Family Caregiver Involvement at Hospital Discharge – A Call for Support of the Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act

According to the National Library of Medicine, “the Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act” passed in over 40 US states, is intended to provide family caregivers of hospitalized patients with the knowledge and skills needed for safe and efficient transitions. It has broken important ground for family caregivers who assist with transitions in patient care.”

The “2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers: Actions for States, Communities, and Others” includes recommendations for states that have not already done so, to adopt and expand the CARE Act to ensure family caregivers are integrated into transition services. There are an estimated 580,000 family caregivers providing an estimated $9.2 billion in unpaid care to their loved ones in Wisconsin.

Yet, the CARE Act has not yet been passed in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Aging Advocacy Network (WAAN), Wisconsin Family & Caregiver Support Alliance (WFACSA), and the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources (GWAAR) have partnered with grassroots family caregivers from around the state. Our collective hope is to increase awareness of family caregiver issues, build partnerships to better support family caregivers, and strengthen services and support for family caregivers. With this family caregiver video, we are giving a voice to Wisconsin family caregivers who want to see improvement in discharges from Wisconsin hospitals. Family Caregivers are the “backbone of the health industry” and need to be recognized and involved as a critical part of the care team.

We ask that you watch the video, share the video, take the survey, call your legislature to share your story, and ask them to pass the CARE Act in Wisconsin.