Galef Bill Requiring Post-Hospitalization Care Passes Assembly

ALBANY (January 24, 2019) – Assemblywoman Sandy Galef is pleased to announce that her legislation A.212/S.474 passed the Assembly on Wednesday, January 23rd. The bill requires hospitals to ensure that patients who require a central venous line upon discharge have a caregiver who has gone through proper training on central venous line care, or to have such qualified care services available to them should they be unable to provide such care in the home. Before this bill, someone who needed a central venous line could be told that a provided caregiver was medically unnecessary despite the adverse effects that come from potential infections. This put a burden on the primary caregiver, as well as placing the patient in harm’s way.

This is what happened to an 11 year old in Galef’s district. Upon discharge the child and her mother were unable to attain a caregiver, which caused great financial strain for the family. Her family also did not have the proper medical knowledge required to care for someone with a newly installed venous line. Under this bill home health care services would be ordered, removing a great source of stress from the situation. Providing a caregiver to people or families after discharge would also alleviate a potential financial burden and allow adults to continue working while the patient is cared for by health experts.

The venous line is used for many medicinal purposes including but not limited to chemotherapy, dialysis, and vein inflammation, thus highlighting how often venous lines are used in the medicinal field and how a number of patients following discharge have also been faced with the same dilemma as this child.

“This bill will bring much comfort to families and patients who require trained caretakers after being discharged from a hospital,” said Assemblywoman Galef. “The situation this child and her mother found themselves in is remarkably common. Venous lines are used after a number of surgeries that affect thousands of people statewide. Beforehand, it was unclear how New York State chose to provide support to people struggling with proper venous line care. This bill assures proper care will be provided, and families will no longer have a cause for stress or financial concern.”

"I thank Assemblywoman Galef for her leadership on this issue, and will continue to advocate for this bill to pass in the Senate. No one who is lucky enough to receive a life-saving transplant should be sent home without the proper care," said Senator David Carlucci, who sponsors the bill in the Senate. "This bill ensures a caregiver knows what's involved with a central venous line so a patient is cared for safely."