Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 248, H.D. 1, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish within the Department of Health (DOH) a demonstration project for Kauai County to reimburse family caregivers who give free and continuing day-to-day care in the home to a qualified relative.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Kokua Council, ILWU Local 142, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, and one individual. Testimony in opposition was received from the Department of Health.

Your Committees find that Kauai County has the fewest service providers among all the islands, and the community-based services have waiting lists. Resources in Kauai are in particularly short supply. With only a few care homes and nursing homes on Kauai, more people needing long-term care will be forced to rely on their family members as caregivers, or to relocate from Kauai to other areas.

This measure will provide another resource for assistance to the Kauai elderly community by establishing a demonstration project to reimburse family caregivers who give free and continuing day-to-day care in the home to a qualified relative who is functionally dependent or suffering from cognitive impairments. Such financial incentives will help families continue to give care at home, where the relative normally wants to stay rather than at a costly institution without accessibility to family.

The individual family caregiver who performs tasks such as bathing, toileting, feeding, and lifting for the relative often suffers a financial impact from an inability to work and the cost of care. If they are employed, they often arrive home late, leave early in the morning, or take time off to attend to important schedules such as a doctor's appointment. Under this measure, the money will go directly to the people who need it the most, and also provide support and incentives to caregivers to care for their family members at home.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 248, H.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.