54 The QUEE NS Courier • health • juLY 2, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com ▶health The Elder Law Minute TM Senate and Assembly Pass the CARE Act By Ronald Fatoullah, Esq. and Stacey Meshnick, Esq. The New York State Senate and Assembly recently passed the CARE Act (Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable Act), which is legislation aimed at supporting caregivers of aging relatives who require care at home. The Act is an effort to assist hospitalized patients by ensuring that their loved ones are able to provide the care they need once they are discharged. The Act requires hospitals to give caregivers instructions and demonstrations of the tasks required to care for a sick relative, including wound care, operation of medical equipment and the administration of medication. Unfortunately, we often hear of elderly patients being discharged from a hospital to the community without the necessary support in place. Providing caregivers with the necessary information to assist sick loved ones will help keep seniors at home and healthy, ideally preventing hospital readmission. The bill requires that hospitals identify caregivers and include their names in the record so that they may be notified prior to a transfer or discharge. The bill is aimed at reducing hospital readmissions and helping to keep people at home, presumably at a lower cost. It may also help prevent institutionalization, elder law which is often paid for by government benefits, thereby reducing taxpayer liability. Caring for an ailing relative can be demanding and stressful for the caregiver. It is not uncommon for the caregiver to become ill as a result of the stress. It is expected that Governor Cuomo will sign the bill into law. Once he does so, it will ostensibly publicize the issue and foster education for caregivers. Caregivers must not only be familiar with medical tasks, but often need to handle legal and financial issues on behalf of an ailing loved one. It is important for caregivers to seek the advice of an elder care attorney who can help the family devise an appropriate plan tailored to the needs of the senior. The plan typically would depend on factors including age, health and family structure. Having both a medical and legal/financial plan in place can ease the burden on the family tremendously. The CARE Act is another step in recognizing the role of caregivers and the challenges facing ailing seniors and their loved ones. Ronald A. Fatoullah, Esq. is the principal of Ronald Fatoullah & Associates, a law firm that concentrates in elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, guardianships, estate administration, trusts, wills, and real estate. This article was co-written by Stacey Meshnick, Esq., senior staff attorney at the firm who has chaired the firm’s Medicaid department for over 15 years. The law firm can be reached at 718-261-1700, 516-466- 4422, or toll free at 1-877-ELDERLAW or 1-877-ESTATES. Mr. Fatoullah is also the co-founder of JR Wealth Advisors, LLC. The wealth management firm can be reached at 516-466-3300 or 800-353-3775. ROnald Fatoullah, ESQ, CELA* NYU Langone Internal Medicine–Forest Hills At NYU Langone Internal Medicine–Forest Hills, we are dedicated to providing high-quality, personalized care to our patients. We treat a wide range of conditions, including allergy and asthma, digestive diseases, heart-related and pulmonary issues, and infections in patients of all ages. We also focus on preventive care, as well as continuous care for patients who require prolonged treatment and monitoring. We’re bringing together the comprehensive resources, technology, and expertise of NYU Langone with the physicians you’ve come to know in your neighborhood. NYU LANGONE INTERNAL MEDICINE–FOREST HILLS 11406 Queens Boulevard • Forest Hills, NY 11375 718.575.9787 Jonathan Mohrer, MD
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