Caregivers matter. You can make a difference.

More than 1.7 million family caregivers in Virginia help their parents, spouses, aunts, uncles, and other loved ones live independently at home – where they want to be.  While they wouldn’t have it any other way, family caregiving can be a big job and a little help could make a world of difference. 

 Many family caregivers perform a variety of nursing/medical tasks including medication management, injections, wound care, and more – tasks once provided only by medical professionals (or doctors and nurses).  Yet most family caregivers report they receive little or no training to help them do these tasks—and safely care for their loved ones.

 You can make a difference. Join us for AARP Virginia Day at the General Assembly on January 27^th to tell legislators to pass House Bill HB1413, and support family caregivers as their loved ones go into the hospital and as they transition home.

 HB1413 requires hospitals to:

• Provide patients with the opportunity to designate a family caregiver. 
• Notify the family caregiver if the loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home;
• Offer the family caregiver an opportunity to receive instruction on the medical/nursing tasks they will need to perform at home, including an opportunity for a live demonstration and time for questions.

Help us fight for family caregivers by joining us for AARP Day at the General Assembly on January 27 ^th.  Sign up now to participate and help make big responsibilities a little easier for Virginia’s family caregivers!