THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2337

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020

S.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 long-term care residents lived in nursing homes, the Institute of Medicine recommended, at a minimum, one full-time paid ombudsman for every two thousand long-term care residents.  Hawaii has more than twelve thousand long-term care residents, most of whom live in the community rather than in nursing homes, creating greater challenges for the long-term care ombudsman program.  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 may utilize volunteers and currently has nine individuals working in this capacity.  Consequently, the volunteer long-term care ombudsmen are not reimbursed for 1,248 hours of service a year including extensive travel to visit the long-term care residents in their districts.

     The legislature further finds that, in addition to making 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 residents and their families.  As of 2019, there were 1,406 long-term care facilities on Oahu, thirty-six facilities on Kauai, seventy-two facilities on Maui, and one hundred eighty-two facilities on Hawaii for a total of 1,696 facilities statewide.  The long-term care ombudsman program lacks sufficient staff to visit each facility on a quarterly basis, facilitate resident and family councils, provide community education, and work closely with neighbor island county councils and the area agencies on aging.  The long-term care ombudsman program requires additional resources to ensure that kupuna and their families on neighbor islands receive equal access to the services the long-term care ombudsman program provides to those on Oahu.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish and fund five long-term care ombudsman positions within the office of the long-term care ombudsman as follows:

     (1)  One for the city and county of Honolulu;

     (2)  One for the county of Maui;

     (3)  Two for the county of Hawaii; and

     (4)  One for the county of Kauai.

     The funded ombudsmen shall work under the supervision of the long-term care ombudsman to achieve the goals of the 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 $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 to establish five full-time equivalent (5.0 FTE) ombudsman specialist positions within the office of the long-term care ombudsman; provided that two positions shall be assigned to the county of Hawaii and one position to each of the counties of Kauai and Maui and the city and county of Honolulu.

     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, 2050.

 

 

Report Title:

Office of the Long-term Care Ombudsman; Ombudsman Positions; Kupuna Caucus; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to establish in the office of the long-term care ombudsman five full-time (5.0 FTE) ombudsman positions.  Effective 7/1/2050.  (SD2)

 

 

 

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