Two state veterans homes: the Yukio Okutsu home in Hilo, and the Daniel K. Akaka home in Kapolei on Oahu, a 120-bed facility that opened in March 2025 after more than fifteen years of work.
Also called: veterans home, nursing home, skilled nursing, Yukio Okutsu, Daniel K. Akaka, Hilo, Kapolei, dementia care, hospice.
Hawaii now has two state veterans homes, and the second is recent enough that most published guides still list only one.
The Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo, on the island of Hawaii, serves about 95 residents with skilled nursing, rehabilitation, long-term care, hospice, and specialized dementia care. It is named for a Medal of Honor recipient of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
The Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home in Kapolei, on Oahu, held its grand opening on March 27, 2025. It is a 120-bed, two-story facility on seven acres, offering skilled nursing and intermediate care alongside geriatric mental health, dementia and Alzheimer's care, rehabilitation therapies, hospice, respite, and adult day care. The Office of Veterans' Services worked for more than fifteen years to secure the funding and the land. Under Act 285 of 2022, operational oversight passed to the Oahu Region of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation on June 30, 2023.
For a veteran on Oahu the Akaka home changes the picture substantially. Before it opened, a family on the most populous island faced either a commercial facility or a move to Hilo, which in an island state means separating a resident from their family by an inter-island flight rather than a drive.
Eligibility at the Hilo home has generally run to a veteran aged 55 or older with an honorable discharge, a Hawaii residency requirement, and the ability to meet the resident cost share. Confirm the current criteria with each home, since they are separately operated and the Akaka home is new.
Respite and adult day care at the Akaka home are worth noting for a family caring for a veteran at home rather than seeking a placement. Those services support the caregiver, and they are easy to overlook when reading about a nursing facility.
A third home, on Maui, is planned and not open. Act 99 of 2024 required the Maui state veterans home to be assimilated into a state agency with a Maui affiliation by June 30, 2027; Act 18 of 2026 (House Bill 2343), effective on approval, repealed that deadline and requires the assimilation "as soon as practicable", because the transfer's labor and financial issues were unresolved. A Maui family should not plan around a Maui bed yet.
Contact the individual home or the Office of Veterans' Services.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Hawaii State Veterans Homes
Gate
Rule
Honorable discharge, Hawaii residency, and a clinical need
The gates are an honorable discharge, a Hawaii residency requirement, an age threshold at the Hilo home, and a clinical need the facility can meet. No disability rating is required for admission, so the rating filter never hides this benefit.
Amended section 3(a) of Act 99 of 2024 so the Maui state veterans home is to be assimilated into a state agency with a Maui affiliation "as soon as practicable" rather than by June 30, 2027, citing logistical, labor and financial issues. The Maui home is a proposed facility; Hilo and Kapolei are the operating homes. Effective on approval in May 2026.
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Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.