An estimated 4.1 million New Yorkers provide unpaid care to adults with conditions that limit their daily activities, according to AARP, the Times Union reported.
Under New York’s CARE Act, which stands for Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable, patients must be asked if they would like to designate a caregiver and, if so, have the opportunity to identify that person. Then, once named, the caregiver must be included in discussions about patient’s conditions during their hospital stays, according to the Times Union. The Times Union notes caregivers also must be notified by hospital staff when the patient is going to be discharged and trained on what the patient will need outside the hospital.
“The majority of all long-term care in New York is done by family caregivers, and this further acknowledges the important role they play in our health system,” Bill Ferris, state legislative representative for AARP New York, said, according to the Times Union.
New York is one of the 24 states to have passed similar laws.
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