HR20

WHEREAS, adult residential care home (ARCH) operators provide an invaluable service to the greater community; and

WHEREAS, ARCHs save taxpayers substantial sums of money that would otherwise be expended for the care of the elderly and disabled, if they were to become wards of the State; and

WHEREAS, many operators are beset by many challenges such as the high cost of liability insurance that threaten their continued existence; and

WHEREAS, caring for the elderly and infirm is an honorable profession that is becoming increasingly necessary in the face of Hawaii's ever-expanding elderly population; and

WHEREAS, with the cost of living in Hawaii it has become increasingly common for multiple family members in a home to hold down several jobs which leaves little time for the 24-hour care an aging relative may have; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that by the year 2020 one in four persons in this state will be over the age of 60; and

WHEREAS, many assisted living facilities are well beyond the financial reach of some families who need assistance with an aging loved one; and

WHEREAS, ARCH operators provide for all aspects of a person's needs from scheduling of doctor's appointments or physical therapy programs to providing social interaction with those residents who no longer have family near to them to visit; and

WHEREAS, considering the difficulty of operating an ARCH, and the tremendous services it provides to the State, it behooves the Department of Health (DOH) to work with ARCH operators to ensure a mutually beneficial and respectful relationship; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, that Department of Health is urged to provide ARCH operators with greater levels of service and consideration to assist them in providing care for adults; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ARCH operators have the right to be treated with dignity, respect, trust, value, and consideration as a primary provider of adult care and a member of the professional team providing care; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ARCH operators have the right to proper training and support for the purpose of improving skills in providing daily care and meeting the needs of the adults in ARCH care; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that training, consultation, and assistance in evaluating, identifying, and accessing services to meet their needs related to their role as ARCH operators should be made more available for those who wish to enter or continue in this profession; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ARCH operators deserve the right to provide input to DOH in identifying the types of resources and services that would meet the needs of adults currently in their care and of their families, and advocate for the same without threat of reprisal; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that information concerning behavioral problems, health history, educational status, cultural and family background, and other issues relative to the adult which are known to DOH at the time the adult is placed in foster care should be made available to all ARCH operators; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, DOH should have a staff person representing the department on call 24-hours a day, seven days a week, for the purpose of aiding the ARCH operator in receiving departmental assistance; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED ARCH operators should be provided the right to copies of all information relative to their family and services which DOH has collected and is contained in DOH ARCH records; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, and Director of Human Services.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Fostering a Professional Relationship Based on Mutual Respect Between the Department of Health and Adult Residential Care Home Operators

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	20
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII