Taramasco 1

Celina Taramasco 
Mrs. Kristie Nourrie 
English 11 Sec E 
April 30, 2020 
Caring for Our Kupuna 
As we age, it become increasingly difficult to do certain tasks that was once so simple.

Normal, day-to-day household chores get exhausting and burdensome.  Along with the physical

ailments of aging, you can become more susceptible to social isolation.  When adults retire and

their children move away to start their own life, it is easy for them to stay separated from the

community and become isolated.  Many studies prove that isolation and loneliness cause various

psychological and physical health risks.  The kupunas in our communities find that as they get

older, they feel they are not valued as much as they used to be because they see their children

and grandchildren growing up and doing their own things.  The Hawaiian word, kupuna, is often

used as a word that means an elderly person or grandparent. Like most words in the Hawaiian

language, kupuna has many deeper meanings to it.  One of the meanings of kupuna is an honored

elder who has acquired enough life experience to become a family and community leader.  The

term is used to show respect for those who have cared for and taught us to be the person we are. 

The younger generation should be responsible for the health and well-being of our

kupuna.  Our elders have so much knowledge and experience to give and we must care for them,

so they can pass on their knowledge and wisdom to the younger generation. 

The younger generation must step up and give back to the kupuna. The community

should support the older generation because it prevents social isolation and reduces health risk,

enables us to learn from their experiences, and helps to give them a sense of purpose. 

The community should come together to take care of the elderly to prevent social

isolation and reduce health risks for them.  The National Institute on Aging, or the NIA,
 Taramasco 2

states that “research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of

physical and mental conditions.”  Humans are social creatures and when we are separated or do

not have enough interactions with people, we can develop a lot of physical

and psychological problems.  Twenty-eight percent of older adults in the US live alone, which is

about 13.8 million people.  Those who have more human interaction and connections and engage

in productive activities tend to live longer and feel a sense of purpose.  It is critical to the well-

being of our kupuna to develop or keep strong relationships within the community.  According to

Anne Dempsey from the Third Age Organization, some simple ways anyone can help

alleviate loneliness is by simply “giving them a phone call” or “knocking on the door, telling

them you’re going shopping” and asking if they need anything.  Showing that we care can

make an enormous difference in a person’s life.  We can all make a difference by just visiting the

elderly in our community and showing them that we care.  Our community can support the older

generation by taking care of them and keeping them healthy. 

An extensive research project was conducted to find the most effective strategies to

reduce social isolation and loneliness.  Through all their research they had found a range

of diverse types of interventions that used several types of techniques.  The researchers found

that the factors which were associated with the most effective interventions “included

adaptability, a community development approach, and productive engagement”

(Gardiner).  These ideas can be used when trying to effectively ease loneliness and isolation.

Forming meaningful friendships and participating in community projects appear to work very

well.  Caring for our kupuna by simply having a relationship and doing activities with them

can reduce isolation and health risks.  

 Taramasco 3

Preventing social isolation and health risks is not the only benefit that comes from caring

for the elderly.  Taking care of the kupuna in our community also allows us to learn from their

experiences.  An interview with Heidi Pliszka revealed how the elderly have “a lot of

history” and “a lot of life lessons that they can provide.”  Ms. Pliszka is the chief operating

officer of Arcadia, a family of companies that offers a full range of senior living

options.  She spoke of how loneliness can also affect the younger generation,

especially with technology today.  With social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube,

we lose out on the physical community and interaction, and with that comes a sense of

isolation.  The older generation is one that can truly help with that problem. Our kupunas “bring

a different level of experience and richness to the younger generation” (Pliszka).  Many elderly

people live a lot of interesting lives and have so much information they want to share with

others.  They have lived through experiences that people in the younger generation now would

never have experienced. It is important that we take care of the kupuna community here

in Hawaii because they have a lot that they can share with us.   

Most local people in Hawaii have been brought up with the idea of giving back and

respecting our kupuna.  St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Nanakuli sets a great example of how we

should be giving back to the elderly community. In a news segment made by Steve Uyehara of

Hawaii News Now, he explains St. Rita’s Kupuna Project which provides “manpower for elderly

in the Nanakuli area.”  John Minard, a St. Rita parishioner, started the Kupuna Project in 2012

after he threw out his back.  Instead of lying in bed, he recruited volunteers from the church

to help with the Kupuna Project.  The group took on any project because they knew how

important their work was to the elderly community.  John was a great role model for

everyone and with the Kupuna Project, he was able to pass on his moral values, skills, and

 Taramasco 4

passion to those in the parish ohana. We can give some of our time and service while the

elderly shares their ideas and values.   

