AARP Urges Council to Pass CARE Act

The nation’s capital is home to more than 75,000 family caregivers, who provide $870 million worth of unpaid services annually for their parents, spouses or other adults. Caregiving can be especially daunting when a loved one needs medical attention at home.

That’s why AARP DC is urging the Council of the District of Columbia to pass the Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act. The legislation would allow every hospital patient to designate a family caregiver. The hospital would be required to inform the caregiver when the patient is discharged and to show the caregiver how to perform medical tasks the patient will need at home.

A 2012 AARP study found that almost half of family caregivers performed medical or nursing tasks for people with multiple chronic physical or cognitive conditions.

Share your caregiving story at aarp.org/iheartcaregivers.