In this episode, Meg sits down with Sieny Corpuz, one of the founders and the current Director of Community Operations at Kaibigan ng Lahaina, a nonprofit born in the aftermath of the 2023 Lahaina wildfires. Sieny shares the organization's origin story, its intentional, culturally-rooted approach to disaster case management, and the many ways the team supports survivors — from legal and mental health support to assisting kupuna with loan paperwork and even grocery shopping. Sieny shares that Kaibigan ng Lahaina has provided over 1000 hours of mental health counseling to fire survivors, free of charge.

Kaibigan ng Lahaina's Upcoming Event

Community Wellness Fair - September 18th, 2026, 5:00 – 8:00 PM at their new resource center located at 70 Kupuohi Street, Suite 104

Featuring:

• 14-day disaster preparedness kits
• Kupuna kits (including haircut certificates)
• Self-care kits
• Resources and giveaways for the whole family!

How to Connect with Kaibigan ng Lahaina

• Website: kaibiganlahaina.org
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram & Facebook: @kaibiganlahaina
• Phone: 803-999-6761

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In This Episode

We chat with Juna Sanchez and Primrose Lehualani Kekahuna Harris from Our Kupuna, a Hawaii nonprofit helping kupuna stay independent, connected, and supported at home — through the power of volunteers.

About Our Kupuna

Our Kupuna's Volunteer Connections Program, launched in 2020, matches volunteers with kupuna across the islands to help with grocery shopping, medication pickup, and essential errands. The organization also runs a Phone Buddy program, offering weekly check-in calls, and a Pen Pal program, where volunteers — often local high schoolers or Girl Scouts — send handwritten letters and cards to their matched kupuna each month. Both programs were created to fight isolation and bring a little joy into seniors' daily lives.

In late 2023, Our Kupuna launched the Aloha Maui Program in response to the fires, serving kupuna 60 and older who were directly impacted. The program has grown from urgent essential-needs delivery into an ongoing effort that includes monthly food deliveries in partnership with the Maui Food Bank, Lyft-coordinated transportation to medical appointments, and hands-on care navigation to connect displaced kupuna with housing, financial assistance, and other resources. Many of the seniors they serve are not on social media or comfortable navigating services online.

Join us as Lehua and Juna talk story about the work they do and its impact on our Hawaii kupuna!

Get Involved

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or referring a kupuna can visit ourkupuna.com or call 808-215-0073. While kupuna referrals are typically made through a healthcare professional, social worker, or case manager, Juna and Lehua encourage anyone with questions to simply reach out.

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We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

When Tutu returns home from the hospital or the care home, who helps her get organized? Maybe Kalele Care Services! In this episode, we chat with Erin Salez, Clinical Operations Manager for Kalele Care Services. They play a critical role in post-acute (after the hospital or rehab) care across Hawaii. Erin breaks down what happens — and what can go wrong — in the gap between leaving the hospital and getting back to your regular doctor, and she explains how Kalele's nurse practitioner and community health workers step in to keep people safe, supported, and out of the hospital.

We cover everything from medication management and "white coat syndrome" to home safety checks, social determinants of health, and a powerful client story about what's possible when care is delivered with compassion instead of judgment.

Resources & Contact

• Learn more or refer yourself/a loved one: Search "Kalele Care Services" online — you'll find their referral form on the Ohana Pacific Health website
• Phone: 871-9215
• Referrals: Self-referrals and primary care referrals (including by fax) are both accepted
• Service area: Available across Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and other Hawaii islands served by Ohana Pacific Health

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Aloha!

June is Alzheimers & Brain Awareness Month, so in honor of that we're re-broadcasting our interview with Cindy Fowler, Program Manager for Kauaʻi and Maui County at the Alzheimer's Association Aloha Chapter. I keep telling caregivers about Cindy and her Care Bears at the Alzheimer's Association, because they offer individual consultations for caregivers to troubleshoot real caregiving challenges, such as refusing to shower, resistance to adult daycare, or insisting on attending medical appointments alone.

With a background in physical therapy and years of working with kūpuna in home health, Cindy brings deep professional and personal experience to the conversation—including caring for her own mother and father-in-law through dementia. She shares with us the Ten Warning Signs of Dementia so we know what is typical aging and what symptoms mean it's time to seek medical attention.

