HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

95

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

URGING THE STATE TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS AND TO SUPPORT THEM TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE IN SERVING THE LONG-TERM CARE NEEDS OF THE sTATE'S RESIDENTS.

 

 

WHEREAS, families are an important part of the solution to the serious shortage of options for providing affordable, accessible, long-term care to persons who are functionally dependent or are suffering from dementia such as Alzheimer's disease; and

WHEREAS, formal home care services, nationwide, are estimated to annually cost about $32,000,000,000 annually and nursing home services about $83,000,000,000; and

WHEREAS, the care provided by family caregivers free of charge has a nationwide estimated annual value of approximately $196,000,000,000; and

WHEREAS, family caregivers provide over 80 percent of home care services and over 90 percent of all long-term care services; and

WHEREAS, about two-thirds of older people living in the community rely solely on informal help, mainly from wives and adult daughters; and

WHEREAS, most people who need long-term care prefer to receive assistance and services at home staying in their communities, near family and friends, for as long as possible; and

WHEREAS, caregiving itself has become more difficult, costly, and time consuming for all family caregivers partly because those who need long-term care are living longer with chronic illness and disabilities; and

WHEREAS, as long-term care costs continue to rise, it is in the interest of the State to devise mechanisms to assist family caregivers who care for the elderly and those who require at-home long-term care by keeping them off Medicaid and out of costly nursing homes; and

WHEREAS, family caregiving can reduce costs while providing preferred care for the people the State is trying to serve; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature recognizes the importance of the contributions of family caregivers and urges support for them, to the extent possible, as a State objective in serving the long-term care needs of its residents; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Director of Health, and the Director of Human Services.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

URGING RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY CAREGIVING