State official outlines Hawaii's aging network, warns federal funding uncertainty could strain services

Caroline Cottierau, director of the Hawaii Executive Office on Aging, told the Maui County Council's What's Up Committee on July 21 that the state's aging network provides nutrition, caregiver support, transportation and other services to tens of thousands of older adults and people with disabilities, but that changes at the federal level could put pressure on local programs.

Cottierau described the Executive Office on Aging as the federally designated State Unit on Aging that administers programs defined by the Older Americans Act of 1965 and state law (Hawaii Revised Statutes —349). She said the office works with four Area Agencies on Aging'including the Maui County Office on Aging'and a network of roughly 57 service providers statewide.

"I'm Caroline Cottierau. I'm the director here at the executive office on aging," Cottierau told committee members before summarizing the office's mission to "optimize the health, safety, and independence of Hawaii's older adults and people with disabilities." She told the committee the state's population is about 1.4 million and that roughly 25 percent of residents are age 60 or older.

Cottierau provided a snapshot of services delivered in federal fiscal year 2024: the aging network served about 47,000 older adults, provided more than 520,000 meals (congregate and home-delivered), about 30,000 days of adult day care, roughly 27,000 hours of homemaker services, roughly 60,000 days of respite care and tens of thousands of transportation trips and information contacts.

Nut graf: The presentation laid out both the scope of services available to kupuna in Maui County and the risks if federal support shifts. Cottierau said the Executive Office on Aging relies on a mix of federal and state funds and that recent reorganization at the federal Administration for Community Living and other federal budget pressures prompted concern about future support levels.

On federal funding, Cottierau said the Administration for Community Living recently underwent staffing reductions and a possible reorganization; she said advocates expect the ACL to be rolled into a renamed "Administration for Children, Families, and Communities." She told the committee the Older Americans Act budget remained at 2024 levels at the time of her remarks, but that the office is closely monitoring budget negotiations because a loss of federal funds would force state and local providers to spread available dollars more thinly.

Council members asked about waiting lists, workforce shortages and reengaging seniors after the COVID'19 pandemic. Cottierau acknowledged wait lists for publicly funded adult day care, said demand is high on Maui and the neighbor islands, and said workforce shortages and lingering caution among older adults have made reengagement with congregate programs difficult. "It's been difficult," she said of reconnecting older adults to community-based programs, and said marketing and new delivery models are being explored.

Members also discussed housing, transportation to specialty medical care on Oahu for neighbor-island residents, and the role of volunteers. Cottierau said the office's policy advisory board planned to examine housing and homelessness and that the office was exploring pilot programs and partnerships to address transportation and congregate-site models.

The committee closed public testimony and, at the end of the item, the chair asked if there were any objections to deferring the item; no objections were raised and the item was deferred for follow-up.

Ending: Committee members thanked Cottierau and asked staff to follow up with specific data requests and with county offices on aging. The director said she planned to visit Maui with staff to meet local providers and area agencies on aging.