(210 ILCS 91/20)

Sec. 20. Instruction to designated caregiver.

(a) As soon as possible prior to a patient's discharge from a hospital to the patient's residence, the hospital shall consult with the designated caregiver and issue a discharge plan that describes a patient's after care needs, if any, at the patient's residence. The consultation and issuance of a discharge plan shall occur on a schedule that takes into consideration the severity of the patient's condition and the urgency of the need for caregiver services. In the event the hospital is unable to contact the designated caregiver, the lack of contact shall not interfere with, delay, or otherwise affect the medical care provided to the patient or an appropriate discharge of the patient. At a minimum, the discharge plan shall include:

(1) A description of the after care deemed appropriate by the discharging physician or other health care professional.

(2) Contact information for any health care, clinical community resources, and long-term services and supports that may be helpful in carrying out the patient's discharge plan, and contact information for an individual designated by the hospital who can respond to questions about the discharge plan.

(b) The hospital issuing the discharge plan must make an effort to provide or arrange for the designated caregiver to receive instructions in after care described in the discharge plan. Training and instructions for caregivers may be conducted in person or through video technology. Any training or instructions to a caregiver shall be provided in non-technical language, to the extent possible. At a minimum, this instruction shall include:

(1) A live or recorded demonstration of the tasks performed by an individual designated by the hospital who is authorized to perform the after care and is able to perform the demonstration in a culturally competent manner, in accordance with the hospital's requirements to provide language access services under State and federal law and in accordance with the hospital's procedures for providing education to patients and family caregivers.

(2) An opportunity for the caregiver to ask questions about the after care.

(3) Answers provided in a culturally competent manner and in accordance with State and federal law.

(c) In the event the designated caregiver cannot be reached, is not available, or is not willing to receive the instruction, the lack of contact or instruction shall not interfere with, delay, or otherwise affect an appropriate discharge of the patient.

(Source: P.A. 99-222, eff. 1-27-16.)