Abstract:

Data were collected via self-administered questionnaire to assess the utilization & satisfaction patterns of 154 native Hawaiian elders with the Ke Ola Pono No Na Kupuna (Good Health & Living for the Elderly) project funded under the Older Americans Act. The culturally specific program, which includes traditional native Hawaiian meals, can serve as a model for designing aging programs that can serve ethnic minorities more effectively. Changes in current federal policy that would enable federally mandated aspects of such programs would help to surmount problems & barriers to service delivery & utilization by ethnic minority groups. Allowing for greater involvement of ethnic minorities in program design might increase the likelihood of success due to participants' sense of personal ownership & self-responsibility.