The State Senate returned to Albany on Tuesday and passed the CARE ACT which requires hospitals to include a designated caregiver identified by a patient when they go to the hospital and for the caregiver to be given training and support for post hospital care.
The bill now goes to the Assembly where it is sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal. Passage looks good there and the concept of the bill had the support of Governor Cuomo who included a Caregiver Support Initiative in his opportunity agenda released at the start of the legislative session.
According to AARP, “The Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable Act ensures hospital patients can designate a family caregiver and requires hospitals to offer that caregiver instruction and demonstrations of medical tasks they are being expected to provide for their loved ones at home, such as administering multiple medications, dressing wounds and operating medical equipment.”
AARP is making the bill its top legislative priority and launched a major statewide campaign that has included research, community forums, district lobbying and efforts at the State Capitol. The issue has become more important as more and more older persons and other patients are being quickly discharged from the hospital after operations that previously would have kept them for several days. Family caregivers in addition to home health aides are increasingly being expected to assist in providing care at home. Care coordination is also becoming a major priority of health care transformation as Medicare and Medicaid are seeking to reduce hospital re-admissions.
To read more, the news release is linked here.
