J.R. 6                                       1997 JOINT RESOLUTIONS

Washington, D.C. 20510; and Representatives Wayne T. Gilchrest, Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.,
Benjamin L. Cardin, Albert R. Wynn, Steny Hamilton Hoyer, Roscoe G. Bartlett, Elijah
E. Cummings, and Constance A. Morella, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
20515.

Signed April 8, 1997.

Joint Resolution No. 6
(House Joint Resolution No. 19)

A House Joint Resolution concerning

Flexibility in the Provision of Long-Term Care

FOR the purpose of expressing the intent of the General Assembly of Maryland
regarding the provision of long-term care in the State; and directing the Health
Care Financing Administration to be less restrictive in imposing conditions on the
receipt of federal funds for the provision of long-term care in the State and to allow
the State greater flexibility in deciding how to best utilize the funds available for the
provision of long-term care.

WHEREAS, Long-term care is utilized by persons over 65 years old, persons with
functional disabilities under 65 years old, persons with developmental disabilities, and
persons with mental illness in this State; and

WHEREAS, Demographic trends indicate that expenditures for long-term care will
continue to grow and populations in need of long term care will continue to require
long-term care; and

WHEREAS, The individual needs of a person in need of long-term care differ
depending on the nature of the person's disability; and

WHEREAS, The purpose of long-term care is to provide assistance in allowing the
individual to function at maximum ability, which may include habilitative services,
rehabilitation, and maintenance of function at optimum levels possible as health status
changes; and

WHEREAS, Long-term care recipients often are best served in home and
community-based settings instead of institutional settings; and

WHEREAS, While institutional long-term care may be appropriate under some
circumstances, long-term care recipients often are best served in home-, community-, and
assisted living-based settings; and

WHEREAS, Persons in need of long-term care desire accessible home and
community-based home-, community-, and assisted living-based services to assist them in
preserving their independence and preventing institutionalization; and

- 4362 -