STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1664

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.C.R. No. 145

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 145 entitled:

 

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF A FAMILY CAREGIVERS WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE AND ASSESS LEGISLATION RELATING TO THE ROLE OF CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITALS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the convening of a Family Caregivers Working Group to examine and assess legislation relating to the role of caregivers of patients discharged from hospitals.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Maui County Office on Aging, AARP Hawaii, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society, Kokua Council, Project Dana, Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 Hawaii, and nine individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, The Queen's Health Systems, and Hawaii Pacific Health.

 

     Your Committee finds that family caregivers are called upon often to provide care for family members who are discharged from the hospital.  Your Committee further finds that costs and other factors make family caregiving a necessity for more and more families.  Your Committee notes that it is important for hospitals statewide to provide a minimum and consistent level of instruction to caregivers.  Your Committee recognizes that hospitals are concerned that mandating hospitals to provide instruction to caregivers upon a patient's discharge could create issues related to liability, cost, and implementation.  Mindful of such concerns, your Committee finds that the efforts of the Family Caregivers Working Group created in 2014 are valuable and should be continued.  Your Committee notes, however, that meaningful progress by the working group requires an even balance between caregiver advocates and hospitals in the membership of the working group.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting language to include an option for representation from long-term care facilities in the working group;

 

     (2)  Inserting language to include a member from the Hawaii Association of Health Plans in the working group;

 

     (3)  Specifying that the member of the working group from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation be the Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation or the Chief Executive Officer's designee;

 

     (4)  Inserting a provision requesting the working group to analyze public and private community-based resources that are available throughout the State;

 

     (5)  Making the Legislative Reference Bureau responsible for providing logistical support and preparing any reports for the working group instead of the Department of Health; and

 

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 145, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 145, S.D. 1.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Housing,

 

 

 

________________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair