WHEREAS, The population of the state that is 85 years of age or older and most likely to need caregiving assistance is projected to reach 39,000 in 2032 (a 37 percent increase from 2012); and

WHEREAS, Almost all older adults who need assistance with activities of daily living want to remain in their homes and communities; and

WHEREAS, Providing services and supports to older adults in their homes and communities is generally much less expensive than nursing home care; and

WHEREAS, Older adults who receive services from caregivers in their homes are much less likely to need public assistance; and

WHEREAS, Almost three-fourths of older people living in the community who received personal assistance relied exclusively on unpaid caregivers for help; and

WHEREAS, An estimated 217,000 adults in the state provide care to adult relatives or friends, which equates to an estimated 142 million hours a year and an estimated value of $1.88 billion each year; and

WHEREAS, Nationally 70 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder live at home and need assistance with activities of daily living; and

WHEREAS, To successfully address the surging population of older adults who have significant needs for long-term services and supports, the state must develop methods to both encourage and support families to assist their aging relatives and develop ways to recruit and retain a qualified, responsive in-home care workforce; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby supports the dedicated work of family caregivers statewide and will continue to seek additional ways to support these individuals through information, education, training, and relief care; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this House hereby recognizes caregiving for older adults as a vital and needed profession today and in the future and strongly encourages additional innovative and creative means to support family caregivers to continue to provide needed in-home support for older adults; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this House will hereby continue to review state policies and support current state programs that address the needs of older adults and their caregivers and will support the efforts of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services that focuses on supporting the family and paid caregivers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Governor of the State of Rhode Island and the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.