New State Law Helps Family Caregivers

A new state law, which took effect Aug. 1, aims to ease the transition for family caregivers when a loved one comes home from a hospital stay.

The Louisiana Family Caregiver Act allows every hospital patient to designate a family caregiver. The hospital must make reasonable efforts to notify the caregiver before the patient is discharged and to provide instructions for follow-up tasks needed at home, such as managing medications or operating medical equipment.

About 660,000 Bayou Staters serve as family caregivers, providing about 615 million hours of unpaid services a year, worth nearly $6.5 billion.

"Family caregivers perform complicated tasks to help loved ones with chronic illnesses continue to live at home,” said Denise Bottcher, AARP state director. “Without their help, many patients would end up in costly nursing home care.”

More than 30 other states have enacted similar legislation. For more information, go to aarp.org/la.