Hawaii Executive Office on Aging: How to Access Dementia Care Resources

The Executive Office on Aging (EOA) is the state agency coordinating all non-Medicaid aging services in Hawaii. It funds county-level Area Agencies on Aging, administers Kupuna Care, and operates the statewide Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) network. For families navigating a parent's dementia, the EOA system is your entry point to government-funded support that does not require Medicaid eligibility.

What the Executive Office on Aging Actually Does

The EOA does not provide direct services. It administers federal Older Americans Act (OAA) funding and state appropriations, distributing money to county agencies that deliver services on the ground. Understanding this structure matters because:

• You do not contact the EOA directly for services — you contact your county's Area Agency on Aging
• Eligibility, waitlists, and available services vary by county (what Oahu offers may not exist on Kauai)
• Funding is allocated annually — programs can be expanded, reduced, or defunded by the legislature

The EOA oversees:

• Kupuna Care (state-funded aging-in-place support)
• Older Americans Act programs (meals, transportation, legal services, elder abuse prevention)
• The ADRC system (information, referral, and care coordination)
• Caregiver support programs under the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)

The ADRC: Your First Call

The Aging and Disability Resource Center is a single-entry-point system designed to simplify access to long-term care services. One phone call connects you to:

• Information about all available programs (Medicaid and non-Medicaid)
• Functional assessments to determine which programs your parent qualifies for
• Care coordination and case management referrals
• Benefits counseling (Medicare, Med-QUEST, VA, SSI)
• Emergency assistance referrals

Statewide ADRC line: 808-643-2372

County direct contacts:

What Happens After You Call

Step 1: Information and screening. The ADRC specialist asks about your parent's situation — living arrangement, functional abilities, cognitive status, current support, and financial overview. This is not a formal eligibility determination; it is a triage conversation to direct you toward appropriate programs.

Step 2: Referral or assessment scheduling. Based on the screening, the specialist either provides immediate information and referrals or schedules an in-home comprehensive assessment. The assessment evaluates:

• Activities of Daily Living (ADLs): bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring, continence
• Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs): meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, medications, finances, transportation
• Cognitive function and safety risks
• Caregiver availability and burnout indicators
• Financial resources and program eligibility

Step 3: Care plan development. If your parent qualifies for programs, a case manager develops a service plan specifying which programs will provide what services, how often, and for how long.

Programs Available Through the EOA System

For Your Parent:

• Kupuna Care — personal care, adult day care, home-delivered meals, chore services, respite. Eligibility: age 60+, 2+ ADL/IADL impairments, not Medicaid-eligible. No income limit, but waitlisted.
• Home-delivered meals — hot daily meals for homebound seniors. Minimal eligibility requirements.
• Transportation — rides to medical appointments and essential services (varies by county).
• Senior centers — social activities, congregate meals, health screenings. Open to all 60+.

For You as Caregiver:

• National Family Caregiver Support Program — respite services, counseling, support groups, supplemental services, training. Available to caregivers of adults 60+ with functional impairments.
• Caregiver training — dementia-specific education on managing behaviors, preventing burnout, legal planning.
• Support groups — county-operated and Alzheimer's Association chapter meetings for dementia caregivers.

What the EOA System Cannot Do

The EOA/ADRC system is not:

• A Medicaid enrollment office (that is Med-QUEST Division, DHS)
• A legal services provider (they can refer to legal aid but cannot draft POA/AHCD documents)
• An emergency services dispatcher (call 911 for immediate danger)
• A facility placement service (they provide information, not commission-based matching)
• A guaranteed service provider (programs are funded at fixed levels — demand exceeds supply)

For Medicaid-specific questions, you need the Med-QUEST Division: 808-524-3370 (Oahu) or 1-800-316-8005 (neighbor islands).

Timing Your Contact

Call the ADRC as soon as your parent receives a dementia diagnosis — not when you are in crisis. Reasons:

1. Waitlists exist for nearly every non-Medicaid service. Getting your parent assessed and on the waitlist early means services are available when you need them months later.
2. Assessments take time — scheduling, conducting, and processing an in-home evaluation takes 2-6 weeks depending on county and demand.
3. Annual funding cycles mean services may become available at the start of a new fiscal year (July 1) if you are already on the waitlist.
4. Case managers provide ongoing coordination — establishing a relationship before crisis means someone already knows your family's situation when things escalate.

The Hawaii Dementia & Memory Care Guide provides a complete resource directory organized by island, the intake preparation worksheet the ADRC assessment requires, and a program eligibility matrix — so you arrive at your first call with the information needed to navigate the system efficiently rather than discovering it piecemeal over months.

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