In this episode, you will hear:

• What support does the Alzheimer's Association of Hawaii offer caregivers of individuals with dementia in Hawaii?
• How can families form meaningful partnerships with loved ones affected by dementia while maintaining independence?
• What are the unique challenges associated with different types of dementia, such as Lewy body, vascular, and frontotemporal dementia?
• How can caregivers recognize early warning signs of Alzheimer's and other dementias to ensure timely intervention?
• What strategies can be employed to manage Alzheimer's-related challenges like driving restrictions and elopement risks?
• What are the latest advancements in Alzheimer's treatments and diagnostics, including new FDA-approved therapies and blood tests?

LINKS

Resources from this Episode

Guest's Website - https://www.alz.org/hawaii

Guest's Office Number: (808) 518-6655

Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline: (800) 272-3900

Email: [email protected]

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Aloha! This week on the Taking Care of Tutu podcast, we sit down with mother-daughter duo Andrea Bacos (patient navigator) and Tori Golis-Bacos (care coordinator) from Pacific Cancer Foundation on Maui. They share their deeply personal path into this work, walk us through what the foundation offers, and explain why no one facing a cancer diagnosis on Maui should have to navigate it alone.

• What is Pacific Cancer Foundation?

• What is a Patient Navigator?

• What Services Does PCF Offer?

• What is PCF's Greatest need?

• How Does Someone Access PCF?

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Aloha!

In honor of National Skilled Nursing Care Week, we're re-releasing one of our most informative episodes of the Taking Care of Tutu podcast. If you've already listened, it's worth a second pass. If this is your first time — this one is packed with information on accessing long term health care services.

Today we're delighted to chat with Margie Albete and Zaira Katsuda from Hale Makua Health Services. With Margie's amazing 41 years of experience in financial counseling and admissions, paired with Zaira's expertise on the nursing side, we explore the meticulous process of ensuring potential residents meet both clinical and financial qualifications for admission. Their guidance will equip you to confidently manage the admissions process and secure the best care for your loved ones.

Join us as we unravel the logistical challenges that families face when dealing with Medicaid eligibility. From understanding the state's asset criteria and five-year look-back period to navigating property transfers, our discussion sheds light on common missteps and offers solutions to avoid costly penalties. Through real-life stories, such as a Lahaina family affected by the fires, we highlight the resilience required in overcoming unexpected hurdles and the importance of professional guidance in achieving eligibility.

We take a deep dive into revocable and irrevocable trusts in Medicaid planning, covering the nuances of Hawaii state regulations and the implications of trust-to-trust transfers. From the challenges of joint bank accounts to the strategic use of life estates and leasebacks, we provide a comprehensive guide to safeguarding your family's financial future amidst the demands of long-term care.

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While Taking Care of Tutu typically focuses on caring for aging loved ones, this episode is dedicated to parents of children with disabilities. Whether your child has autism, a developmental delay, a physical disability, or any other condition that affects their ability to live independently, this episode is for you. We break down how the right — or wrong — estate planning decisions can have a profound impact on your child's quality of life and access to government benefits long after you're gone.

Follow and Review:

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In this episode, we are re-releasing one of our most important early episodes, Episode 13, Does Tutu Need a Conservatorship or Guardianship? Whether you're caring for an aging parent, a spouse, or a family member with special needs, understanding what a conservatorship and guardianship actually is and how the process works here in Hawaii could make a huge difference for your family.

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

In this episode, we are doing something a little different. We're bringing back one of our earliest episodes, Episode 2, which is all about probate specifically. What it is and how you can avoid it. Probate is one of the topics that comes up again and again in our office because so many families don't know about it until they're already in the middle of it. Understanding what probate is and how to plan to avoid it is really a starting point for protecting your family here in Hawaii.

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

In this episode, Meg sits down with Molly Schmidt, CEO of the Pacific Islands Region for the American Red Cross, to discuss the recent Kona Low storms that caused widespread flooding across Hawaii. Molly shares how the Red Cross responds in times of crisis—from opening 18 shelters serving 660 people and 3200 meals across Hawaii to offering financial assistance and supporting long-term recovery.

Molly also teaches us how community members can get involved as volunteers, what disaster preparedness really looks like (especially for kūpuna), and why having a plan in place can make all the difference when emergencies strike.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How the Red Cross responds immediately after a disaster
• What happens inside emergency shelters (and what's provided)
• How the Red Cross transitions from emergency response to recovery
• How the Red Cross assesses damage and requests for financial assistance
• How to prepare yourself and your loved ones before disaster strikes
• What to include in your emergency "go bag"

How to Get Involved:

• Volunteer or donate: redcross.org/hawaii
• If you need assistance: Call 1-800-RED-CROSS

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.