Give caregivers training they need, supporters say

Advocates for people who take care of elderly parents and other family members are urging the General Assembly to provide support for family caregivers.

February 4, 2015; 6:00 AM • by Capital News Service

By Noura Bayoumi

Advocates for people who take care of elderly parents and other family members are urging the General Assembly to provide support for family caregivers.

Robert Blancato, national coordinator of the Elder Justice Coalition, said two bills before the assembly would do that: HB 1413, sponsored by Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax Station, and SB 851, introduced by Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington. Under those measures, hospitals would have to provide a family member or other designated individual with information and instructions about follow-up care or treatment when a patient is being discharged.

Information and training would be a big help to family caregivers as their loved ones transition home after a hospital stay, Blancato said at a press conference Tuesday. “There has to be a solid handoff from the hospital to the family in order for the patient to be in good care.” About half of all caregivers do not receive the training they need for the medical and nursing tasks they must perform, and more than two-thirds never receive a home visit by a health care professional after the patient is discharged, Favola said. “There is a problem that needs to be solved,” she said. “We want to give caregivers the knowledge and support they need that comes with training.”

Pamela Bingham of Petersburg has been a full-time family caregiver since 2011. She is taking care of her mother, who has dementia. “Caregiving is the hardest job I have ever had,” Bingham said. Upon discharge, elderly patients often get paper instructions and prescriptions that they can’t read or decipher, Bingham said – and yet they are expected to know how and when to take medication. “I also have a five-shelved bookcase in my home filled with medical supplies that basically turn me into a home medical nurse with no medical training,” Bingham said.

Amy Becker, a registered nurse, attended the press conference to show her support for caregivers. She said caregivers in Virginia are stepping forward in increasing numbers to take responsibility for providing complex medical care to their loved ones. “They are my heroes,” Becker said.

On Tuesday, a subcommittee of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions voted unanimously in favor of Filler-Corn’s bill. HB 1413 now will be considered by the full committee. SB 851 is pending before the Senate Committee on Education and Health.

Photo by: NVinacco