AARP is Helping Caregivers in Virginia and Across the Country

Posted by Thomas Edwards on October 21, 2019 2:10 PM EDT

According to printed material and a press release by the AARP, there are over 1.7 million caregivers in Virginia who provide uncompensated care for elderly loved ones and friends and neighbors.  Five years ago, AARP......

....was instrumental in passing state legislation in Virginia, and other states as well, to provide resources to these caregivers in order for them to be even better providers for those they "CARE" for.   A press release written by Ginger Thompson, provided valuable information about new legislation to help caregivers in Virginia and other states.  The name of the legislation that was passed in Virginia in February 2015, and sponsored by AARP there and in other states, is called the Virginia C.A.R.E Act.

The new law will help family caregivers by providing them with more instruction about how to care for their loved ones after a hospital stay.

The CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable) Act helps family caregivers when their loved ones go into the hospital and as they transition home. The CARE Act requires hospitals to:

 Provide you the opportunity to designate a family caregiver.

 Inform your caregiver when you are to be discharged to another facility or back home.

 Provide an explanation and a demonstration of any medical tasks your caregiver will need to perform at home.

Virginia’s family caregivers provide care to their loved ones that equals $11.7 billion if those family members were in a care facility, according to a 2011 AARP study.

“Helping Virginia’s 1.7 million caregivers get the assistance they need tops our list of priorities,” said AARP Virginia State President Bob Blancato. "This is a wonderful victory for everyone who has to take care of a family member after they have had a hospital stay."

The intention of the law was and still is to help family caregivers by providing them with more instruction about how to care for their loved ones after a hospital stay.

Helping provide resources to Virginia’s family caregivers in order to help them provide better care to their loved ones was no easy feat in early 2015, nor is it easy now almost five years later.  Hopefully, caregivers can find support, information and resources from AARP and the Virginia CARE Act can continue to be a resource in support of those loved ones and friends who do the important work of providing care for elderly and homebound citizens.