WHEREAS, A caregiver can be any relative, spouse, partner, friend, or neighbor who has a significant relationship with, and who provides a broad range of assistance to, an older person or an adult with a chronic or disabling condition; and
WHEREAS, Almost three-fourths of older people living in a typical community who receive personal assistance rely exclusively on unpaid caregivers for help; and
WHEREAS, At present, there is no complete inventory of caregiving programs available to Californians performing unpaid caregiving services for an aging or disabled family member, friend, or neighbor; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 5.8 million adults in the state provide care to adult relatives or friends, which equates to an estimated 3.9 billion hours a year at an estimated value of $47 billion each year; and
WHEREAS, The economic value of caregivers’ unpaid contributions is equivalent to 1.25 times the total Medi-Cal spending, and 4.1 times the funding allotted to Medi-Cal long-term services and supports; and
WHEREAS, If family caregivers were no longer available, the economic cost to California’s health care and long-term services and supports systems would increase astronomically; and
WHEREAS, Family support is a key driver in remaining in one’s home and community, but it comes at substantial physical, emotional, and financial cost to the caregivers, their families, and to society; and
WHEREAS, Fifty-nine percent of all family caregivers are employed full or part time and family caregivers typically spend 20 hours a week caring for a family member who needs help with bathing, dressing, and other kinds of personal care, as well as household tasks such as shopping and managing finances; and
WHEREAS, Seventy percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder live at home and need assistance with activities of daily living; and
WHEREAS, Testimony and data acquired during an Assembly “Faces of Aging” hearing series in 2014, conducted by the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care, documented variations in the way different populations respond to caregiving needs and responsibilities, thus informing policymakers of specific cultural competencies necessary to meet a diverse population’s needs, as well as specific untapped resources and strategies that could relieve caregiver stress; and
WHEREAS, It is critical to family caregivers for there to be a state-led effort to compile an inventory of the resources available to family caregivers, determine where access barriers in the current system exist, and consider the cultural and linguistic factors that impact caregivers and care recipients who are from diverse populations; and
WHEREAS, Consistency of access across the counties is critical for caregivers and the vulnerable population they serve, so the best practices in California and in other states should be identified and considered as means to improve caregiving programs; and
WHEREAS, Technology is a critical tool for family caregivers, and the development of an internet Web site or portal that contains information about California’s current resources and supports available in the state’s family caregivers’ community will help family caregivers better navigate current support services; and
WHEREAS, To successfully address the surging population of older adults who have significant needs for long-term services and supports, the state must develop methods to both encourage and support families to assist their aging loved ones and develop ways to recruit and retain a qualified, culturally competent, responsive in-home care workforce; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the California Task Force on Family Caregiving is hereby established, which shall consist of 12 members as follows:
(a) The Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Committee on Rules shall each appoint 6 members of the task force.
(b) These 12 members shall include some who have demonstrated knowledge and expertise in any of the following:
(1) Family caregiving.
(2) Geriatric research.
(3) Alzheimer’s disease research.
(4) Senior and disability advocacy; and be it further
Resolved, That the task force shall perform the following duties:
(a) Meet to examine issues relative to the challenges faced by family caregivers and opportunities to improve caregiver support, review the current network and the services and supports available to caregivers, and make policy recommendations to the Legislature.
(b) Consult, as necessary, with a broad range of stakeholders, including, but not limited to, family caregivers, community-based and institutional providers, caregiving researchers and academics, caregiver resource centers, and other state entities; and be it further
Resolved, That the task force is encouraged to partner, whenever possible, with the California Commission on Aging in order to link the efforts of the Legislature and the administration; and be it further
Resolved, That state funds shall not be used to support task force activities, but the task force may solicit and accept private funds and in-kind donations from public and private foundations to pay expenses incurred in conducting its business, as long as that support would not pose any conflict of interest. These expenses include, but are not limited to, staff, administrative, meeting, and other expenses incurred by task force members in the performance of their official duties; and be it further
Resolved, That the task force shall convene, once members have been appointed, if a nonstate organization agrees to provide administrative support to the task force; and be it further
Resolved, That the task force shall be subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code); and be it further
Resolved, That the task force shall submit one or more reports to the Legislature and to the Governor, including an interim report no later than January 1, 2017, and a final report no later than July 1, 2018; and be it further
Resolved, That the task force is authorized to act until July 31, 2018; and be it further
Resolved, That members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall receive reimbursement for travel and other necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of their official duties, to the extent that private funds are available; and be it further
Resolved, That members of the task force shall be appointed to serve for the duration of the task force; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.