Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2564 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation for additional staff for the long-term care ombudsman program.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Long Term Care Ombudsman (LTC ombudsman), Kokua Council, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs. Comments were received from the Executive Office on Aging (EOA).

The responsibility of the LTC ombudsman, under the partially federally funded Older Americans Act, is to be an advocate for seniors residing in licensed nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult residential care homes, and expanded adult residential care homes. That total population, according to the LTC ombudsman, is approximately 8,606. That number will rise dramatically with the aging of the baby boomers.

The long-term care ombudsman program also provides information and referral assistance, conducts educational activities to increase community awareness of elder rights, advocates at the legislature, and provides training to long-term care staff, family councils and resident councils.

Your Committees find that funding for additional staff is needed to establish ombudsman specialist positions for Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii counties, and to hire one clerk typist II position for the EOA, as well as to support the neighbor-island LTC ombudsman and volunteer programs.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2564 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.