Press Release – May 17, 2016
Delaware Senate Majority Caucus
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jesse Chadderdon (302) 744-4282 or (302) 743-0945;
Mat Marshall (302) 744-4180 or (302) 577-8897
Delaware Senate Majority Caucus
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jesse Chadderdon (302) 744-4282 or (302) 743-0945;
Mat Marshall (302) 744-4180 or (302) 577-8897
Sen. Hall-Long introduces CARE Act in Senate
Sen. Bethany Hall-Long, D-Middletown, today introduced bi-partisan legislation aimed at improving hospitals’ coordination with patients’ family members, friends, and others who provide unpaid assistance to adults with limitations in their daily activities—also known as lay caregivers.
Senate Bill 52, also known as the CARE Act, would make Delaware the 28th state to implement a framework for patients to designate a lay caregiver during a hospital stay. That framework would provide for lay caregivers to be notified of a patient’s discharge, and for the hospital to train caregivers in proper aftercare—like cleaning wounds, administering special diets, or operating medical equipment—following a hospital discharge.
Sen. Hall-Long—a nurse herself—says that the legislation is vital to improving Delaware’s continuum of care.
“Anyone who’s been admitted to a hospital knows that a patient’s recovery and care doesn’t end at discharge,” Hall-Long said. “Oftentimes the responsibility for that care falls on a family member with no clinical training, which is unfair to the caregiver, hazardous to the patient, and expensive for the hospital if it results in readmission. Especially considering the growth in our aging population, it’s critical for everyone that Delawareans have access to quality care at home, and that begins with the people closest to us.”
No established, integrated process exists under current law for a family member to be trained in the proper administration of care following a hospital stay. That can lead to preventable missteps that drag out recovery time, or even require readmission. Studies have shown that one in eight Medicare patients is readmitted to a hospital within a month of surgery, which creates additional health risks, costs taxpayers more, and can result in a financial penalty against the hospital.
“As Delaware’s aging population continues to grow, family members who provide care and medical assistance to their loved ones will only become more commonplace,” said Rep. David Bentz, D-Christiana, the bill’s House sponsor. “As a state, we need to acknowledge the key roles these caregivers play and formalize their relationships with our health care practitioners.”
SB 52 is part of a larger legislative effort, led up by Sen. Hall-Long and others, to look holistically at health care delivery in Delaware and close gaps in the continuum of care. Prior to SB 52’s introduction, Hall-Long also helped lead the General Assembly’s efforts to implement telemedicine, improve the state’s approach to preventing overdose fatalities, and comprehensively review Delaware’s mental and behavioral health care systems.
“AARP has been working to support family caregivers for many years. The CARE Act is a good way to make sure caregivers get the communication and instruction they need to provide the best care for their loved ones coming home from the hospital,” said AARP Delaware State Director Lucretia Young. “We were pleased to work with local hospital leaders and with Dr. Lee of the Delaware Health Information Network to make this bill work for Delaware. We especially appreciate the leadership of Sen. Hall-Long, Rep. Bentz, and Majority Leader Longhurst who are sponsors of the CARE Act.”
Members of the Senate Health and Social Services Committee will consider SB 52 on Wednesday, May 18. If it passes committee, the bill could reach the Senate floor in June.
Senate Bill 52, also known as the CARE Act, would make Delaware the 28th state to implement a framework for patients to designate a lay caregiver during a hospital stay. That framework would provide for lay caregivers to be notified of a patient’s discharge, and for the hospital to train caregivers in proper aftercare—like cleaning wounds, administering special diets, or operating medical equipment—following a hospital discharge.
Sen. Hall-Long—a nurse herself—says that the legislation is vital to improving Delaware’s continuum of care.
“Anyone who’s been admitted to a hospital knows that a patient’s recovery and care doesn’t end at discharge,” Hall-Long said. “Oftentimes the responsibility for that care falls on a family member with no clinical training, which is unfair to the caregiver, hazardous to the patient, and expensive for the hospital if it results in readmission. Especially considering the growth in our aging population, it’s critical for everyone that Delawareans have access to quality care at home, and that begins with the people closest to us.”
No established, integrated process exists under current law for a family member to be trained in the proper administration of care following a hospital stay. That can lead to preventable missteps that drag out recovery time, or even require readmission. Studies have shown that one in eight Medicare patients is readmitted to a hospital within a month of surgery, which creates additional health risks, costs taxpayers more, and can result in a financial penalty against the hospital.
“As Delaware’s aging population continues to grow, family members who provide care and medical assistance to their loved ones will only become more commonplace,” said Rep. David Bentz, D-Christiana, the bill’s House sponsor. “As a state, we need to acknowledge the key roles these caregivers play and formalize their relationships with our health care practitioners.”
SB 52 is part of a larger legislative effort, led up by Sen. Hall-Long and others, to look holistically at health care delivery in Delaware and close gaps in the continuum of care. Prior to SB 52’s introduction, Hall-Long also helped lead the General Assembly’s efforts to implement telemedicine, improve the state’s approach to preventing overdose fatalities, and comprehensively review Delaware’s mental and behavioral health care systems.
“AARP has been working to support family caregivers for many years. The CARE Act is a good way to make sure caregivers get the communication and instruction they need to provide the best care for their loved ones coming home from the hospital,” said AARP Delaware State Director Lucretia Young. “We were pleased to work with local hospital leaders and with Dr. Lee of the Delaware Health Information Network to make this bill work for Delaware. We especially appreciate the leadership of Sen. Hall-Long, Rep. Bentz, and Majority Leader Longhurst who are sponsors of the CARE Act.”
Members of the Senate Health and Social Services Committee will consider SB 52 on Wednesday, May 18. If it passes committee, the bill could reach the Senate floor in June.
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Press Contacts
Scott Goss
Communications Director
(302) 744-4180
scott.goss@delaware.gov
Dylan McDowell
Communications Assistant
(302) 744-4282
dylan.mcdowell@delaware.gov
Scott Goss
Communications Director
(302) 744-4180
scott.goss@delaware.gov
Dylan McDowell
Communications Assistant
(302) 744-4282
dylan.mcdowell@delaware.gov