Wyoming Legislature unanimously supports Care Act

This week, Wyoming became the 21st state in the nation to pass the Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act.

Passed unanimously by the Wyoming Legislature at the beginning of the week and signed into law by Governor Mead, House Enrolled Act 27 - The Designated Caregiver Act is a common sense solution to help those caring for their older mothers, fathers, husbands, wives and other loved ones so they can live independently. The law ensures family caregivers have key support as their loved ones go into the hospital and as they transition home.

The CARE Act requires hospitals to:

• Record your name on the medical record of your loved one
• Inform you when your loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home
• Give you education and instruction of the medical tasks you will need to perform at home, like managing medication or giving injections

“Wyoming’s caregivers give so much in the support of their loved ones. I am glad that Wyoming leaders chose to support them and make caring for their loved ones a little bit easier,” Tim Summers, AARP Wyoming State Director, said. “With over 66,000 caregivers in Wyoming, this will have a significant impact and will provide a good foundation for Wyoming to continue to bolster our system of support for caregivers.”

“Thank you to Rep. Elaine Harvey and Sen. Bill Landen and the Wyoming Hospital Association for all their work and leadership in guiding this Act to a successful passage, and thank you to all the co-sponsors on the act who understood how important this support is for Wyoming,” he said.

The Act will be effective July 1, 2016.

Rep. Elaine Harvey, R-Lovell, expressed that this legislation is about supporting caregivers with the knowledge they need to provide the best care they can for loved ones.

“This bill is of personal importance to me having been a caregiver for four parents, two sisters and a great uncle,” Harvey said. “It allows people to stay in their home longer. It allows people to be cared for in a loving way, but an accurate way.”