Valley lawmakers hail bill supporting caregivers

Legislation focuses on follow-up care

HARTFORD - State Reps. Theresa Conroy, Linda M. Gentile, and Themis Klarides and state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. hailed House and Senate approval of legislation (SB 290) to facilitate follow-up care for hospital patients by requiring hospitals to record names of designated caregivers and provide detailed instructions for follow-up care.


There are more than 700,000 family caregivers in Connecticut providing daily care and support to their loved ones so that they may stay in their homes longer.

According to AARP, 61 percent of Connecticut residents over age 40 are currently providing, or have provided, unpaid care to an adult loved one.

“Complex medical care combined with shorter hospital stays can mean increased anxiety and stress on family members and leading to costly hospital readmissions,” Conroy said. “Caregivers provide patients with medication, injections, and change dressings and bandages. When a caregiver receives the proper tools and basic instructions from medical professionals at the hospital, we can ensure better outcomes.”

The legislation requires a hospital, when discharging a patient to his or her home, to:

• Allow the patient to designate a caregiver
• Document the designated caregiver
• Attempt to notify the designated caregiver of the patient's discharge home
• Instruct the caregiver on post-discharge tasks and care

“The legislation is a good next step in helping people recover from the ailment that required hospitalization,” Gentile said. “Making not only the patient, but a family member, spouse or friend accountable for follow up increases the odds for recovery.”

Klarides, House Republican Leader, said, “This is just common sense in providing for patients who often fail to receive follow-up care that can make a huge difference in their recoveries. This legislation will fill a yawning void in their aftercare and formalize much needed protocols.”

“Today's family caregivers are confronted with complex, taxing tasks,” Crisco said. “This legislation will ensure that they have sufficient instruction to prepare them for the challenges that lay ahead, helping patients remain in their homes and preventing costly hospital readmissions.”


This is a press release from Connecticut House Democrats.