Help Patients From Hospital to Home

A new state law backed by AARP aims to ease the transition from hospital to home for patients and their caregivers.

The Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act—which takes effect Jan. 1—will allow every hospital patient to designate a family caregiver. The hospital must make a reasonable effort to alert the caregiver about discharge plans and to provide instructions for follow-up care needed at home.

At least 33 states have passed similar laws, but the Delaware law will go a step further than most by allowing the caregiver’s contact information to be shared electronically with the patient’s other providers through the Delaware Health Information Network.

Almost half of Delawareans age 35 and older are providing or have provided unpaid care for an adult loved one.