HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2618
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to aging.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawaii has a high percentage of seniors aged 65 and over, and this population is growing as baby boomers age.  Hawaii's kupuna and their caregivers need the best resources and support for healthy aging to improve quality of life and curb unnecessary costs.

     The legislature further finds that the University of Hawaii System, through its UHealthy Hawaii initiative, seeks to leverage the University of Hawaii System to improve health and health care in Hawaii and the Pacific, including for seniors through innovation, ensuring a robust statewide health workforce, promoting healthier families and communities, advancing health policy, and translational research.

     The University of Hawaii System has multiple units invested in improving health outcomes for Hawaii's kupuna, including the Myron B. Thompson school of social work and its Center on Aging and office of public health studies, school of nursing and dental hygiene, John A. Burns school of medicine, Cancer Center, and the college of pharmacy.

     The legislature further finds that many approaches to healthy aging warrant further exploration and investment regarding how to best improve the lives of our kupuna as they age.  One important approach involves the efficient and thoughtful use of technology and digital health are key to the provision of accessible health care for our seniors and other community members across the State.  Ensuring a robust statewide health workforce, including alignment of University of Hawaii programs with health industry needs, is also critical to provide our kupuna and their families with high-quality health care as they age.

     The legislature further finds that the Charles Atherton House and property on University Avenue in Manoa need development, ideally in service to the community in a way that meets the needs of the many seniors in Manoa Valley in the area surrounding the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  The legislature further finds that there are a number of intergenerational university-based senior living communities emerging across the nation.  These examples could serve as models for the University of Hawaii.

     The development of the Charles Atherton House and property into an intergenerational University of Hawaii Kupuna Center leverages University of Hawaii resources to meet community needs.  A University of Hawaii Kupuna Center would ideally include the following:

     (1)  An intergenerational lifelong learning retirement and assisted living community in the renovated Charles Atherton House, with opportunities for senior learning as well as mentorship of university students;

     (2)  A live-in interprofessional cohort of University of Hawaii health sciences students or trainees interested in caring for older adults, and associated programming to support interprofessional health education and training;

     (3)  A new University of Hawaii Institute for digital health and innovation, focusing on areas such as telehealth and new models for healthy aging in place, run by the University of Hawaii system office of the vice president for research and innovation; and

     (4)  A healthy aging community resource center for all community members and caregivers, run by the University of Hawaii center on aging in partnership with other University of Hawaii units.

The University of Hawaii kupuna center could also include retail and conference spaces to support the activities of the Center.

     The purpose of this Act is to provide funding for the University of Hawaii to support the development of the Charles Atherton House and property into a University of Hawaii kupuna center and support the University of Hawaii system office of strategic health initiatives to staff and coordinate the activities of the UHealthy Hawaii initiative, particularly those that support the University of Hawaii kupuna center and improve the lives of seniors through increasing well-being and ability to age in place, as well as addressing Hawaii's health workforce needs.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the University of Hawaii to support the development of the Charles Atherton House and property into a University of Hawaii kupuna center and support the University of Hawaii system office of strategic health initiatives in its UHealthy Hawaii initiative.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

University of Hawaii; Aging; Senior Health; Kupuna Center; Appropriations

 

Description:

Appropriates funding to develop the Charles Atherton House and property into a University of Hawaii kupuna center and support the activities of the University of Hawaii UHealthy Hawaii initiative.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.