Bill Text: HI SB530 | 2017 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Making An Appropriation For The Office Of The Long-term Care Ombudsman Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-03-21 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Ichiyama excused (1). [SB530 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2017-SB530-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
530 |
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TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017 |
S.D. 2 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
H.D. 1 |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE OFFICE OF THE LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that in the executive office on aging reorganization of June 2015, the long-term care ombudsman program was reduced in staff to only the director, making Hawaii the only state in the country with a long-term care ombudsman program staff of one. In 1995, a time when most residents lived in nursing homes, the Institute of Medicine recommended a minimum staffing ratio of one full-time paid ombudsman for every two thousand long-term care residents. Currently, Hawaii has over twelve thousand long-term care residents, most of whom live in the community rather than in nursing homes, which creates greater challenges. Under the 1995 Institute of Medicine recommendation, Hawaii should have a minimum of six full-time long-term care ombudsmen.
The legislature further finds that the long-term care ombudsman program may utilize volunteers. The long-term care ombudsman program has certified close to one hundred eighty volunteers since the volunteer component began in 2001, using considerable time and resources for recruitment, training, and retention; however, as of 2016, there were only eight ombudsman volunteers. Furthermore, volunteers cannot substitute for a full-time, highly trained, paid staff position.
The legislature also finds that in addition to visits to long-term care facilities, long-term care ombudsmen respond to a multitude of complaints, engage in investigations, and provide information, assistance, and referrals to long-term care residents and their families. As of 2016, there were 1,405 long-term care facilities on Oahu, forty facilities on Kauai, seventy facilities on Maui, and one hundred eighty-seven facilities on Hawaii, for a total of 1,702 facilities statewide. The long-term care ombudsman program lacks staff to visit each facility on a quarterly basis, let alone facilitate resident and family councils, provide more community education, and work more closely with neighbor island county councils and the area agencies on aging. The legislature additionally finds that the long-term care ombudsman program requires resources to ensure that the neighbor islands' kupuna and their families receive the same equal access to the services provided by the long-term care ombudsman program as Oahu has received since 1975.
The purpose of this Act is to support the long-term care ombudsman program on the island of Oahu by establishing a program specialist position and allocate funds for contracted services through the office of the long-term care ombudsman in the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui.
SECTION 2. There is established within the executive office on aging's long-term care ombudsman program, one full-time equivalent permanent program specialist IV position on Oahu to support program goals and federal requirements.
SECTION 3. 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 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the long-term care ombudsman program to support the long-term care ombudsman program on the island of Oahu by establishing one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent program specialist IV position and provide funding for contracted services through the office of the long-term care ombudsman in the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui; provided that the appropriation shall be distributed as follows:
(1) Office of the long-term care ombudsman for the city and county of Honolulu $ ;
for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent program specialist IV position;
(2) Office of the long-term care ombudsman for the county of Hawaii $ ;
(3) Office of the long-term care ombudsman for the county of Kauai $ ; and
(4) Office of the long-term care ombudsman for the county of Maui $ .
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the executive office on aging for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2070.
Report Title:
Long-term Care Ombudsman; Long-term Care Ombudsman Program; Appropriation; Kupuna Caucus
Description:
Appropriates funds to support the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program on Oahu by establishing one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) permanent program specialist IV position for the City and County of Honolulu and for contracted services through the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman in the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui. (SB530 HD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
