Apr. 21, 2017
HARRISBURG – The CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable) Act, designed to aid the more than 1.6 million Pennsylvanians who care for older loved ones, is now in effect, according to Rep. Hal English (R-Allegheny), the author of the law.
“This is great news for our residents who work hard as caregivers for elderly family members or loved ones who need support from medical professionals,” said English. “Caregiving is often stressful and the tasks involved can be very complex. The CARE Act was developed to make things a little easier for both the caregiver and the patient.”
The CARE Act requires hospitals and health care facilities to provide a patient with the opportunity to designate a family caregiver; inform the caregiver when a loved one is being discharged to another facility or sent back home; and provide the caregiver with an explanation and demonstration of the medical tasks that will need to be performed at home.
“The ultimate goal of this law is to ensure better care for our senior citizens who have contributed so much to their families and our communities,” English said. “We owe them the best health and quality of life we can provide.”
English worked closely with several advocacy groups in developing the legislation, including the American Association of Retired Persons of Pennsylvania (AARP). The organization is providing free wallet-sized cards about the new law so people have the information at hand when it is needed. A link to the AARP CARE website, where the card and other helpful information for caregivers is available, can be found at
RepEnglish.com.
Representative Hal English
30th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Raymond Smith
717.705.1834
rsmith@pahousegop.com
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