Family caregivers are propping up our nation’s ability to care for people who are ill, dying, or recovering from illness. In the report, Home Alone: Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Care, authors Susan Reinhard, RN, PhD, FAAN, and Carol Levine note that family caregivers are expected to do medical tasks that even health professionals find challenging, whether wound care or transferring a sick or disabled person from bed to chair or bathroom, or managing myriad medications. And yet, most family caregivers are not taught by hospital personnel about how to provide the care that the person will need once at home.
Last year, New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo signed in to law The Care Act, as have the governors of 30 other states and territories. The new law holds hospitals accountable for preparing family caregivers to manage a patient’s care after discharge.
On June 16, 2016, HealthCetera producer Diana Mason interviews Susan Reinhard, one of the authors of Home Alone, a registered nurse and Senior Vice President for Public Policy, about the Care Act and what the public should expect.
So tune in on Thursday June 16 at 1:00 on WBAI, 99.5 FM in New York City or streaming at www.wbai.org. Or listen to the interview here: