AARP Names Four State Legislators as Capitol Caregivers

To recognize their work to support family caregivers in Delaware, AARP named four Legislators as 2016 “Capitol Caregivers,” on Jan. 11 as part of a bipartisan group of elected officials from more than 23 states.  These leaders have advanced policies to help family caregivers who are making it possible for all Delawareans to live independently in their homes and communities—where they want to be.

“AARP thanks House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst; Senator Bethany Hall Long; Representative David Bentz; and Representative Paul Baumbach for championing the CARE Act this year,” says Delaware State Director Lucretia Young of AARP, which serves more than 185,000 members age 50 and older in the First State. “The legislators we’re honoring provided integral leadership to pass Senate Bill 52, the CARE Act, last year to help make the big responsibilities of family caregivers in Delaware a little bit easier.”

The Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act went into effect on January 1, and allows every hospital patient to designate a family caregiver. The hospital must notify the caregiver before their loved one is discharged and provide basic instructions for follow-up medical tasks needed at home.

"Oftentimes the responsibility for care falls on a family member or friend. The CARE Act will serve as a tool to enhance patient security and caregiver confidence,” said Senator Bethany Hall Long, the bill’s primary sponsor. “Delaware law takes it a step further by including the Delaware Health Information Network database for statewide electronic health records. This will lessen the stress that caregivers feel upon a patients’ discharge by better preparing them to care for their loved ones."

More than 123,000 Delawareans provide unpaid care for their older parents, spouses, and other loved ones—a contribution valued at about $1.58 billion annually.  They help with bathing and dressing, meal preparation, managing finances, transportation, grocery shopping and more.  Today, many family caregivers even perform medical tasks like wound care, injections, and complex medication management.

“Family caregivers are the back bone of Delaware’s care system,” says Young.  “And they need our support.”

AARP honored the four legislators at a lunchtime event at Legislative Hall in Dover.

“AARP will continue to fight for Delaware’s family caregivers and their loved ones in 2017,”

said Young.