BUSINESS BRIEFS
Nursing-home care rises faster here
Advertiser Staff
The cost of nursing-home care in Hawai'i has increased 26 percent since 2004, outpacing the 17 percent increase nationwide, according to an annual Cost of Care Survey.
It is the fifth straight year that the nationwide cost of long-term care has increased in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, according to the study.
One year in a private nursing home in Hawai'i costs an average of $107,575, according to the study. That compares with the national average of $76,460. The average annual household income in the U.S. is $48,2011.
Most long-term care service prices are rising at a rate faster than inflation, as the cost of providing this type of care continues to rise, according to the study.
Each year Genworth surveys the cost of care from more than 10,000 nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and home care providers in all 50 states and 90 geographic regions, including the District of Columbia.
BELT COLLINS HAWAII RECOGNIZED
For the sixth consecutive year, Hawai'i-based planning and design firm Belt Collins Hawaii Ltd. was recognized in Engineering News-Record's Top 500 Design Firms list.
The international planning, engineering, landscape architecture, and environmental consulting firm ranked No. 212 this year, up from 248 in 2007.
Belt Collins also ranked No. 39 in the Top DesignersInternational Markets list, up from No. 45 in 2007. The firm reported revenues of $59.4 million in 2007, of which $41.3 million derived from outside the United States.
"The Asia market continues to be a driving force for our Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok offices," said Michael B. Terry, president of Belt Collins Hawaii Ltd.
"Likewise, through the expansion of our Seattle office and recent acquisition of Shapins & Associates, a landscape architecture firm based in Colorado, we hope to continue our firm's growth in the United States."
PO'IPU, LAHAINA MAKE TOP 10 LIST
Hawai'i grabbed two top 10 spots in the 2008 Travelers' Choice U.S. Destinations list released by TripAdvisor — which bills itself as "the world's largest travel community" and is best known for those no-holds-barred travel assessments on the Web.
Po'ipu on Kaua'i claimed the No. 4 spot, while Lahaina on Maui was ranked ninth.
The Massachusetts-based company said this is the inaugural year of these destination awards, determined by popularity among real travelers. The winners were determined by a combination of TripAdvisor's travelers' favorite places and overall popularity on TripAdvisor.
CONVENTION CENTER REPS IN CHICAGO
Representatives of the Hawai'i Convention Center are in Chicago this week to spread some aloha and attend a formal meeting with members of its advisory board.
The group will participate in an annual Lei Day celebration tomorrow and Friday for key clients in the Chicago area. The meeting with the board will include discussions on ways to bring more conventions to Hawai'i.
The annual Lei Day celebration allows the center's sales team, joined by the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau and other travel industry partners, to meet with top clients in the Chicago area. In addition to sharing the spirit of aloha, the team will highlight the latest developments of the more than $2 billion Waikiki rejuvenation project.
