Hawaii will have a second state home for veterans by 2023.
That’s the news following a Memorial Day groundbreaking ceremony for the Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home in Kapolei.
With veterans from each war era, the family of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, Major General Kenneth Hara, State Adjutant General, Honolulu’s mayor Rick Blangiardi and community members, Gov. David Ige helped to commemorate the groundbreaking.
“I attended a groundbreaking ceremony this morning for the state’s second veterans home that’s set to be built in Kapolei. The 120-bed facility can help provide short- and long-term care for our veterans, including service for Alzheimer’s, rehabilitation therapy, hospice and more. The home will be open to all veterans living in Hawaii once it’s built. I’m proud of the collaboration that helped make this project possible," Gov. David Ige said in a May 31 Facebook post.
The Akaka State Veterans Home is planning for both long- and short-term stays for the 85,000 veterans who reside on Oahu, eligible spouses and Gold Star parents. It will offer a variety of therapies, care for geriatric mental health, dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. It will also offer rehabilitation services, hospice, respite care and adult day care services.
The project is funded through a combination of federal grants from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ($44.7 million) and state funds ($53.7 million), according to reporting by KHON2.