AARP Mississippi is fighting to support family caregivers who help make it possible for older Americans and other loved ones to live independently at home — where they want to be. Every day, a silent army of Americans performs a great labor of love by helping their parents and spouses remain at home.

While these family caregivers wouldn’t have it any other way, they need some support.

Right now, the Mississippi legislature is considering a bill — The Caregiver Act (SB 2108) — that will help our state’s caregivers care for their loved ones. When parents, spouses, or other loved ones go into the hospital, family caregivers can feel confused, rushed, left out, or unprepared to provide the best care when they return home. The Caregiver Act is a commonsense solution that has three important provisions to make an incredible difference for Mississippi’s family caregivers as they take care of their loved ones:

-The name of the family caregiver is recorded when a loved one is admitted into a hospital;

-The family caregiver is notified if the loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home; and,

-The facility must provide the family caregiver with an explanation and live instruction of the medical tasks — such as medication management, injections, and wound care — that the family caregiver will perform at home.

You can call your State Representative at 1-844-288-1080. Ask them to vote yes on The Caregiver Act (SB 2108) to help Mississippi family caregivers who take care of their loved ones.

Bruce W. Brice, Sr.

Natchez

AARP Mississippi