Several House and Senate lawmakers attended a ceremony June 16 with Gov.
David Ige as he signed three important bills into law.
The bills included HB 2252 (ACT 69) that will
require hospitals to adopt and maintain written discharge policies that are
consistent with recent updates to federal regulations. The new law requires
hospitals to explain and demonstrate medical and nursing tasks required of
family caregivers once the patient returns home from the hospital.
The
CARE Act recognizes the critical role of Hawaii’s unpaid family caregivers who
keep family members and friends out of costly institutions, providing them with
the tools to safely and efficiently care for loved ones at home.
The
CARE Act features three provisions:
1. The caregiver’s name
is recorded when a loved one is admitted to the hospital.
2. The caregiver is
notified if the hospital is transferring the patient to another facility or
releasing them.
3. The hospital offers
to instruct the caregiver on how to perform tasks at home once the loved one is
discharged from the hospital. Tasks include medication management, injections
and wound care.
“Many
of our residents have no other option but to care for their loved ones at home.
The CARE Act is crucial in giving families support, guidance and peace of mind
as they care for family members and loved ones in the home,” said Gov. Ige.
With
Gov. Ige’s signature, Hawaii becomes the 27th state in the nation
(plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) to support the CARE
Act, to establish minimum hospital discharge standards across the board, to
ease the transition from hospital to home.
The
CARE Act receives no financial appropriation.
OTHER
BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW:
SB 2392 (ACT 68) Relating to
Opioid Antagonists: The law takes steps to reduce opioid-related drug overdoses
by encouraging the use of opioid antagonists to assist individuals who
experience or are at risk of experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose. The
bill creates immunity for health care professionals and pharmacists who
prescribe, dispense, distribute or administer overdose reversal medications
such as Naloxone. The bill also authorizes police, firefighters, lifeguards,
all emergency medical technicians, family and friends to administer this
medication to anyone experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose.
SB 2453 (ACT 67) Relating to
Aquatic Resources: Authorizes the court to require violators of certain laws
pertaining to aquatic resources to complete an educational class and/or pay a
monetary fine or perform community services in lieu of paying a monetary fine.
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