California Joins States Requiring Hospital Coordination with Patients’ Caregivers

​California is the latest state to enact a law requiring hospitals to allow patients to identify their primary caregiver and have that caregiver involved in their care plan, according to a January 6, 2016, Kaiser Health News article. The article uses the story of a California woman who is the primary caregiver for both her husband and sister-in-law, but says that her role as caregiver is often overlooked when one of the individuals is hospitalized. This is a particular problem when patients are discharged, when the hospital may not adequately explain changes in the patient's status, medications, or other therapies.