Continuity of CARE
Caregivers support aging family members and loved ones with a variety of duties that change over the course of the loved one’s life. Some cook, clean, shop and manage finances. Others provide transportation to and from medical appointments and administer medications. Some also bathe, dress, feed and toilet their loved ones. Much of this is performed with little to no instruction from anyone. These duties may evolve into dressing wounds, operating lifts, managing colostomy bags, and more.
When their medical or physical needs exceed what family caregivers can provide or when they require temporary hospitalization, the caregiver turns over responsibility to professional care providers. When that ends and the caregiver resumes responsibility, how can continuity of care be established?
Enter the Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act. It requires hospitals to provide patients an opportunity to identify a family caregiver and that person’s name and contact information are recorded in the hospital medical record. The hospital is then required to notify the family caregiver as soon as possible when the family member will be discharged or transferred and consult with the caregiver about the discharge plan which includes medical and nursing tasks necessary after discharge.
A free printable wallet card for CARE is available from AARP here.
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