As of Thursday, Pennsylvania hospitals must notify the caregivers of elderly patients of their impending discharge and provide them with information and training about the patient's specific needs and health concerns upon returning home, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pennsylvania's Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act was signed by Democratic Governor Tom Wolf in April 2016. The legislation was backed by groups like AARP and has been well received among the Pennsylvania healthcare community.
"We recognize [that upon discharge from a hospital] many patients are groggy or don't feel well, or maybe they're older and it's difficult to remember things when you get home," said Connie Feiler, senior manager for patient education at Pittsburgh-based UPMC, according to the Post-Gazette. "On admission now, we're to ask all patients, 'Would you like a caregiver involved after your discharge?' ... We've always known that was the right thing to do, but now it formalizes the process."
To read the entire Post-Gazette report, click here.
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