Makes an appropriation for the long term care ombudsman program to establish three ombudsman specialist positions in order to ensure adequate services for the neighbor islands, and for funds to support the program's operating costs. (HB2938 HD1)

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The executive office on aging's long-term care ombudsman program is mandated by the U.S. Administration on Aging through the Older Americans Act. The program provides ombudsmen to advocate for and protect the rights of residents of nursing homes, adult residential care homes, expanded adult residential care homes, and assisted living facilities. The long-term care ombudsman program staff investigate and expedite resolution of residents' complaints statewide, on a confidential basis.

The long-term care ombudsman program also provides:

(1) Information and referral assistance;

The program currently is staffed by two qualified ombudsman specialists who are charged with assuring advocacy and patient rights protection for an estimated eight thousand residents of the seven hundred thirty-one licensed facilities in Hawaii. In recent years, appropriations for the recruiting, training, and retaining of volunteers to augment the ombudsman staff to assure program services to the neighbor islands have proved inadequate. Moreover, the volunteer program has not been a feasible solution to address the needs of all licensed facility residents, many of whom do not have family members to assure their quality of care in an institutional setting.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the executive office of aging for the operation and delivery of the long-term care ombudsman program on the neighbor islands, and for operating costs to support the neighbor island long-term care ombudsman and volunteer programs.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 for the executive office on aging for the operation and delivery of the long-term care ombudsman program on the neighbor islands.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 for the recruitment, training, and sustaining of volunteers to augment the long-term care ombudsman program staff and for operating costs of the neighbor island long term care ombudsman program staff.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.