Every day, hundreds of people in Hawai'i selflessly act as caregivers to people who need support, companionship and medical assistance. Through a recently created joint legislative committee on family caregiving, we now have an opportunity to better understand the needs of those who require assistance and the potential of our community to provide it.

The committee on Family Caregiving was created by the 2006 Legislature to address the issues of families who care for disabled seniors at home. Four members from each chamber make up the committee, which includes a House and Senate co-chair. I am one of the co-chairs along with Sen. Les Ihara.

In the 2007 session the committee introduced a legislative package, which included the recommendation to fund a needs assessment for family caregivers and their care recipients. An appropriation of $120,000 was set aside for this study. In addition, the 2007 Legislature extended the life of the joint committee by one year to address the myriad and complex issues faced by family caregivers.

The study is complete, and the results are being analyzed. The report will be delivered to the Legislature before the start of the 2008 session. The committee has been meeting throughout the year using a collaborative approach, seeking to engage the aging community and stakeholders, and to learn from them what is needed to build a comprehensive statewide support system of family caregivers. Here is what we have discovered:

The aging of our community is not going away soon.

Not all of our aging community are in need of care themselves. Many are active volunteers, and many out of necessity or love of their profession continue to work into their 70s and 80s. In fact, older persons have become a significant part of the workforce.

The 2050 Sustainability Draft briefly mentions the elder population, but only as a group that will need care. In fact, elders provide a substantial portion of care themselves and are a significant economic asset to the state. By 2050, the population of those over 60 will have risen considerably, and many will be living fruitful and productive lives, and will want to share in the benefits of society.

In addition to the needs assessment, other work is being carried out to give a clearer picture of caregiver needs in our state. An inventory of respite-care services statewide is being conducted. This, combined with the caregiver assessment, could support our belief that more respite care is needed in the community.

To provide input from employers, another survey is being conducted to identify issues that employees have involving care of elderly spouses, parents and others. Some in the community may already have received calls related to the caregiver survey. A good response from this random community survey will be critical to the success of our work.

While this work is being done, our committee is studying issues such as paid family leave for family caregivers, a cash and counseling model to assist with financial needs, a caregiver tax credit, and the needs of grandparents caring for grandchildren. We are reaching out not only to the local community but also to other states through conference calls to legislators who have dealt with these issues successfully.

The Committee on Family Caregiving looks forward to the presentation of a forward-looking package of bills based on the results of research and surveys. As our work continues, we become more aware of the enormous task and the enormous potential of the family caregiver and the aging community.

Marilyn Lee represents District 38 (Mililani, Mililani Mauka) in the state House of Representatives. She wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.

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