CARE Act advanced by House committee

A bill intended to provide much-needed help to family caregivers won passage in House committee today.

The House Health Policy Committee voted to send Senate Bill 352, the Michigan CARE Act, to the floor. A full House vote is expected as soon as next week.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Margaret O'Brien, R-Portage, won unanimous passage in the Senate in December.

The Michigan CARE Act features three important provisions:

• The name of the family caregiver is recorded when a loved one is admitted into a hospital;
• The family caregiver is notified if the loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home; and,
• 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.

AARP research shows Michigan has about 2 million caregivers at any given point during the year. An AARP poll of voters 50 and older indicated 8 in 10 are, have been or expect to be caregivers.