The District of Columbia passes the CARE Act.

Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable (CARE) Act of 2015 into law. The CARE Act requires that hospitals provide patients with an opportunity to select a caregiver after hospital admission, and it requires that hospitals record contact information for the caregivers and consult with them about the patient’s care plan after discharge. 

“As a city, we are committed to making sure that every Washingtonian can live in their homes independently, for as long as they choose.  The CARE Act will ensure that patients have the kind of support they need to transition back home safely, and will reduce hospital readmissions,” said Mayor Bowser. “This law also gives caregivers the kind of support they need to take care of their loved ones.  Caregivers do so much for their family and friends, and we owe it to them to provide maximum support for their important work.”

Mayor Bowser and her Administration are working to make DC an age-friendly city.  Age-Friendly DC is a coordinated, comprehensive, collective-action effort focused on ensuring that all DC residents are active, connected, healthy, engaged and happy in their environments. The District’s Age-Friendly Plan addresses the needs of all ages and abilities with a focus on adults aged 50 and older. DC will seek the Age-Friendly City designation from the World Health Organization in 2017.

"We applaud Mayor Muriel Bowser for signing the CARE Act, which will provide over 75,000 family caregivers in the District of Columbia the tools they need to provide care for a loved one," says Rev. Joseph K Williams, Sr., M.Div., State President for AARP-DC.  He continued, "The Care Act is common sense legislation that allows for basic requirements to be followed when patients are hospitalized and basic instructions to the caregiver on how to provide the necessary aftercare tasks once the patient returns home."