Pennsylvania CARE Act hospital discharge caregiver rights
Pennsylvania's CARE Act requires hospitals to allow patients to designate a lay caregiver and provide discharge instructions for after-care tasks.
Pennsylvania · Effective · Effective Apr 20, 2017
What it is
- What changed
- Pennsylvania law gives hospital patients a route to identify a caregiver and requires hospitals to provide instructions for after-care tasks in the discharge plan.
- Why it matters
- CARE Act rows help families understand that caregiver access and discharge instruction rights vary by state and can be operationalized at hospital discharge.
- Who it touches
- Family caregivers, Care providers and plans, People receiving carehospital patients returning home, lay caregivers, family caregivers, discharge planners
- What it does
- Gives people a right or protection
Sources
Last reviewed Jun 18, 2026. This is information, not legal advice; check the source for the current text.