The Colorado Care Act, Senator Aguilar, AARP Seek Support

What is The CARE Act?

The CARE Act recognizes the critical role family caregivers play in keeping their loved ones out of costly institutions.

The bill features three important provisions:

  • The name of the family caregiver is recorded when a loved one is admitted into a hospital;
  • The family caregiver is notified if the loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home; and,
  • The facility must provide an explanation and live instruction of the medical tasks – such as medication management, injections, wound care, and transfers – that the family caregiver will perform at home.

 

Why Coloradans Need The CARE Act:

  • Most care recipients (69%) did not have a home visit by a health care professional after discharge from the hospital.
  • Almost half (46%) of family caregivers perform medical or nursing tasks for their loved ones with multiple chronic physical and cognitive conditions.
  • Three out of four (78%) who provide these medical or nursing tasks manage medications, including administering intravenous fluids and injections.
  • Most family caregivers report that they received little or no training to perform these tasks.

Supporters of HB 1242 include:

  • 9to5 Colorado
  • CarePartnersResource
  • CCHI
  • The Arc of Colorado

 

For more information on HB1242 please contact:

Kelli Fritts, AARP Colorado (303)249-1518 or kfritts@aarp.org   

aarp_logo.web.1280.1280   

Family Caregivers in Colorado

  • The vast majority of older Americans want to live independently at home.
  • Most seniors who receive assistance at home rely exclusively on unpaid family caregivers for help.
  • More than 575,000 family caregivers in Colorado help their loved ones to live independently at any given time – keeping them out of costly institutions, such as nursing homes.
  • Across Colorado, family caregivers provide unpaid care valued at about $6.6 billion annually.
  • Family caregivers perform a variety of caregiving duties, including help with bathing and dressing, feeding, medication management, wound care, transportation, and more.

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