ACR 38, as introduced, Brown. California Task Force on Family Caregiving.
This measure would establish the California Task Force on Family Caregiving, to collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders to examine resources available to caregivers and make legislative recommendations regarding the development of an Internet Web site containing resources for caregivers, the enhancement of outreach and education efforts, and the development of a caregiver screening and assessment tool. The task force would be required to submit an interim report to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2017, and a final report no later than July 1, 2018.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, A caregiver can be any relative, spouse, partner,
2friend, or neighbor who has a significant relationship with, and
3who provides a broad range of assistance to, an older person or an
4adult with a chronic or disabling condition; and
P2 1WHEREAS, Almost three-fourths of older people living in a
2typical community who receive personal assistance rely exclusively
3on unpaid caregivers for help; and
4WHEREAS, At present, there is no complete inventory of
5caregiving programs available to Californians performing unpaid
6caregiving services for an aging or disabled family member, friend,
7or neighbor; and
8WHEREAS, An estimated 5.8 million adults in the state provide
9care to adult relatives or friends, which equates to an estimated
103.9 billion hours a year at an estimated value of $47 billion each
11year; and
12WHEREAS, The economic value of caregivers’ unpaid
13contributions is equivalent to 1.25 times the total Medi-Cal
14spending, and 4.1 times the funding allotted to Medi-Cal long-term
15services and supports; and
16WHEREAS, If family caregivers were no longer available, the
17economic cost to California’s health care and long-term services
18and supports systems would increase astronomically; and
19WHEREAS, Family support is a key driver in remaining in
20one’s home and community, but it comes at substantial physical,
21emotional, and financial cost to the caregivers, their families, and
22to society; and
23WHEREAS, Fifty-nine percent of all family caregivers are
24employed full or part time and family caregivers typically spend
2520 hours a week caring for a family member who needs help with
26bathing, dressing, and other kinds of personal care, as well as
27household tasks such as shopping and managing finances; and
28WHEREAS, Seventy percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease
29or a related disorder live at home and need assistance with activities
30of daily living; and
31WHEREAS, Testimony and data acquired during an Assembly
32“Faces of Aging” hearing series in 2014, conducted by the
33Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care, documented
34variations in the way different populations respond to caregiving
35needs and responsibilities, thus informing policymakers of specific
36cultural competencies necessary to meet a diverse population’s
37needs, as well as specific untapped resources and strategies that
38could relieve caregiver stress; and
39WHEREAS, To successfully address the surging population of
40older adults who have significant needs for long-term services and
P3 1supports, the state must develop methods to both encourage and
2support families to assist their aging loved ones and develop ways
3to recruit and retain a qualified, culturally competent, responsive
4in-home care workforce; now, therefore, be it
5Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
6thereof concurring, That the California Task Force on Family
7Caregiving is hereby established to examine and investigate issues
8relative to the challenges faced by family caregivers and
9opportunities to improve caregiver support, and to make specific
10policy recommendations along with legislative strategies to
11advance them; and be it further
12Resolved, That the task force shall do all of the following:
13(1) Review the current network and how the system, which
14provides information about community-based services and
15programs to support family caregivers of adults with chronic or
16disabling conditions, is set up and to consider improving how
17family caregivers access information about the services and
18supports available to them so that they can continue in their
19caregiving role without being overburdened.
20(2) Consider the recommendations of other state plans,
21including, but not limited to, the Olmstead Plan, the Strategic Plan
22for an Aging California Population, the State Plan for Alzheimer’s
23Disease, and the State Plan on Aging.
24(3) Determine gaps in services to family caregivers and identify
25barriers to participation in current programs.
26(4) Consult with a broad range of stakeholders, including, but
27not limited to, people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, adults
28with disabling or chronic conditions, family caregivers,
29community-based and institutional providers, caregiving
30researchers and academicians, formal caregivers, caregiver resource
31centers, the California Commission on Aging, and other state
32entities.
33(5) Solicit testimony on the needs of family caregivers, including
34the designation of caregivers during care transitions, caregiver
35training, assessment of caregiver needs, respite services, medical
36leave policies, delegation of tasks to nonmedical aides, and other
37policies.
38(6) Assess information referral and resource
sharing systems
39used by family caregivers by doing all of the following:
P4 1(A) Compiling an inventory of the resources available to family
2caregivers.
3(B) Determining access barriers in the current system.
4(C) Considering the cultural and linguistic factors that impact
5caregivers and care recipients who are from diverse populations.
6(D) Comparing consistency of access across the counties.
7(7) Identify best practices in California and in other states and
8explore expanding those best practices in caregiving programs to
9adult populations that are not currently receiving these services
10because they do not qualify based on income, diagnosis, or
11disability.
12(8) Make specific legislative recommendations that address, at
13a minimum, each of the following:
14(A) The development of an Internet Web site or portal that
15contains a list of current resources and supports available in a
16family caregiver’s community, including the cultural competencies
17available, and the contact information of a person or organization
18that can help a family caregiver navigate these support services.
19(B) The enhancement of outreach and education efforts by area
20agencies on aging and family resource centers.
21(C) The development of a caregiver screening and assessment
22tool that will help identify which services and supports a family
23caregiver needs, including assessing caregivers of Medi-Cal
24recipients and beneficiaries.
25(9) Prepare and provide to the Legislature a report of its findings
26and recommendations on or before July 1, 2018; and be it further
27Resolved, That the task force shall consist of no more than 20
28members, one of whom shall be appointed by the President pro
29Tempore of the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the
30Speaker of the Assembly; and be it further
31Resolved, That the two members selected by the President pro
32Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly shall
33appoint the remaining members of the task force; and be it further
34Resolved, That the task force shall be under the direction of a
35chair, selected from among its members and appointed by the
36members of the task force; and be it further
37Resolved, That the task force shall submit one or more reports
38to the Legislature and to the Governor, including an interim report
39no later than January 1, 2017, and a final report no later than July
401, 2018; and be it further
P5 1Resolved, That the task force is authorized to act until July 31,
22018; and be it further
3Resolved, That the task force shall seek funding, technical
4assistance, and other resources from foundations and other
5organizations as long as that support would not pose any conflict
6of interest and would be deemed as consistent with the goals and
7objectives of the task force; and be it further
8Resolved, That the task force may seek staffing support from
9the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of
10Gerontology upon receipt of private foundation funding; and be
11it further
12Resolved, That members of the task force shall serve without
13compensation, but shall receive reimbursement for travel and other
14necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of their
15official duties; and be it further
16Resolved, That the task force shall meet every other month; and
17be it further
18Resolved, That members of the task force shall be appointed to
19serve for the duration of the task force; and be it further
20Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
21of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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