Sharing their ideas and having people to talk to can give the elderly a sense of

purpose.  Heidi Pliszka says, “everyone wants to feel that they have a purpose and that their

purpose matters and human communication makes that possible.”  The elderly has a lot of

history and advice that they want to give us.  Sharing that advice can make them feel

necessary and that they have a purpose.  Even if you can’t spend every day caring for an elderly

person, having a conversation can make a huge difference.  A Ted-Talk done by

Edward Molkenboer explains how talking to the elderly can teach you life lessons, cure

loneliness, and give lonely elderly a sense of purpose.  Molkenboer says loneliness is best solved

by “making contact.  And advice...by giving good advice.  And receiving it.”  Edward

encourages us to spend a little time and to laugh and learn from the older generation.  Talking

and holding a simple conversation can mean the world to some elderly in the community. The

older generation are very hungry to share their knowledge and we should let them.   

Caring for the elderly is extremely important to me.  Every Sunday my family and I go to

St. Rita’s Church in Nanakuli.  The church takes up a huge part of my life and it is a big reason

why I feel so strongly about caring for the elderly.  At St. Rita’s everybody is so close and like a

family to one another.  I have been raised to give back to the community and I would like to give

back with this solutionary project.  My church has a large older group so, I thought my project

could help the people who raised and cared for me.  Also, I wanted to honor John Minard who

had first started the Kupuna Project at St. Rita’s Church.  The Kupuna Project has died out a bit

and there are no projects helping the elderly in the church anymore, so I wanted to revive the

project. 
 Taramasco 5

There have been numerous service projects to help people in retirement homes but not

many services helping those elderly outside the retirement homes.  Many of our kupuna live

alone and have trouble completing simple household chores and tasks.  The Kupuna Project will

serve the elderly that live alone and need some assistance.  For this project, if a parishioner needs

help, all they must do is fill out a request for service form.  Once forms have been submitted, I

will go through the requests and prioritize them based on urgency and need.  I will work with the

church to set a date for the project to be held and ask for volunteers or donations to assist in the

task. 

So far, I have been able to explain to the church my plans for this project and hand out

some service request forms.  I placed a stack of request forms at the back of the church with the

bulletin announcements so that anyone can pick one up and submit their request.  I also posted

the service request form on my website in case anyone did not have the chance to grab one from

the church for some reason.  I have gotten a lot of positive feedback and many people have been

coming up to me to ask to be a volunteer.  The church is very excited about this project and I

have gotten a lot of support from them.  I know that once we get a service project scheduled

there will be no problem in finding volunteers to help.   

However, there has been a delay in the project due to COVID-19 which makes it unsafe

to have large gatherings of people.  Especially because the elderly is particularly susceptible to

the virus, we could not hold any service projects.  On top of that, all masses and church events

have been cancelled until the corona virus problem is resolved and it is safe to return to church.

It is very unfortunate that the project cannot be continued as of now but that doesn’t mean the

project is over.  Once everything returns to normal and church events resume, I will start
 Taramasco 6

working with the church, picking up where we left off.  I feel very strongly about the Kupuna

Project and I want to see it work out.   

We need to start taking steps to help our elderly community which can be done with the

Kupuna Project at St. Rita’s Church in Nanakuli.  This project can prevent social isolation

among older people while also giving them a sense of purpose because they can share their

experiences and wisdom with us.  Caring for the elderly benefits both the elder and the

caregiver.  I hope to see the Kupuna project continue even after I get graded for the project. 
 Taramasco 7

Works Cited 

Drageset, Jorunn et al. “Crucial aspects promoting meaning and purpose in life: perceptions of

nursing home residents.” BMC geriatrics vol. 17,1 254. 30 Oct. 2017, doi:10.1186/s12877-017-

0650-x 

Gardiner, Clare, et al. “Interventions to Reduce Social Isolation and Loneliness among Older People:

An Integrative Review.” Health & Social Care in the Community, vol. 26, no. 2, Mar. 2018, pp.

147-157. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/hsc.12367. 

Hawaiinewsnow.com. (2020). Everyone has a Story: John Minard. [online] Available

at:  https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/20044796/everyone-has-a-story-john-minard/ [Acces

sed 19 Feb. 2020]. 

“Loneliness in Elders, How Does it Feel?” YouTube, uploaded by EskatonSeniors, 1 March

2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIRrsPhgmUw. 

National Institute on Aging. (2020). Social isolation, loneliness in older people pose health

risks. [online] Available at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolation-loneliness-older-

people-pose-health-risks [Accessed 5 Feb. 2020]. 

Pliszka, Heidi. Personal interview. 10 March 2020 

Ryan, Clare. “Documentary about Caring and Loneliness for the Elderly.” YouTube, uploaded by Kerrie

Loughran, 7 May 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPphsUxFgAE. 

TEDxHaarlem. How The Lonely Elderly Can Teach You

Lessons For Life. 2017, https://www.ted.com/talks/edward_molkenboer_how_the_lonely_elderly

_can_teach_you_lessons_for_life. Accessed 26 Feb 2020.