Caregivers at hospital discharge

Hospitals in several states must offer patients a chance to name a caregiver and teach that caregiver before discharge.

6 states and 13 rows on record · updated Oct 15, 2026

Where it stands

Each state is shaded by the furthest stage of any row in this topic.

Federal: in effect or in use.

When it happened

One dot per dated event, or per row date where no events are recorded, shaded by stage. Every row has a date.

State by state

Federal first, then states A to Z. Open a line for its rows and sources.

Jurisdiction	Status	Key detail	Date
JurisdictionFederal	StatusIn effect or in use	Key detail Federal hospital discharge-planning caregiver implementationShow details and sources Federal hospital discharge-planning caregiver implementationEffective, Implementation Jul 1, 2026 The current eCFR text for 42 CFR 482.43 says the hospital discharge-planning process must focus on patient goals and treatment preferences, include the patient and caregivers/support persons as active partners, provide discharge-planning evaluation on request of the patient, patient's representative, or physician, and help patients, families, or representatives use post-acute quality and resource-use data. Who it affects: hospital patients, family caregivers, support persons, patient representatives, discharge planners, post-acute care providers Why it matters: Discharge is where many family caregivers inherit complex tasks. This row is the federal implementation anchor for explaining when caregivers and representatives should be brought into planning, without replacing state CARE Act or hospital-specific rights. eCFR 42 CFR 482.43 eCFR API Title 42 Part 482 issue text Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026	DateImplementationJul 1, 2026
JurisdictionCalifornia	StatusIn effect or in use	Key detail California hospital family caregiver discharge rightsShow details and sources California hospital family caregiver discharge rightsEffective, Effective Jan 1, 2016 California requires hospitals to give patients an opportunity to identify a family caregiver and to include that caregiver in discharge planning and instruction when consent is provided. Who it affects: hospital patients returning home, family caregivers, discharge planners, older adults, disabled people Why it matters: Discharge rights determine whether caregivers receive notice, training, and instructions before taking over medical tasks at home. California SB675 bill history California Hospital Association discharge planning law appendix Last reviewed Jun 18, 2026	DateEffectiveJan 1, 2016
JurisdictionConnecticut	StatusIn effect or in use	Key detail Connecticut patient-designated caregiver discharge rightsShow details and sources Connecticut patient-designated caregiver discharge rightsEffective, Effective Oct 1, 2015 Connecticut's patient-designated caregiver law requires hospitals to give patients an opportunity to identify a caregiver and connects that caregiver to discharge notice and after-care instruction duties. Who it affects: hospital patients returning home, family caregivers, designated caregivers, discharge planners, hospitals Why it matters: This is another state model for explaining caregiver access at discharge, which is often when families first discover they are responsible for complex care tasks at home. Connecticut Public Act 15-32 Connecticut Public Act 15-32 summary Last reviewed Jun 18, 2026	DateEffectiveOct 1, 2015
JurisdictionIllinois	StatusIn effect or in use	Key detail Illinois CARE Act hospital discharge caregiver rightsShow details and sources Illinois CARE Act hospital discharge caregiver rightsEffective, Effective Jul 27, 2015 Illinois' CARE Act creates a discharge-planning lane for patients to identify a caregiver and for hospitals to connect that caregiver to aftercare information. Who it affects: hospital patients returning home, family caregivers, designated caregivers, discharge planners, older adults Why it matters: Discharge is a high-risk handoff for caregivers; Illinois adds another state comparison point for what families can ask hospitals to document and explain before the patient goes home. Illinois Health and Hospital Association CARE Act Illinois Department on Aging hospital discharge planning Last reviewed Jun 18, 2026	DateEffectiveJul 27, 2015
JurisdictionNew Jersey	StatusIn effect or in use	Key detail New Jersey health-care facility complaint and enforcement route5 rows on record. Show all and sources New Jersey health-care facility complaint and enforcement routeActive, Implementation May 16, 2025 NJDOH's complaint page says patients, health-care facility employees, and members of the public may file complaints about hospitals, home health agencies, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other licensed facilities. NJDOH's enforcement page explains that complaints may be investigated by inspection, interviews, and record review; deficiencies can be cited; and remedies can include plans of correction, fines, admission curtailment, conditional licenses, suspension, revocation, or other remedies. Who it affects: patients, family caregivers, hospital patients, facility residents, health-care facility employees, licensed facilities Why it matters: When a caregiver cannot resolve a discharge, patient-rights, facility-quality, or access problem inside a hospital or licensed facility, the state complaint and enforcement route is the next official pathway. NJDOH health-care facility complaints and hotlines NJDOH health-care facility enforcement actions NJDOH patient rights Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026 New Jersey CARE Act hospital caregiver regulationsEffective, Effective Jan 16, 2018 NJDOH adopted N.J.A.C. 8:43G-11A under the authority of N.J.S.A. 26:2H-5.24 through 5.32. The adopted rules require hospitals to offer caregiver designation, obtain consent before disclosing discharge-planning information, consult with the caregiver, offer after-care assistance training, record caregiver information