HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 101

(By Delegates Rowan, Rohrbach, Boggs, Graves, Longstreth, Lovejoy, Malcolm, C. Martin, P. Martin, Pyles, Sypolt, and Toney)

[Introduced March 9, 2019]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study issues relating to the state funding of local senior centers, and their ability to provide in-home care services to the elderly population of West Virginia.

Whereas, Approximately twenty percent of the population of West Virginia is aged sixty-five or older; and

Whereas, Many elderly persons in West Virginia rely on state funded providers for assistance, whether in an institutional setting or through in-home care services; and

Whereas, Such services provided by in-home care providers can include grooming and hygiene, mobility assistance, light housekeeping, transportation, or nutrition care; and

Whereas, In-home care can provide West Virginia’s elderly population with numerous advantages such as remaining close to family, increasing comfort, and lowering costs; and

Whereas, Many of the aforementioned services are provided by county level aging providers which are located throughout the state; and

Whereas, County providers are currently not receiving sufficient funding to properly address the demand, and increasing costs of providing in-home services for the elderly population of West Virginia; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study the funding of local senior centers in an effort to increase the ability of these centers to provide adequate care to West Virginia’s aging population, in particular in-home services; and, be it

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