R 352

2017 -- S 0992 Enacted 06/28/2017

S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES TO UTILIZE FUNDING FROM SECTION 40-8.9-4 OF THE RHODE ISLAND GENERAL LAWS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE RHODE ISLAND AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER AND TO CONVENE A STAKEHOLDER GROUP ON LONG-TERM CARE REBALANCING REFORM

Introduced By: Senator Maryellen Goodwin

Date Introduced: June 27, 2017

WHEREAS, Rhode Island faces a growing older population that is projected to increase

by approximately 100,000 persons by 2030 and persons age 65 and over will go from 15.8

percent of the population in 2014 to 23.1 percent of the population causing a significant increased

need for aging and long-term services and supports; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island is home to the highest percentage of persons age 85 years and

over, a group with significant long-term care needs; and

WHEREAS, There is an urgent need to build the infrastructure to help the state's rapidly

growing older population to maintain their health and remain living at home and in the

community, to provide support services to the many thousands of family caregivers assisting

persons to remain living in the community, and to promote the most efficient use of state

resources including Medicaid funds; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island falls behind the other New England states in percentage of

Medicaid dollars spent for home and community-based services and ranks near the bottom

nationally on funds spent for home and community services versus institutional care for its older

population; and

WHEREAS, The state's efforts to rebalance long-term care have had limited impact to

date; and

WHEREAS, Consumers and their caregivers seeking information and counseling about

supportive care and services need an objective source of information about aging services and

long-term supports and services (LTSS) including options for home and community-based

services and providing such information and referral services should serve as the foundation for a

strong long-term care system; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island ranked 34th in Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC)

functions on a recent national Scorecard for LTSS; and

WHEREAS, Development of a comprehensive statewide ADRC would promote the

state's long-term system rebalancing goals by diverting persons, when appropriate, from

institutional care to home and community-based services and preventing short-term institutional

stays from becoming permanent through options counseling and screening for eligibility for home

and community-based services; and

WHEREAS, The ADRC would be a centrally operated, coordinated system of

information, referral, and options counseling for all persons seeking LTSS in order to enhance

individual choice, foster informed decision-making, support family caregivers, minimize

confusion and duplication, and reduce state costs by spending Medicaid dollars more efficiently;

and

WHEREAS, The ADRC should use a "No Wrong Door" approach to information,

assistance and referral services, including: public education and outreach activities and options

counseling using a multi-media approach; access to a statewide toll-free information number with

language services to assist persons with limited English skills, access to a dedicated website

providing timely access to information about programs and support services; and screening and

navigation tools to guide persons in selecting appropriate care; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby respectfully requests the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to provide

$665,000 in annual funding from available monies as a result of §40-8.9-4 (known as the "Perry-

Sullivan" law) to the Division of Elderly Affairs, working in collaboration with other agencies

within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, to promote developing and

maintaining the ADRC to include a robust interactive website, person/family-centered options

counseling services, and educational programs to assist persons in planning for their long-term

care needs; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby requests the Executive Office of Health and

Human Services to convene a stakeholder group to review recent state initiated reports on long-

term care rebalancing to include the Healthy Aging Initiative, the report of the Aging in

Community Subcommittee of the Long Term Care Coordinating Council, and the Long-Term

Services and Supports State Scorecard 2017, to make recommendations for increasing the pace of

reform; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby requests the Executive Office of Health and

Human Services to report to the Senate President and to the Chair of the Senate Committee on

Health and Human Services on the establishment of an ADRC in Rhode Island and to submit

recommendations on long-term care rebalancing efforts on or before March 1, 2018; and be it

further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health

and Human Services.

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LC002947

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