Family Caregivers Finally Get A Break — And Some Coaching

Across the country, community groups, hospitals, government agencies and nonprofits are starting to do more to support at least some of the estimated 42 million friends and family members who are the primary caregivers of adults and children who have disabilities, are recovering from surgeries and illnesses or are coping with Alzheimer's and other chronic diseases.

The National Gallery's program is part of the trend focusing on the health, well-being and education of these caregivers, who are usually unpaid.

"We know that involvement with art improves well-being," says Carolyn Halpin-Healy, executive director of the Arts & Minds program for caregivers and patients at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

"In our own research for persons with dementia, we see a reduction in apathy," Halpin-Healy says. "For caregivers, we see less isolation and a reduction in stress."

At the same time, 42 states and the District of Columbia have passed their own laws requiring hospitals and other nursing facilities to provide training for caregivers who perform medical tasks, and to record them as the "caregiver" when patients are admitted or released from hospitals or nursing facilities.

The laws' required designation benefits patients and their families, proponents say. In states without such a law Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin (Kansas' law takes effect in July) — patients can be dismissed from the hospital without family members being told or briefed fully on what care the patient needs.

The CARE Act is "more than just a law," says Elaine Ryan, AARP vice president of state advocacy and strategy. "It's a change in the practice of health care."

Read the article in its entirety on NPR news here:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/04/27/606054065/family-caregivers-finally-get-a-break-and-some-coaching