A public hearing will be held at the state Capitol on Friday, January 6 to receive comment on the final draft report of the Hawaii Long-Term Care Commission.The Commission was established by the Legislature in 2008 (Act 224) to assess the state’s long-term care system and recommend changes.
DATE:Friday, January 6, 2012
TIME:2 – 4 p.m.
PLACE:State Capitol, Conference Room 229
The Commission’s report comes amid evidence of the aging of Hawaii’s population – which is expected to trigger increased demand for long-term care services that the state and many residents are unprepared for.U.S. Census data show dramatic growth of Hawaii’s older population over the past decade, statewide and by county:
|
Older Population
Growth
|
2000
|
2010
|
Pct. Change
|
|
Statewide
Age 65+
*Age 85+
|
160,601
17,564
|
195,138
30,238
|
+21%
+72%
|
|
Honolulu
Age 65+
Age 85+
|
117,737
12,759
|
138,490
22,360
|
+17%
+75%
|
|
Hawaii County
Age 65+
Age 85+
|
20,119
2,132
|
26,834
3,603
|
+33%
+68%
|
|
Kauai County
Age 65+
Age 85+
|
8,069
1,031
|
9,985
1,616
|
+23%
+56%
|
|
Maui County
Age 65+
Age 85+
|
14,629
1,642
|
19,803
2,658
|
+35%
+61%
|
* Only Alaska and Nevada saw greater percentage increases in the number of their oldest residents over the past ten years.
As Hawaii ages, many families may be shocked to learn that the state’s nursing home costs are among the highest in the country and home and community based service options are limited.Without reforms, an increased burden will fall on the shoulders of family caregivers, who already provide the bulk of elder-care services.On any given day there are about 247,000 caregivers in Hawaii who provided unpaid services valued at nearly $2 billion in 2009 alone.
Looking ahead, state projections suggest the continued growth of Hawaii’s older population over the next 25 years – when the number of seniors age 65+ will effectively double (99.3 percent) and those age 85+ will increase by more than 136 percent as follows:
|
Statewide
|
2010
|
2015
|
2025
|
2035
|
|
Age 65+
|
195,138
|
237,526
|
325,819
|
389,068
|
|
Age 85+
|
30,238
|
41,054
|
45,368
|
71,553
|
The Long-Term Care Commission’s report is available for review on the University of Hawaii Public Policy Center website at www.publicpolicycenter.hawaii.edu/ltcc.Comments may be sent to Administrator David Nixon at dnixon@hawaii.edu by 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 5.The Commission’s final report will be delivered to the Legislature on Thursday, January 19.
There are nearly 150,000 AARP members in Hawaii.
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