Investing in Adult Day Care is Investing in Hawai'i Island's Future
- HIAC Development
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
By: Andrea Wernli, HIAC Executive Director
Hawaii Island Adult
Care (HIAC) opened
its doors as the first
adult day care center in
January 1976, and it is currently
the only one on the
island. Adult day care helps
kupuna stay at home, slows
down dementia and memory
loss, lowers hospital visits,
and costs much less than
home care or nursing homes.
Even though adult day
care has clear benefits, it is
not used enough in Hawaii’s
long-term care system.
Studies show that adult
day care is effective and
cost-saving; yet there is a
misconception that it is not
needed or too expensive.
For many families, there
is no safety net. Without
increased government support
and fair reimbursement,
adult day care programs
cannot meet rising
demand. Adult day care is
essential, not optional.
On Hawaii Island, where
geographic isolation intensifies
workforce shortages,
adult day care provides structured
care, medical supervision,
nutritious meals, social
engagement, and respite
for caregivers. This allows
kupuna to age in place and
enables working adults to
remain in the labor force,
supporting the local economy.
Even with all the good
adult day care does for
Hawaii Island, day care programs
are under financial
pressure. Government payments
are much lower than
what it really costs to provide
care.
For instance, Medicaid
pays only $80 to $110 per
person each day for adult day
care in Hawaii, which does
not cover wages or the 40%
rising costs over the last 10
years which makes it hard
to find and keep good staff.
Government contracts
that cover the full costs of
programs would not just
keep current programs running.
They would also:
Allow providers to
offer competitive wages
and retain trained staff;
Expand services
to underserved
rural communities;
Reduce hospitalizations
and emergency room visits
through preventive care;
Support family caregivers,
reducing burnout
and workforce dropouts;
Keep health care
dollars circulating locally
on Hawaii Island.
Supporting adult day
care is both caring and fiscally
responsible. Nasdaq
reports that adult day care in
Hawaii costs about $20,800
a year, while nursing homes
can cost over $180,000 —
almost nine times more.
Adult day care is a kind,
affordable choice that lets
kupuna stay active and at
home.
Without HIAC’s services,
many families would
be forced to leave the workforce
to care for aging loved
ones. Kupuna would face isolation
at home or be pushed
prematurely into costly residential
facilities, rather than
aging safely and with dignity
in their own communities.
Ensuring that government
contracts cover the real cost
of services would also help
our economy grow. Adult
day care centers help people
build careers in health
care and create steady jobs
in healthcare, transportation,
food service and
administration. But without
increased funding and updated
payment policies, centers
like HIAC cannot grow as
more people need care.
HIAC can serve up to
105 people if it maintains a
1:6 staff-to-participant ratio,
but staff shortages and limited
provider capacity have
made it difficult to keep
up with growing demand.
According to a report from
the Hawaii Executive Office
on Aging, vacancies and
limited capacity have led to
fewer assessments and case
management services for the
expanding senior population.
Our kupuna deserve dignity,
care partners deserve
competitive wages, families
deserve meaningful
support, and our island
deserves an economy that
reflects our values.
Policymakers need to see
that adult day care is essential,
not just a nice-to-have.
With adequate contracts
and updated payment rates,
we can build a system that
respects our elders, helps our
workers and makes Hawaii
Island stronger for the future.
Since what we invest in
is a direct reflection of what
we care about, it creates a
ripple effect on what we
invest in for the future.
Andrea Wernli is executive
director of Hawaii
Island Adult Care Inc.
Link to Article: