Distressing as it was to learn of elderly patients being sent to Mainland nursing homes because of a shortage of space, that's only a warning sign of the larger crisis that looms.

State lawmakers have responded to the episode, in which The Queen's Medical Center moved 11 seniors to Mainland facilities, by introducing HB 1597. That measure would require healthcare providers to notify the Hawai'i Disability Rights Center before transferring patients to the Mainland.

Even if the legal issues can be resolved — tipping off a state agency could violate patient privacy rights — the bill treats only one symptom of a larger problem: the critical shortage of nursing-home beds and long-term care services.

Fortunately, lawmakers also are taking a wider view. The Joint Legislative Committee on Family Caregiving, led by state Sen. Les Ihara, D-9th (Kapahulu, Kaimuki, Palolo), was founded last session and has proposed numerous ways to attack the problem.

Among them: an omnibus package, SB 1916, that would allot funds to close short-term gaps in elder-care services, as well as fund a needed assessment of what caregivers and seniors need most. Supporting the seniors' desire to "age in place" whenever possible is critical to success.

Another highlight is the appropriation of about $500,000 over two years to establish a resource center program that would guide family members in the care of elders. Anyone who's attempted to navigate the elder-care maze knows how much that would help.

Finally, the joint committee needs an extension of its term to continue working on solutions to the overall problem, including ways of financing long-term care in Hawai'i.

The Kokua Council, an advocacy group for seniors, turned out to support the notification bill, calling the transfer of patients to the Mainland appalling.

That's an accurate assessment. But it will take far more than this bill to tackle the long-term care challenge.

Lawmakers must rise to meet this challenge so that the Islands can truly be equipped to give our elders the care they deserve right here at home.