A recent survey conducted by AARP Oregon found more than three fourths of Oregon voters 45 or older support a series of mandatory hospital discharge instructions that could go into effect if the Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable Act (House Bill 3378) becomes law. Sponsored by state Reps. Mitch Greenlick, D-Portland, and Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, this legislation would require hospitals to teach family caregivers how to perform certain medical tasks when their loved ones are discharged (supported by 91 percent of older voters), discuss a patient’s medical decisions with his or her family caregivers (supported by 86 percent of older voters), and record the name of a patient’s caregiver in his or her medical file (supported by 82 percent of older voters).

Many of the state’s health care systems including the St. Charles Health System already have these policies written into their discharge procedures.