Health briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
Care-home forums planned
Two public forums on the abuse and neglect of care-home residents are scheduled this week on O'ahu.
Sponsored by AARP Hawaii, they will take place at 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Manana Community Park in Pearl City, and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, 2454 S. Beretania St.
A panel of legislators, regulators and care-home operators will offer their perspectives on quality-of-care issues in the industry.
Officials also will discuss pending legislation calling for unannounced inspections by the state Department of Health.
The public will have an opportunity to share personal stories, issues and concerns.
For information, call 843-1906.
More children to get coverage
More children will be eligible for free health insurance this year, according to healthcare advocates with the Hawai'i Covering Kids project.
Project director Barbara Luksch said the federal government raised the family income ceiling for health insurance through the state's QUEST and Medicaid programs.
"We recommend that if children were denied since January because their family is slightly over income... , the parents or guardians reapply," Luksch said.
The new guidelines are retroactive to Jan. 1.
Luksch said a family of four with an income of $42,336 can have the children qualify for free health insurance. That's about $700 more than last year's threshold, she said.
For more information, call 211 from all islands or log on to www.coveringkids.com.
Donations to aid kidney programs
Savers stores and the National Kidney Foundation of Hawai'i have teamed up to collect "kidney clothes" to help raise money for programs that help kidney patients and their families.
Residents can arrange for free pickup of donated clothing and household goods, and the nonprofit foundation earns money for the donations.
The first pickups began in January. Officials estimate the program will bring in $40,000 for the charity.
The foundation said 376 Hawai'i patients are awaiting organ transplants. The state's rate of kidney disease is 30 percent higher than the national average, with 1,700 residents in dialysis treatments.
Screening for diabetes free
Legislators, staff members and the public are invited to find out if they are at risk for developing diabetes at a free screening offered March 25 in the State Capitol atrium.
Hawai'i Alert Day, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association, will take place from 9 a.m. to noon.
Executive Director Wendy Sefo said an estimated 86,600 people in Hawai'i have diabetes, and many don't know it.
"The earlier people learn about diabetes and its symptoms or find out they are at risk, the earlier they can seek proper medical care," she said.
Also at the event, Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii will offer free blood glucose screening, the National Kidney Foundation will give away free screening kits and the American Heart Association will provide free assessments of body fat.
