On June 8, 2015 a new law will take effect in West Virginia that supports family caregivers when their loved ones are admitted into a hospital. AARP West Virginia promoted the bill (House Bill 2100 that passed unanimously in the West Virginia House of Delegates and in the West Virginia Senate. Governor Tomblin signed the CARE Act into law on March 27, 2015. After June 8, 2015 health care facilities will be required to: Record the name of family caregivers on the medical record of a loved one; Inform the family caregiver when their loved one is to be discharged back home; and, Give the family caregiver education and instruction on the medical tasks, such as medication management, injections, wound care and transfers, they will need to perform at home.
The text of the West Virginia House Bill 2100 can be accessed here: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2015_SESSIONS/RS/pdf_bills/HB2100%20ENR%20PRINTED.pdf
The CARE Act became law in Oklahoma and New Jersey in 2014. In 2015 West Virginia, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Virginia enacted the CARE Act.
AARP created the model CARE Act legislation to help family caregivers. Almost half of the 42 million family caregivers in America have performed medical or nursing tasks for their loved ones. These tasks include: managing multiple medications providing wound care managing special diets operating monitors or other specialized medical equipment
To find tools and support and to connect with other caregivers visit the AARP Caregiver Resource Center: fhttp://www.aarp.org/home-family/caregiving/
