Month, our coalition partnered with KHON 2 -- Hawaii’s FOX TV affiliate -- to launch the 2007 Family Caregiver Awards program. A plaque and gift package was awarded to community organizations in four categories: education, support, advocacy and individual. Additionally, each Thursday morning during the month of November, coalition members were interviewed on air during the station’s morning show -- and the segments were then turned into a report for the 5:00 p.m. news broadcast.

On January 15, 2008, the coalition held its annual membership meeting and luncheon. That same day, we sponsored the Third Annual Holo Imua Kakou (Moving Forward Together) Legislative Reception and Ice Cream Social at the Hawaii State Capitol. The purpose of the reception was to increase state elected officials’ awareness of family caregiving issues and to summarize legislative solutions to caregiving issues which will be introduced into the 2008 session of the state legislature. More than 25 legislators and more than 200 legislative staff members joined us.

On March 14, 2008, the coalition organized a Family Caregiver Awareness Day and Resource Fair at the Capitol. The fair included more than 45 exhibitors and food booths, as well as scheduled legislative visits and the unveiling and distribution of our 2008 Aging Issues booklet. We also coordinated with AARP Hawaii, which organized a Caregiver’s Rock Rally that afternoon. We estimate that over 700 individuals attended the day’s activities. The Aging Issues booklet, which is a summary of legislative issues dealing with aging, caregiving and long-term care, has turned out to be the go-to resource for legislators, staff and advocates for elder issues being discussed at the Capitol.

Producing Public Service Announcements

Currently, the coalition is working with KHON 2 and KGMB 9 to produce three public service announcements; this is the stations’ way of saying thank you for the coalition’s significant contribution to the development of their aging-related programs. KHON 2’s Elderhood Project has generously given us two PSA spots: one will focus on grandparents raising grandchildren, and the other on balancing work and eldercare. KGMB 9’s Genius of Aging Campaign has given us one PSA spot to introduce the work of the coalition to the general public.

Building on these successes, our immediate challenge is to give more structure to our coalition. We currently operate on an informal basis, but as we become a major player in Hawaii’s aging network, we are struggling to determine how to grow and sustain our all-volunteer association. A core group of a dozen organizations primarily plan and implement the activities for the larger coalition, and we are worried about sustainability.

Our next steps to address these concerns are threefold. First, we will host an exhibit table at all senior fairs and caregiver conferences statewide. Second, during the summer months, we will reconvene the group to consider a new organizational structure. Finally, we will plan our 2009 Faces of Family Caregiving Campaign and will solicit sponsors.

Wes Lum is an assistant specialist at the Center on Aging at the University of Hawaii; he is working with the Hawaii Executive Office on Aging to develop a comprehensive system of support and services for the state’s family caregivers.

Photo: Courtesy Wes Lum

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