Hale Makua has added "Health Services" to its name to reflect its expanding community and home-based healthcare programs.

The private, nonprofit agency has struggled for decades trying to change the public perception of it being only a nursing home for the elderly, according to chief executive officer Tony Krieg.

"We want the community to be able to look to Hale Makua Health Services as the premier provider of excellent home- and community-based healthcare services, in addition to a place where mom or dad can live with compassionate care when they can no longer reside safely at home," he said.

The agency's two long-term-care facilities in Kahului and Wailuku will still be known simply as Hale Makua. The home healthcare and rehabilitation programs that provide services to clients of all ages while they live at home will be called Home Health by Hale Makua and Rehab by Hale Makua, respectively.

Also included in Hale Makua Health Services' family of programs is Maui PACE, the state's only Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, which helps seniors 55 and older who are certified for nursing home level of care to live at home longer.

For more information, visit www.HaleMakua.com.