WHEREAS, many patients who are discharged from the hospital require continued care at home; and

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

WHEREAS, based on estimates from 2009, there were 247,000 family caregivers in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, caregiver advocates in Hawaii believe that the amount of instruction that family caregivers currently receive from hospitals depends largely on the individual hospital treating the patient; however, there is a need to provide a minimum and consistent level of instruction for all caregivers statewide; and

WHEREAS, hospitals face greater pressure from the federal government and private insurers to avoid the readmission of patients within thirty days of their initial discharge; and

WHEREAS, hospitals presently provide discharge plans for all patients, which may or may not involve family caregivers; and

WHEREAS, the hospital members of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii remain concerned about how legislation would affect factors such as liability, cost, and implementation; and

WHEREAS, S.B. No. 296, introduced during the Regular Session of 2015, includes provisions that seek to address many of these concerns; and

WHEREAS, the working group that was created by H.C.R. No. 78, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2014, was unable to reach consensus and unable 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, as directed; and

WHEREAS, the working group created by H.C.R. No. 78, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2014, is scheduled to dissolve on June 30, 2016; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2015, the House of Representatives concurring, that a Legislative Family Caregivers Working Group be convened to examine and assess issues contained in S.B. No. 296, Regular Session of 2015, including but not limited to:

(1) The role of family caregivers;

(2) The state of the current practice of designating family caregivers;

(3) Notification of family caregivers when a hospital discharges a patient or transfers a patient to another licensed facility;

(4) Family caregivers' involvement in discharge planning and instruction;

(5) The role of hospitals and hospital staff in the instruction of family caregivers;

(6) The role of insurance plans in paying for the instruction of family caregivers by hospitals and hospital staff; and

(7) Legislative and regulatory recommendations on how best to involve family caregivers in the patient-discharge process and prepare family caregivers for post-discharge tasks; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Family Caregivers Working Group is requested to consist of the following six legislative members: the Senate and House subject matter committee chairs for health and for human services; and a Senate and a House member of the Kupuna Caucus, appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, respectively; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Family Caregivers Working Group is requested to solicit input and presentations from the following stakeholders on the foregoing issues to be considered by the Working Group:

(1) The Department of Health;

(2) AARP Hawaii;

(3) The Healthcare Association of Hawaii;

(4) The Kokua Council;

(5) Representatives of private hospitals or long-term care facilities in Hawaii;

(6) The Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs;

(7) The Hawaii Association of Health Plans;

(8) Hawaii Health Systems Corporation;

(9) International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 Hawaii;

(10) The Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition;

(11) The respective county Area Agencies on Aging;

(12) Project Dana; and

(13) The Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Family Caregivers Working Group is requested to:

(1) Consider the information presented by the stakeholders to the Working Group;

(2) Consider concerns raised and any possible solutions proposed;

(3) Review approaches that may have been taken by other states with regard to these issues;

(4) Examine the public and private community-based resources that are available throughout the State; and

(5) Make recommendations, as appropriate; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to assist the Legislative Family Caregivers Working Group in:

(1) Conducting research; and

(2) Drafting a report and proposed legislation, if any;

on matters pertinent to the issues considered by the Working Group; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Family Caregivers Working Group submit a report to the Legislature not later than twenty days before the Regular Session of 2016 and cease to exist thereafter; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group that was created by H.C.R. No. 78, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2014, cease to exist on the date of the adoption of this Concurrent Resolution by both houses of the Legislature; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, Hawaii County Office of Aging, Maui County Office of Aging, County of Kauai Agency on Elderly Affairs, Elderly Affairs Division of the City and County of Honolulu Department of Community Services, AARP Hawaii, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Kokua Council, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, Hawaii Association of Health Plans, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 Hawaii, Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, Project Dana, and Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans.

Report Title:

Family Caregivers Working Group

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	107
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1