Thought cliques ended at the school cafeteria? Peer exclusion is sadly real for kūpuna with lower physical abilities and cognitive conditions. Generally it's better for kupuna to feel like the biggest fish in the tidepool rather than a manini beyond the reef.

It seems obvious. Nobody suddenly wakes up and decides that they want to leave their at-risk kupuna at home alone without supervision.

It's a balancing act for families to manage the care needs of their kupuna vs finances, and to get the timing right for when to seek care. But it may be even more expensive in the long run if a kupuna suffers an injury with lasting damage. If there are any "near misses" or other incidents, then it is already time to seek care for your kupuna.

We all want what's best for our kūpuna. But it's easy to confuse loving our kūpuna with providing care for our kūpuna. So many families become stressed and fractured by trying to provide care to their kūpuna, and sometimes the result can be disastrous.