SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 51

(By Senator Stollings)

[Originating in the Committee on Health and Human Resources]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the needs, challenges and issues facing West Virginia’s senior citizens in finding personal care services.

    Whereas, West Virginia currently has the second largest senior population in the country with sixteen percent of the state’s population being sixty-five years of age or older; and

    Whereas, It is projected that by 2035 nearly one in four state residents will be sixty-five years of age or older; and

    Whereas, It has been estimated that over eight out of ten individuals sixty-five years of age and older will suffer one or more chronic disease conditions in their lifetime with six out of ten facing the need for long-term care; and

    Whereas, The availability of personal care services is crucial to allowing individuals to remain in their homes, preserving a better quality of life as they age by avoiding long-term institutional care; and

    Whereas, A recent informal survey of personal care providers in West Virginia determined many personal care programs currently operating in the state provide limited hours of service availability may face workforce issues limiting availability including a lack of educational incentives, training programs and low compensation and have inestimable waiting lists for services; and

    Whereas, An increasingly aged population will place more demand on the availability of such personal care services with national studies estimating the need for personal care aides to grow by seventy percent in the current decade; and

    Whereas, The current certificate of need standards and processes for personal care services have not been updated for several years which may have the effect of limiting the availability of personal care services and freedom of choice; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to conduct a study of the needs, challenges and issues facing West Virginia’s senior citizens in finding personal care services; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the legislature, 2014, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.