HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 58
(By Delegates Boggs, Andes, Armstead, Ashley, Azinger,
Beach, Blair, Border, Brown, Browning, Burdiss, Campbell,
Cann, Canterbury, Carmichael, Craig, Crosier, DeLong,
Doyle, Duke, Eldridge, Ellem, Ennis, Fleischauer, Gail,
Guthrie, Hamilton, Hartman, Hatfield, Higgins, Hrutkay,
Hutchins, Iaquinta, Kessler, Klempa, Kominar, Lane, Long,
Longstreth, Manchin, Marshall, Michael, Miley, C. Miller,
J. Miller, Morgan, Moye, Overington, Palumbo, Paxton,
Perry, Pino, D. Poling, M. Poling, Porter, Proudfoot,
Reynolds, Rodighiero, Romine, Rowan, Schadler, Schoen,
Shaver, Shook, Sobonya, Staggers, Stalnaker, Stemple,
Stephens, Sumner, Tabb, Tansill, Varner, Walters,
Wells, White, Williams, Wysong and Yost)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study
alternatives for the care for individuals with Alzheimer's,
including incentives and innovations to support families and
caregivers and to preserve the independence of people with
Alzheimer's disease and community-based options for their
care.
Whereas, There are 47,000 West Virginians and 5.1 million
Americans with Alzheimer's disease; and
Whereas, 13%, or one in eight, persons age 65 and over have
Alzheimer's disease; and
Whereas, Nearly half of persons over age 85 have Alzheimer's
disease; and
Whereas, Every 72 seconds, someone in America develops
Alzheimer's disease; by mid-century, someone will develop
Alzheimer's every 33 seconds; and
Whereas, The average cost of a nursing home in the United
States is $42,000 a year; and
Whereas, Half of all nursing home residents have Alzheimer's
disease; and
Whereas, 51% of them rely on Medicaid to pay those costs; and
Whereas, People with Alzheimer's live an average of 8 years
after diagnosis, although some people may live for as many as 20
years after being diagnosed; and
Whereas, 75% of people with Alzheimer's are cared for at home;
and
Whereas, Nearly one in four of the caregivers of people with
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias provide 40 hours a week or
more of care. 71% sustain this commitment for more than a year,
and 32% do so for five years or more. Over 40% of these caregivers
report high levels of emotional stress. Many of them are working
full- or part-time, but their work responsibilities can be
seriously affected by the demands of caregiving; and
Whereas, It is estimated that in West Virginia, there are
nearly 80,000 care givers for Alzheimer's patients that provide
nearly 69 million hours of unpaid care for these patients with a
value of $670 million; and
Whereas, Two-thirds of working caregivers of people with
Alzheimer's and other dementias report that they missed work
because of caregiving responsibilities and eight percent of working caregivers of people with Alzheimer's and other dementia turned
down a promotion, while 7% lost job benefits; and
Whereas, That assisting caregivers and communities in
developing innovative incentives, technologies and programs for
caregivers and people with Alzheimer's disease to preserve
independence and quality of life are in the best interest of the
people 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 innovative incentives, technologies and programs
that support a continuum of alternatives for the care for
individuals with Alzheimer's and which support families and
caregivers and preserve the independence and community-based
options for individuals with Alzheimer's disease; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and
Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2009, 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.
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