in the discharge plan, and notify the caregiver before discharge or transfer when required. Who it affects: hospital patients returning home, designated caregivers, legally authorized decision makers, hospital discharge planners, licensed hospitals Why it matters: The regulation row gives the operational rules hospitals must follow, which is distinct from the statutory authority and the existing implementation summary. NJDOH adoption of N.J.A.C. 8:43G-11A NJDOH CARE Act rule proposal Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026 New Jersey CARE Act hospital caregiver rightsEffective, Implementation Jan 16, 2018 NJ's CARE Act and hospital licensing rules require hospitals to offer eligible patients an opportunity to designate a caregiver and provide discharge-related caregiver training or instruction. Who it affects: hospital patients returning home, designated caregivers, discharge planning teams Why it matters: This anchors caregiver ID and discharge-process rights in NJ, but it should not be presented as general proxy authority. NJ DOH CARE Act notice NJ DOH hospital licensing adoption PDF Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026 New Jersey CARE Act caregiver designation legislationEffective, Effective May 12, 2015 New Jersey's CARE Act established statutory caregiver designation, discharge-notice, and after-care assistance instruction requirements for covered hospital discharges to a patient's residence. NJDOH announced the law's effective date on May 12, 2015, and the Legislature's enrolled-law page is the official bill-text source. Who it affects: hospital patients returning home, designated caregivers, legally authorized decision makers, family caregivers, hospital discharge teams Why it matters: The statute is the legal authority behind New Jersey caregiver discharge rights, while the existing implementation and regulation rows explain how NJDOH operationalized those rights in hospital licensing standards. NJ Legislature A2955 / P.L.2014, c.68 enrolled law NJDOH CARE Act effective notice Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026 NJDOH CARE Act caregiver discharge guidance noticeActive, Implementation May 12, 2015 NJDOH's May 12, 2015 notice says the CARE Act went into effect that day and describes the law as ensuring hospitals provide caregivers instructions and training on how to care for a loved one discharged home. Later NJDOH rulemaking materials describe the Act's intent as giving hospital patients the right to designate a caregiver before discharge and giving that caregiver an opportunity to receive after-care assistance training. Who it affects: family caregivers, hospital patients returning home, women caregivers, hospital discharge teams, caregiver support organizations Why it matters: The guidance row is the plain-language state notice families are likely to encounter before reading statutes or hospital licensing rules. NJDOH CARE Act effective notice NJDOH CARE Act rule proposal Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026	DateImplementationMay 16, 2025
JurisdictionNew York	StatusIn effect or in use	Key detail New York CARE Act hospital caregiver rights3 rows on record. Show all and sources New York CARE Act hospital caregiver rightsEffective, Implementation Apr 24, 2020 NY law requires hospitals to offer patients a chance to identify a caregiver, record that caregiver, request consent for information release, notify the caregiver of discharge or transfer, and offer after-care instruction. Who it affects: hospitalized adults, identified caregivers, legal guardians, discharge planners Why it matters: This is a practical 'who gets included at discharge?' rights row, with consent and no-obligation limits. NY Public Health Law 2994-JJ NY Public Health Law 2994-KK NY Public Health Law 2994-LL Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026 New York Patients' Bill of Rights caregiver regulationEffective, Effective Nov 13, 2019 The current NYCRR Section 405.7 page requires hospitals to provide and post patient rights and lists the right to identify a caregiver who will be included in discharge planning and post-discharge care information or instruction. Who it affects: hospital patients, family caregivers, patient representatives, hospital staff Why it matters: Putting the caregiver-discharge right in the hospital Patients' Bill of Rights makes it visible as a hospital patient-rights issue, not only a standalone CARE Act citation. NYCRR Section 405.7 Patients' rights NYSDOH Hospital Patients' Bill of Rights NYSDOH DAL 17-01 Patients' Bill of Rights Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026 New York CARE Act caregiver discharge implementationEffective, Implementation May 11, 2016 NYSDOH's DAL 16-06 and caregiver guide operationalize the CARE Act by reminding hospitals to offer patients a chance to identify a caregiver, include that caregiver in discharge planning, notify the caregiver when discharge can be anticipated, and offer instruction in after-care tasks. Who it affects: hospital patients, family caregivers, identified caregivers, hospital discharge teams Why it matters: The implementation row separates hospital operational duties from the underlying statute, giving caregivers and care teams a source-backed place to look for what hospitals were told to do. NYSDOH DAL 16-06 CARE Act reminder NYSDOH NYS Caregiver Guide CARE Act page NY Public Health Law 2994-LL Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026	DateImplementationApr 24, 2020
JurisdictionPennsylvania	StatusIn effect or in use	Key detail Pennsylvania CARE Act hospital discharge caregiver rightsShow details and sources Pennsylvania CARE Act hospital discharge caregiver rightsEffective, Effective Apr 20, 2017 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. Who it affects: hospital patients returning home, lay caregivers, family caregivers, discharge planners 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. Pennsylvania Act 20 of 2016 Last reviewed Jun 18, 2026	DateEffectiveApr 20, 2017