2025 Kūpuna Resource Guide
230+ organizations that help older adults learn, live and thrive in Hawai‘i.
By HONOLULU Magazine Team
Aloha,
Caring for our friends, families, and neighbors has been HMSA’s mission since we opened our doors in 1938.
More than 86 years later, we continue to support the people of Hawaii with quality health care at every stage of life.
As Hawaii’s aging population continues to grow, HMSA is proud to be a sponsor of Honolulu Magazine’s 2025 Kūpuna Resource Guide. Whether you’re a kupuna navigating life changes or a caregiver supporting a loved one, the guide provides tools and resources to help you along the way.
If you have questions about Medicare and our health plans, programs, and services, we’re here for you. Visit us at an HMSA Center in Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului, Lihue, or Pearl City. For locations and hours, visit hmsa.com/contact.
We’re here for you and we look forward to welcoming you at our centers.
Mahalo,
Mark M. Mugiishi, M.D., F.A.C.S.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Resource Centers
There are hundreds of organizations in Hawai‘i that offer education, assistance, care or support for kūpuna and their families. The following resource centers cover a wide range of services and are also invaluable for their work connecting those in need of programs with those who can serve them best. If you are not sure what you are looking for, turn to these experts for guidance.
AARP Hawai‘i
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to empowering adults 50 years and older and their ‘ohana. With 150,000 members in the Islands, AARP provides opportunities for seniors to choose how they live as they age by holding activities and events, as well as sharing practical resources, such as the Kūpuna Digital Resource Directory to help older adults access the internet. Membership includes access to community referrals, support and practical resources on caregiving, financial security, fighting fraud and much more.
Aloha United Way Information and Referral Service (2-1-1)
Aloha United Way is a nonprofit organization that brings together resources, organizations and people within the community to advance health, education and financial stability initiatives. One of its most useful resources is its 211 telephone help line, which works as a statewide comprehensive community referral service. Callers can speak with local experts who are trained to connect people to more than 1,300 agencies and 4,000 programs for food, shelter, financial assistance, elder care, disability service and much more. The help line is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Catholic Charities Hawai‘i
Catholic Charities Hawai‘i has been serving the Islands since 1947 and is part of the largest private network of social service organizations in America. It provides help for a variety of needs, including emergency financial assistance grants and housing. In 2023, it provided information and referrals to more than 87,000 people through its help line. CCH networks with other agencies to provide material assistance such as clothing, utilities and food, and helps seniors fill out applications for public benefits and find transportation for shopping, errands and other activities.
City and County of Honolulu, Elderly Affairs Division
The Elderly Affairs Division was created to plan, support and advocate for programs that promote the well-being of older adults and caregivers in our community. It partners with other organizations to provide caregiver services, including educational presentations and training opportunities for informal family caregivers, with the goal of addressing and responding to the priority needs of all seniors.
Executive Office on Aging
The Executive Office on Aging is a state-run agency that coordinates aging and caregiver support services across the Islands, including Senior Medicare Patrol Hawai‘i, the Hawai‘i State Health Insurance Assistance Program, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Healthy Aging Partnership, and In-Home and Community-Based Services.
Hawai‘i Aging and Disability Resource Center
The Hawai‘i Aging and Disability Resource Center is a one-stop organization that helps older adults, individuals with disabilities and family caregivers find long-term support and services. The state- and county-funded ADRC also has county offices and directories of services to assist people of all incomes and ages for free. ADRC staff can help determine if you are eligible for public benefits and programs. They may also assist you and your family in finding providers and will work with you to develop a plan for your future long-term care.
HMSA
The Hawai‘i Medical Service Association (HMSA) is dedicated to caring for the people of Hawaii. Since 1938, HMSA has worked to improve the lives of our members and advance the health of families and communities statewide. HMSA Medicare Advantage plans offer kūpuna access to quality health plans at low costs. In addition, HMSA provides free Medicare workshops, in-person customer service at HMSA Centers, and well-being and preventive care programs that support kūpuna on their health care journey. Visit hmsa.com/well-being/ for health resources or hmsa.com/medicare/ for information about HMSA Medicare Advantage. HMSA. For the good times, for the tough times, for lifetimes.
Kūpuna Care Pair
Kūpuna Care Pair helps families compare and connect with more than 14,000 care services and facilities in Hawai‘i. Sign up for a free account to view the listings in a comprehensive map. The website also offers blogs about what you should know about elderly care and recordings of its past seminars.
KūpunaWiki
Every Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m., tune in to AM690 or FM 94.3 for the KūpunaWiki Radio Show, answering your questions about real estate, finance, estate planning, senior housing, and health and wellness for older adults. You can listen to past shows, watch seminars or read blogs on these topics on its website.
Our Kūpuna
More than 40,000 volunteer hours have gone in to helping more than 500 kūpuna since 2020, with more than 50,000 bags of groceries, medication and other necessities going to those in need. Started as a response to the pandemic, Our Kūpuna has grown to include socializing and wellness opportunities, such as virtual yoga, pen pal letters and weekly phone calls with volunteers.
