BREAKING NEWS: MA Legislature Passes the CARE Act!

In terrific news for family caregivers in Massachusetts, today, the Massachusetts Legislature enacted  House Bill 3911, An Act Establishing the Caregiver Advise, Record, and Enable (CARE) Act!

Thank you to our hard-working volunteer advocates and e-activists for all of your phone calls, tweets, emails, and more. Special thanks to the bill sponsors,  Rep. Chris Walsh (D-Framingham) and  Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry (D-Dorchester).

The final step is for the bill to be signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker.

CLICK HERE  to join us in asking Gov. Baker to sign the legislation now and make the CARE Act law in Massachusetts!

More than  844,000 Bay State residents are providing in-home care for an aging parent or loved. This home-based care is allowing those loved ones to remain their own homes.

Massachusetts family caregivers have a huge responsibility, and at AARP we’re committed to help lighten their load.

What Exactly is The CARE Act?

the CARE Act (pdf) recognizes the critical role family caregivers play in keeping their loved ones out of costly institutions. To that end, the bill features three important provisions:

1. The hospital patient is provided with an opportunity to designate a family caregiver;
2. The family caregiver is notified if the loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home; and,
3. The facility must provide an explanation and live instruction of the medical tasks – such as medication management, injections, wound care, and transfers – that the family caregiver will perform at home.

Why Massachusetts Needs the CARE Act

• More than half (55 percent) of family caregivers report being overwhelmed by the amount of care their family member needs.
• Nearly 4 in 10 (38 percent) family caregivers report a moderate (20 percent) to high degree (18 percent) of financial strain as a result of providing care.
• In 2014, the majority (60 percent) of family caregivers had full- or part-time jobs.
• In 2010, there were 7.2 potential family caregivers for every person age 80 and older. By 2030, that ratio will fall sharply to 4 to 1, and is projected to drop further to 3 to 1 in 2050.

How Can You Help?

CLICK HERE to join us in asking Gov. Baker to sign the legislation now and make the CARE Act law in Massachusetts!

On behalf of Bay State family caregivers, thank you!

For more information, contact AARPMA Advocacy Director Jessica Costantino at 617-305-0538 or  jcostantino@aarp.org.

Please share it with us at iheartcaregivers.org.

Find caregiver resources at our Caregiving Resource Center.