Nebraska Legislature Passes Landmark Bill Supporting 200,000 Family Caregivers

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We did it! State lawmakers today unanimously approved landmark legislation strengthening supports for Nebraska’s 200,000 family caregivers and their loved ones.

LB 698 enhances coordination and communication between caregivers, patients and hospitals. These portions of the bill were this year's top legislative priority for AARP Nebraska, and we thank our state senators for recognizing the hugely important role family caregivers play in keeping their older parents, spouses and other loved ones at home - where they want to be. The bill now awaits the Governor's signature.

State Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue, sponsor and champion of the Assisting Caregiver Transitions Act, released the following statement upon passage of the bill.

"The Assisting Caregiver Transitions Act, an important piece of Senator Sue Crawford’s legislative agenda, has reached the Governor’s desk after the Legislature passed LB 698 on a 46-0 vote on final reading this morning.

LB 698 is a package of consumer protection bills for seniors and their families. It provides for a Home Health Care Consumer Bill of Rights and Alzheimer’s Special Care Disclosure, among other protections.

LB 698 was amended to include LB 849 (The Assisting Caregiver Transition Act). Senator Crawford introduced this legislation to allow hospital patients to designate a caregiver who would then receive instructions from the hospital at discharge so that the caregivers know how to safely look after loved ones and help them heal.

In 2013, about 40 million family caregivers in the U.S. provided an estimated 37 billion hours of care to an adult with limitations in daily activities, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute.

This legislation takes on increasing importance as the number of Nebraskans over the age of 65 is projected to grow from 247,000 to more than 404,000 over the next 20 years, according to a University of Nebraska at Omaha analysis. The value of unpaid family care vastly exceeds the value of paid home care.

“The Assisting Caregiver Transitions Act will make it easier for caregivers to take care of their loved one,” Crawford said. “Family caregivers play an important role in assisting loved ones with their health care needs, and many more Nebraskans will find themselves in the position of caring for aging family members and friends with chronic health conditions. It is critical that our state laws recognize and support these family caregivers who provide this health care to fellow Nebraskans.”

AARP Nebraska supported the Assisting Caregiver Transitions Act.

“AARP was proud to support the Assisting Caregiver Transitions Act,” said Mark Intermill, advocacy director for AARP Nebraska. “We appreciate Sen. Crawford’s efforts to assure that family caregivers have the training and information they need to provide the best possible care to a family member after a hospitalization. The transition from hospital to home can be a challenge and having informed and trained caregivers reduces the likelihood of complications that will require a rehospitalization.”

Crawford said while this bill will have enormous impact on senior patients, it will also provide important help to caregivers of adult patients of any age.

“This is especially important in our fast-paced society, where caregivers must often balance work with care for loved ones,” Crawford said.

In addition to providing help to caregivers, however, this legislation has the potential to help families keep seniors in their homes longer, postponing costly long-term care.

As the Omaha World-Herald pointed out in a previous editorial:

“Two out of every five dollars the Nebraska state government spends on Medicaid are to cover long-term care services for seniors. This demand will grow as the state’s population continues to age.”

Other states are already responding to their own costs and projections. Currently, 18 states and Puerto Rico have enacted measures similar to this bill."