SUBJECT:

PURPOSE:

New York State has approximately 1.7 million caregivers who spend countless hours and resources caring for their elder relatives. These caregivers play an essential role in the long-term care of older adults and in maintaining their elderly relatives at home for as long as possible. Increasingly, the importance of this informal caregiving network is being recognized especially for its primary role in the prevention and/or delay of costly institutionalization of older New Yorkers. According to a study conducted by the State University of New York at Stony Brook, caregivers save the State health care system over $11 billion annually. With New York's senior population expected to double with the aging of the baby boomers and the professional and paraprofessional workforce in decline, the State must continue to develop programs which offer caregiver support and relief to sustain the valuable contribution of these informal caregivers.

Please see below for a list of subjects to which witnesses may direct their testimony, and for a description of the bills which will be discussed at the hearing.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committee at the above hearing should complete and return the reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to 10 minutes' duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Committee will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to Committee staff as early as possible. In the absence of a request, witnesses will be scheduled in the order in which reply forms are postmarked.

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committee's interest in hearing testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

SELECTED ISSUES TO WHICH WITNESSES MAY DIRECT THEIR TESTIMONY:

1. Are there any new service delivery models or models that other states have effectively implemented that could be adopted in New York as a way to expand respite options and support services for caregivers of older New Yorkers?

2. Individuals and families caring for their older loves ones at home and in the community face a range of issues. What issues/needs of caregivers are successfully being addressed across the State and what needs are going unmet?

3. What is the most frustrating part for caregivers when trying to access caregiver support services? What could be done to address this frustration?

4. What types of respite services are available for caregivers and are there any major deficiencies?

5. Transportation is often identified as a major issue to accessing services for older New Yorkers and their caregivers. How are transportation services currently being paid for in your community and what could be done to ensure that adequate transportation services are available, particularly, for respite and adult day services?

6. What regulatory changes would you recommend that New York State adopt in order to improve the services and programs that support caregivers?

7. What staff training requirements are needed to ensure that individuals who are providing respite care are adequately prepared to deal with health care conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and other dementias?

8. How do caregiver support and respite services impact upon the ability of families to care for their loved ones and to delay or prevent the need for more costly forms of care and the need to access the Medicaid program?

9. Should New York expand the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance program to allow for spouses and siblings to be paid caregivers?

10. Should long-term care insurance policies provide coverage for caregiver support and respite services?

PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on Caregiver Support / Respite Services for Caregivers of Older New Yorkers are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail it to:

Debbie Holland
Legislative Associate
Assembly Committee on Aging
Room 522 - Capitol
Albany, New York 12248
Email: holland@assembly.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 455-4371
Fax: (518) 455-4693

I will address my remarks to the following subjects:

I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the type of assistance required: