Bill Text: HI SR118 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Resolution 118

Introduced

Bill Title: Requesting That A Task Force Be Convened To Develop A Norwegian-based Public Facility Model Designated To Ensure The Well-being And Safety Of Dementia Patients.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-22 - The committee on HHS deferred the measure. [SR118 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-SR118-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	118
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

requesting that a task force be convened to develop a norwegian-based public facility model designated to ensure the well-being and safety of dementia patients.

WHEREAS, dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other cognitive abilities caused by abnormal changes in the brain, brain cell damage, other brain diseases, or a combination of factors, and are severe enough to interfere with everyday life; and

WHEREAS, approximately twenty nine thousand patients in the State are currently diagnosed with dementia, and the number of patients is expected to rise to thirty five thousand by 2025; and

WHEREAS, six in ten dementia sufferers will wander off at least once, which poses dangerous and potentially life-threatening risks to the patient, especially if they become lost and have difficulty finding their way home; and

WHEREAS, countries such as the Netherlands, India, and Norway have implemented "dementia villages" to provide a safe living and communal space for dementia patients to facilitate a sense of freedom for patients; and

WHEREAS, the facility's model provides housing and services within a closed space to prevent dementia sufferers from wandering off, and all areas have clearly identifiable spaces, markers, or other elements to ease wayfinding; and

WHEREAS, Norway has developed a pilot project called "Carpe Diem Dementia Village" to address the impending strain on dementia care and establish a fundamental basis for future dementia care in Norway; and

WHEREAS, unlike many other models that isolate the dementia village, the Norwegian model is an open-village and invites the local community to engage with patients and recreate the familiar feeling of "home"; and

WHEREAS, by living a more meaningful life, residents experience more positive psychological benefits, consume fewer medications, improve their eating habits, and live longer; and

WHEREAS, the State has the responsibility to ensure that the health and safety of its kupuna and aging residents are met; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that this body is requested to convene a task force to develop a Norwegian-based public facility model designated to ensure the well-being and safety of dementia patients; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to consist of the following members:

(1) The Director of the Office of Wellness and Resilience;

(2) The Director of Health; and

(3) A representative from AARP Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Office of Wellness and Resilience, Director of Health, and State Director of AARP Hawaii.