| 47 | | - | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the federal long-term care ombudsman program was authorized under the Older Americans Act in 1978, which is administered at the state level. Accordingly, Hawaii established the office of the long-term care ombudsman in 1979. Ombudsmen serve as advocates for residents of long-term care facilities to ensure that they receive the quality of care and quality of life they deserve and are entitled to by law. The legislature also finds that during the reorganization of the executive office on aging in 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 there were more than 1.6 million residents living in nursing homes, the National Academy of Medicine (formerly called the Institute of Medicine) recommended an essential standard of one full-time ombudsman for every two thousand long-term care residents. Hawaii has nearly thirteen thousand long-term care residents on six islands across the State, most of whom live in the community rather than in nursing homes, which creates greater logistical challenges. Under the 1995 recommendation, Hawaii should have a minimum of six full-time long-term care ombudsmen. The legislature also finds that the long-term care ombudsman program utilizes many volunteers. Currently, there are thirteen certified ombudsman volunteers. The last reporting period reflects that volunteer long-term care ombudsmen served for over seven hundred hours (for services valued at over $20,000), which also involves extensive travel to visit the long-term care residents in their districts, for which they are not reimbursed. The legislature further 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 2021, there were 1,489 long-term care facilities on Oahu, thirty-six facilities on Kauai, eighty facilities on Maui, and one hundred seventy-four facilities on Hawaii, totaling 1,779 facilities state-wide that housed 12,895 residents. The long-term care ombudsman program lacks staff to visit each facility on a quarterly basis, which is the federal minimum requirement, let alone also facilitate resident and family councils, provide community education, and work more closely with neighbor island county councils and the area agencies on aging. The long-term care ombudsman program requires resources to ensure that the neighbor islands' kupuna and their families receive the same equal access to services that have been provided by the long-term care ombudsman program on Oahu since 1979. Neighbor islands have waited over forty years for their own local ombudsmen. Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to: (1) Establish and fund five permanent long-term care ombudsman program specialist positions within the office of the long-term care ombudsman: one position for the city and county of Honolulu, one for the county of Maui, two for the county of Hawaii, and one for the county of Kauai; and (2) Require the long-term care ombudsman program specialists to work under the supervision of the long-term care ombudsman to achieve the goals of the State's long-term care ombudsman program, authorized under the Older Americans Act, P.L. 89-73. SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to fund five full-time equivalent (5.0 FTE) long-term care ombudsman program specialist positions within the office of the long-term care ombudsman who shall work under the supervision of the long-term care ombudsman to achieve the goals of the long-term care ombudsman program authorized under the Older Americans Act, P.L. 89-73; provided that the five full-time equivalent (5.0 FTE) positions and the funds appropriated pursuant to this section shall supplant the two full-time equivalent (2.0) positions and appropriations currently in the executive office on aging's base budget. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the executive office on aging for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022. |
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| 47 | + | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the federal long-term care ombudsman program was authorized under the Older Americans Act in 1978, which is administered at the state level. Accordingly, Hawaii established the office of the long-term care ombudsman in 1979. Ombudsmen serve as advocates for residents of long-term care facilities to ensure that they receive the quality of care and quality of life they deserve and are entitled to by law. The legislature also finds that during the reorganization of the executive office on aging in 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 there were more than 1.6 million residents living in nursing homes, the National Academy of Medicine (formerly called the Institute of Medicine) recommended an essential standard of one full-time ombudsman for every two thousand long-term care residents. Hawaii has nearly thirteen thousand long-term care residents on six islands across the State, most of whom live in the community rather than in nursing homes, which creates greater logistical challenges. Under the 1995 recommendation, Hawaii should have a minimum of six full-time long-term care ombudsmen. The legislature also finds that the long-term care ombudsman program utilizes many volunteers. Currently, there are thirteen certified ombudsman volunteers. The last reporting period reflects that volunteer long-term care ombudsmen served for over seven hundred hours (for services valued at over $20,000), which also involves extensive travel to visit the long-term care residents in their districts, for which they are not reimbursed. The legislature further 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 2021, there were 1,489 long-term care facilities on Oahu, thirty-six facilities on Kauai, eighty facilities on Maui, and one hundred seventy-four facilities on Hawaii, totaling 1,779 facilities state-wide that housed 12,895 residents. The long-term care ombudsman program lacks staff to visit each facility on a quarterly basis, which is the federal minimum requirement, let alone also facilitate resident and family councils, provide community education, and work more closely with neighbor island county councils and the area agencies on aging. The long-term care ombudsman program requires resources to ensure that the neighbor islands' kupuna and their families receive the same equal access to services that have been provided by the long-term care ombudsman program on Oahu since 1975. Neighbor islands have waited over forty years for their own local ombudsmen. Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to: (1) Establish and fund five permanent long-term care ombudsman program specialist positions within the office of the long-term care ombudsman: one position for the city and county of Honolulu, one for the county of Maui, two for the county of Hawaii, and one for the county of Kauai; and (2) Require the long-term care ombudsman program specialists to work under the supervision of the long-term care ombudsman to achieve the goals of the long-term care ombudsman program, as mandated by the United States Administration on Aging through the Older Americans Act. SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to fund five full-time equivalent (5.0 FTE) long-term care ombudsman program specialist positions within the office of the long-term care ombudsman; provided that the positions shall be allocated and serve as follows: (1) One position for the city and county of Honolulu; (2) Two positions for the county of Hawaii; (3) One position for the county of Kauai; and (4) One position for the county of Maui. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the executive office on aging for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________ |
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