By Dr. Kevin Kawamoto
Time to roll up our sleeves and get to work! A number of dementia and kūpuna-related bills that are now law will be keeping the aging services network in our state busy in the coming months and years.
With the signing into law of HB 1853 on July 14, 2026, Gov. Josh Green officially launched the HANAI Memory Network, a statewide program administered by the Department of Health, Executive Office on Aging. The program is intended to help members of the public 1) get diagnosed earlier if they have symptoms of dementia, 2) find access to care across all counties, and 3) benefit from coordinated services to reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
“By shifting from crisis-driven care to proactive planning,” the bill – now known as Act 245 – states, “Hawaiʻi can improve outcomes for kūpuna and caregivers while reducing Medicaid costs and alleviating pressure on the State’s long-term care system.”
HANAI is an acronym that stands for Hawaii’s Assistance for the Navigation of Alzheimer’s Intervention. In ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, the word “hanai” means to feed, nourish raise, or adopt – an appropriate concept for a program meant to coordinate care and caregiver support, as well as to facilitate access to services and local resources, especially on the neighbor islands and in remote locations where specialists and resources are limited.
The $3 million funding allocated by the Hawaii State Legislature for the HANAI Memory Network and advocated by the Alzheimer’s Association of Hawaiʻi demonstrates a commitment to helping individuals living with ADRD and those who care for them. The Executive Office on Aging has been collecting community input on developing the HANAI Memory Network as the program gets off the ground.
Other kūpuna-related bills that passed the 2026 session include HB 1973, now Act 246, which establishes a one-year pilot program within the Executive Office on Aging called KupunAloha that will provide in-home health care and support services to eligible participants who do not otherwise qualify for government assistance for these services.
HB 1974, now Act 223, requires the state Health Planning and Development Agency to develop a comprehensive state plan on hearing loss. The plan will be focused on improving access, affordability, awareness, and early detection of hearing loss in collaboration with community stakeholders, relevant advisory boards, and state agencies.
Hearing loss can be experienced by younger people, of course, but it is especially detrimental to older adults if it results in social isolation or lack of communication with others. A 2020 report of the Lancet Commission identified untreated hearing loss as one of the risk factors for developing dementia.
SB 2866, now Act 250, makes the state Rent Supplement Program for Kupuna, administered by the Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority, permanent. Thus far this program has helped hundreds of vulnerable older adults from facing eviction and homelessness through monthly rental assistance, but the program was to sunset in 2028.
SB 2259, now Act 251, is intended to create a dementia-friendly business environment by establishing “a business recognition program within the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to promote brain health awareness in the business community and provide knowledge on the harmful effects of not only Alzheimer’s disease, but all forms of dementia, to better serve and support customers while creating a dementia-capable workforce.” The bill passed final reading and was enrolled to the governor.
HB 1804, now Act 259, turns a lens to the future of long-term care financing. The bill requires the Executive Office on Aging “to develop the framework and scope of work for a proposed study that examines the feasibility, impacts, and costs of different public and private financing options for long-term care services and supports and submit a report to the Legislature.” With longevity in Hawaiʻi creating a sub-population of older people in the Islands living very long lives, the issue of cost to pay for long-term care is critical. Such a report will explore different options and how to pay for them.
Hawaiʻi Dementia Initiative coalition and community members may be asked for their input and participation on these new laws and programs as they get integrated in the community.
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