At this moment, nearly 2.6 million New York residents are caring for an older parent or loved one, helping them to live independently at home. These family caregivers have a huge responsibility, and now there’s support in place that will make life a little bit easier for them.
A new law, the Caregiver Advise, Record,
Enable (CARE) Act, just went into effect in April 2016, and supports family caregivers when their loved ones go into the hospital and as they transition home. When a patient is admitted, the law now requires hospitals to:
- Provide your loved one the opportunity to designate a family caregiver in the medical record
- Keep the caregiver informed of their loved one’s discharge plans
- Offer the caregiver basic instruction on the aftercare tasks they will be asked to perform at home
This victory will help empower family caregivers to do their best work as they take care of the ones they love. Thank you for helping to put this new law on the books by adding your voice to AARP New York’s advocacy efforts. Together, we are making a difference.
AARP New York