ESTABLISHING THE NON-ACUTE PATIENT MEDICAL GUARDIANSHIP TASK FORCE TO STUDY AND MAKE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE NEEDS AND OPTIONS OF NON-ACUTE HOSPITAL PATIENTS IN NEED OF MEDICAL GUARDIANSHIP SERVICES.

This concurrent resolution establishes the Non-Acute Patient Medical Guardianship Task Force to study and make findings and recommendations regarding the needs and options of non-acute hospital patients in need of medical guardianship services. A recent study concluding in 2017 found that hospital patients who did not have acute medical needs were often abandoned in hospitals. These patients often lack financial means to pay for a guardian to make medical decisions. The Office of Public Guardian does not have sufficient resources to intervene to make timely medical decisions for such non-acute patients. In addition to harming these non-acute patients with prolonged hospital stays, patients with acute medical needs are not timely and adequately served because hospital beds are occupied by such non-acute patients. This concurrent resolution establishes a task force to study and make recommendations on these issues.