FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       June 12, 2007

CITY’S ELDERLY AFFAIRS DIVISION

RELEASES DRAFT AREA PLAN ON AGING

            The public is invited to review and comment on the City’s proposed Four-Year Area Plan on Aging.

            The plan, which covers the period from October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2011, identifies the needs of Oahu’s growing population of older adults and defines the types of services they will need from government, non-profit agencies, and the private sector.  The plan, drafted by the City’s Elderly Affairs Division of the Department of Community Services, will be presented to the mayor and City Council for approval, then incorporated into a statewide plan for submittal to the U.S. Administration on Aging.  The document is a prerequisite for continued federal funding for programs serving older Americans.

            Karen Miyake, the county executive on aging and chief of the Elderly Affairs Division, said, “The number of older individuals, those 60 years of age and older, is growing faster than any other segment of Honolulu’s population.  In 1980, just 11 percent of our county’s total population was 60 or older.  But by 2010, only a few years from now, that number will top 20 percent as the first baby boomers reach 65.  This plan will help us respond to what should be significant shifts in everything from health care demands to leisure time activities.”

            The 251-page plan includes a demographic profile of the target group, health statistics and trends, a comprehensive listing of service providers and the number of clients they serve, and an inventory of resources, as well as recommendations for action.

The draft plan is available at www.elderlyaffairs.com/DraftAreaPlan.pdf

Miyake urges the public, service providers, governmental entities, and other interested parties to review the plan and offer comments at a number of public hearings scheduled for the following dates and locations:

June 14, 2007

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

ORI Anuenue Helemano Plantation

64-1510 Kamehameha Highway

June 18, 2007

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center

1640 Lanakila Avenue

June 20, 2007

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Waianae District Park

85-601 Farrington Highway

June 26, 2007

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Kaneohe Community & Senior Center

45-613 Puohala Street

Comments may also be submitted by mail or fax to:

Elderly Affairs Division

City and County of Honolulu

Attn: Karen Miyake, County Executive on Aging

715 South King Street, Suite 200

Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Fax:  (808) 527-6895

For additional information about the plan, contact Pat Tompkins, Chief Planner, Elderly Affairs Division, at (808) 768-7712.

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Contact:

Debbie Kim Morikawa, Director, 768-7760

Karen Miyake, County Executive on Aging, 767-7708