Blog

The Designated Caregiver Act and BrightStar Care's Role

November 10, 2016
Anne photoBy Anne Marie Gattari In July, the state legislature passed a law to make hospital discharges easier for patients and their families. Called the Designated Caregiver Act, the law mandates that the hospital provide easy-to-understand discharge information to a caregiver designated by the patient. “As soon as possible prior to the patient’s discharge, the hospital must attempt to consult with the lay caregiver to prepare the caregiver for the patient’s post-discharge needs,” according to the law firm Dykema. While the law speaks to the role of family caregivers, the patient may designate a home care agency to -provide post-discharge care and receive detailed instruction from the hospital. In the five years since its opening, BrightStar Care of Grosse Pointe / Macomb has been involved in many hospital discharges. Families like that our Registered Nurse can speak directly to hospital nurses to receive clinical instruction and then oversee the ongoing care in the home. Though the Michigan law is new, BrightStar Care’s involvement in helping patients transition to home is not. Our transitional care services aim to do what so many healthcare initiatives strive for: reduce hospital readmissions and stop the revolving door of our senior loved ones in and out of emergency rooms. When your parent or grandparent or elderly neighbor is coming out of the hospital or rehab center, call BrightStar Care for a complimentary hospital visit by our RN. The plan of care she writes for your elderly loved one upon his or her return home will ensure the care is high quality and will give you added peace of mind. [Anne Marie Gattari, owner/president, BrightStar Care of Grosse Pointe / Macomb, is a member and past-chair of the GPW Senior Citizens’ Commission and Host of WMTV’s cable show, “Aging Well in America.” Call her office 586.279.3610 for a complimentary nurse assessment. This article by Anne Marie Gattari, President of BrightStar Care Grosse Pointe, appears in the November-December 2016 issue of Grosse Pointe Magazine]