General Assembly Passes Bill To Support Family Caregivers

AARP Applauds Legislature, Calls on Governor Rauner to Sign CARE Act Into Law

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May 13, 2015, 05:38 ET

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., May 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Today, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed Senate Bill 1298 – the CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable) Act - and, in doing so, took a major step toward helping to ensure that family caregivers in Illinois have the resources and training they need to care for their loved ones at home following a hospital stay. Sponsored by Sen. Chapin Rose, Senate Bill 1298 provides an added layer of support for the over 2.4 million family caregivers in Illinois. The bill was sponsored in the House by Rep. Jerry Costello, II.

"AARP thanks Senator Rose and Representative Costello for their leadership on this issue and we applaud the entire General Assembly for voting 'yes' on Senate Bill 1298," said Ryan Gruenenfelder, AARP Illinois Manager of Advocacy and Outreach. "Family caregivers in Illinois will now have an added layer of support as they tackle the challenging role of caring for a loved one. We urge Governor Rauner to sign this bipartisan piece of legislation into law as soon as possible."

The CARE Act recognizes the critical role family caregivers play in keeping their loved ones safe at home after hospitalization and out of costly institutions. The bill features three key provisions:

Identification: The name of the family caregiver is recorded when a loved one is admitted into a hospital;
Notification: The family caregiver is notified if the loved one is to be discharged home or transferred to another facility; and,
Training: The hospital must make an effort to provide an explanation and instructions of the after-care tasks – such as medication management, injections, wound care, and transfers – that the family caregiver may perform at home.

"The Illinois CARE Act recognizes the very important role family caregivers play in keeping their loved ones safe at home after being in the hospital," State Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) said. "This legislation will improve the quality of care of countless Illinoisans and save the taxpayers money in the process by lowering readmissions to hospital emergency rooms."

"This initiative empowers caregivers who are often family or friends of patients to provide their loved ones with the best possible care," Rep. Costello, II (D-Red Bud) said. "Not only has this measure to keep caregivers informed gained bipartisan support, but it is a common sense solution that will positively impact many Illinoisans."

Nationally, almost half (46%) of family caregivers perform medical or nursing tasks for their loved ones with multiple chronic physical and cognitive conditions – and 78% of caregivers who provide these tasks manage medications, including administering intravenous fluids and injections. Most family caregivers report that they received little or no training to perform these tasks. Source: Home Alone: Family Caregivers Provide Complex Chronic Care (AARP Public Policy Institute, 2014)

SOURCE AARP Illinois