Caregivers are superheroes

by Tim Summers,

State Director AARP Wyoming

When someone says they are family, it carries weight. It means that you have a bond, a harmony and a responsibility for other people. It does not have to be by blood, but by conviction of a kinship.

 There is no greater demonstration of what family means than being a caregiver. In Wyoming, more than 66,000 people personally exemplify being family each day by taking care of a loved one, whether it be their child, parent, friend, spouse or any other person that they consider family.

Someone so important to them that they are willing to sacrifice or meld their individual lives with that person so they can care for them through times of illness, financial hardship, aging, or disability.

Caregivers are superheroes. They are invaluable. They are nobility in our state for their commitment and dedication to taking care of those they consider family. It is estimated that they contribute upwards of 62 million hours of care each year that is worth an estimated $817 million in care.

But they don’t ask for a paycheck. In fact, at times, some of them have forgone a paycheck to take care of their family.

As we begin 2016, it is time to ask how can we support or strengthen the efforts of these Wyoming caregivers. What can we do to help them succeed at caring for their family? There is a simple step that can be taken to start the ball rolling. To lead to a comprehensive system of resources that can support caregivers and their work.

That step is the passage of the Wyoming Caregiver Act. The Caregiver Act supports family caregivers when their loved ones go into the hospital, and it helps them learn what they must do to safely provide care when they’re discharged home.

The Act requires hospitals to:

·  Record the name of the family caregiver when a loved one is admitted into a hospital;

·  Notify the family caregiver if the loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home; and,

· Consult and prepare the family caregiver on the medical tasks – such as medication management, injections, wound care, and transfers – that the family caregiver may perform at home.

These three steps seem simple and some may wonder why we don’t already do this. Generally, hospitals in Wyoming do. That is the reason the Wyoming Hospital Association stands in support of this legislation as well.

By putting these three provisions into law, we say as a state that we support caregivers and their devotion to their families. Family caregivers play a critical role in helping to keep their loved ones from being readmitted to the hospital, out of costly institutions and safe at home. This act can help support those efforts. And it requires no additional funding to be implemented.

So as we begin a new year, take them time to tell a caregiver you know whether it is a co-worker, neighbor or someone in your family, “Thank You” for everything you do. And take a moment to tell your legislator that it is important to you and to our state that they support the Wyoming Caregiver Act.