Renewed Effort to Pass CARE Act

Boffeli, Seth

AARP Missouri is meeting with legislators, hospital administrators and health care professionals this month to garner support for a measure that could help family caregivers when a loved one comes home from a hospital stay.

The Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act would allow every hospital patient in the state to designate a family caregiver. The hospital would make reasonable attempts to inform the caregiver before the patient is discharged and to show the caregiver how to perform medical tasks the patient will need at home.

At least 39 states and territories have enacted similar legislation since 2014. Missouri lawmakers introduced the bill in 2016 and 2017, but both times it died in committee.

AARP will not be deterred in its efforts to help about 792,000 family caregivers in Missouri, and members can help. To urge your legislators to pass it in 2018, call 844-288-1084 toll-free.