Bill Text: HI HCR78 | 2014 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Family Caregiver Working Group

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2014-04-29 - Resolution adopted in final form. [HCR78 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2014-HCR78-Amended.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	78
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		S.D. 1

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A FAMILY CAREGIVERS WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE AND ASSESS THE ROLE OF CAREGIVING FOR PATIENTS RELEASED FROM HOSPITALS, THE STATE OF THEIR OVERALL CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THE RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY NEEDED AND AVAILABLE TO ASSIST THEM.

 

 

WHEREAS, many patients who are released from their hospital care require continued care at home, requiring a high level of skill; and

 

WHEREAS, increasingly, because of costs and other factors, untrained family caregivers are often called upon to provide such care; and

 

WHEREAS, AARP Public Policy Institute estimates that in 2009 there were 247,000 family caregivers in Hawaii; and

 

WHEREAS, AARP believes that family caregivers require more training than they are receiving to take care of the patients they have volunteered to care for; and

 

WHEREAS, hospitals are under increased pressure from the federal government to avoid readmission of patients within thirty days of their release; and

 

WHEREAS, hospitals presently provide discharge plans for all patients which may involve family caregivers; and

 

WHEREAS, there may be other resources already in the community or that need to be developed in the community to meet this need; and

 

WHEREAS, the hospital members of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii (HAH) are willing to review their role with regard to the training of family caregivers; and

 

WHEREAS, hospitals have concerns regarding the possible liability they may incur if they undertake more intensive training of family caregivers; and

 

WHEREAS, AARP and HAH are agreeable to working with each other and their members and other appropriate entities and persons in the community to assess this matter and develop solutions; now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2014, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to convene a family caregivers working group to examine and assess issues contained in Senate Bill 2264, Regular Session of 2014, including but not limited to the role of caregivers, the state of current practice of caregiver designation, notification, involvement in discharge planning, and training, the question of what role hospitals should play in the training of caregivers, the role others might or should play in the training of caregivers to assure the best outcomes for all patients released from hospitals, and legislative and regulatory recommendations on how best to involve caregivers in patient discharge and prepare caregivers for after-care tasks; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to invite the participation of:

 

     (1)  The Director of Health, or the Director's designee;

 

     (2)  One representative and one family care representative from AARP Hawaii;

 

     (3)  The Director of the Executive Office on Aging, or the Director's designee;

 

     (4)  One representative from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii;

 

     (5)  One representative from each Oahu hospital facility or one representative from each hospital or health care system where multiple private Oahu or neighbor island hospitals are under a single hospital or health care system;

 

     (6)  One representative from each Hawaii Health Systems Corporation region;

 

     (7)  One representative and one family care representative from a home health care organization;

 

     (8)  One representative from a Skilled Nursing Facility;

 

     (9)  One representative from each of the County Area Agencies on Aging;

 

    (10)  One representative and one family care representative from the Kokua Council;

 

    (11)  One representative from Hawaii's health insurance or mutual benefit society health plans;

 

    (12)  One representative and one family care representative from the American Cancer Society;

 

    (13)  One representative and one family care representative from Papa Ola Lokahi; and

 

    (14)  One representative and one family care representative from an Alzheimer's Disease treatment organization;

 

    (15)  One representative and one family care representative from Kokua Mau;

 

    (16)  One representative and one family care representative from a hospice organization;

 

    (17)  One representative from the Hawaii Long Term Care Association;

 

    (18)  A member of the Senate appointed by the Senate President, who shall serve as co-chair; and

 

    (19)  A member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, who shall serve as co-chair; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the family caregivers working group is requested to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2015; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group cease to exist on June 30, 2016; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, AARP, Executive Office on Aging, and Chief of the Office of Healthcare Assurance.

Report Title: 

Family Caregiver Working Group